Mooring in Delaware River

[MKBLK]

Although I prefer to trailer my CP16 all over the place, I thought it would be nice to simply leave it in the water near to home at times. Slips and moorings are very expensive around here, heck, just the ramp fee I purchased is $75.00. Does anyone know the rules of mooring in the Delaware River between NJ and PA? The local marinas have mooring... at $800/season. I've seen people with waterfront property moor their boats just off-shore. Who owns the river? Can one simply plop down a mooring bouy (well clear of the channel, of course) and hook-up? Just wondering!

Marty K.

[skip1930]

We have two public mooring fields in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The skipper can rent a numbered can by the day, week, month or season. I think the season is $175.00 and you supply the pick-up buoy.

About 75 cans in each field and over the years the city pays to 'plant' them and take them out for the Ice Age.
I have never seen more than a dozen boats moored in either field. Most of the moored boats are using the cans that the local marinas control a half mile away.

My buddy sunk a semi diesel engine block and chain to hook his 27 foot sail boat to just off his beach property in about 5 foot of water. Nobody said a thing about that and it's been at least ten years. We attach a properly identified blue and white can to. The Coast Guard only wants to see a 360 degree white masthead lamp during sun down to sun up. If your in a mooring field you won't need a night light.

Here is his house after it burned down a two years ago Memorial Day. Less than a mile away on Bay Shore Drive Elsworth Peterson of Peterson Boat Builders built this mansion for his daughter...on three lots. Taxes are $83,000 a year for just her house. Plus he has two other homes. One in Hawaii. One in Sturgeon Bay.

skip.

[MKBLK]

Sorry about your buddy's home. Looks like it was very nice before the disaster. I don't have a diesel block, but would a couple of Volvo transmissions work? Just kidding - Bob23 might read this. If I were loaded, I could buy some nice waterfront property here in Bucks County on the river between Bristol and Edgely across from Burlington Island. Only about half a mil for a cottage on the river! And huge taxes (but not as bad as in NJ). Still wondering though... who owns the river? Can one simply drop a mooring anchor, say 100' off shore and hook-up? The river is about a 1/4 mile wide in this area. I never noticed any mast lights on boats moored adjacent to the marinas. I assume that marinas are specially designated anchorages.

Marty K.

[Bob23]

Marty:
   You might have to check with the town that you plan to moor in. Maybe the zoning office or tax office.
   I guess I'm quite spoiled with my free mooring in Surf City, NJ. In such an over regulated state such as mine, it's rare to find something someone hasn't figured out a way to charge for. We all love it here:

bob23