Sailing inyourfootsteps.com
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Acquiring cheaper moorings
What is the issue?
Boat acquisition is expensive but the ongoing costs of keeping a boat operational can be prohibitive. Especially if you live near a metropolitan area where there are a lot of boats competing for the limited berths available to the region.
Why address this?
Berthing and mooring costs are typically the largest single portion of the annual sailing expenditure. Reducing the cost of this single item could dramatically alter the ongoing expense profile of sailing.
How to address this?
Buy a boat with a shallow draft and rent or buy less sought after shallow water moorings.
Bilge keel vessels can moor in extremely shallow waters that few other sailing vessels can use. They equally sit happily on mud flats that dry out. Hence the mooring charge can be negligible for this type of vessel.
If the thought of a bilge keel strikes horror into a sailing purist there is also the option of a lifting keel vessel. Lifting keels have been around for many years now and well understood. Lifting keels offer excellent performance and the ability to take to shallower waters.
If you are considering the overall cost of boat ownership in an area of expensive berthing, it may be worth checking the cost of berthing and mooring before acquiring the vessel.
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How can I get this offshore?
If you are receiving a mobile signal you can access all of our information via a standard mobile phone internet browser. We provide a streamlined version of the site at www.liyfs.com, which is a shortcut to our 'Lite' site called Lite.InYourFootSteps.com, that is simplified and optimised for speed. Here are the phonetics to pass the address on via VHF: WWW.LIYFS.COM, I SPELL... LIMA... INDIA... YANKEE... FOXTROT... SIERRA... DOT.COM. Similarly, if you have limited or expensive internet capabilities, you may switch to the 'Lite' site www.liyfs.com for faster more efficient access.
Alternatively you may print a hard copy to have aboard. Either print this page with text, illustrations and photos, but without the internet menu, layout, backdrops and Google maps, or economise upon printer consumables and print this page with text only.
With thanks to:
Michael Harpur with thanks to Andrew Hogbin
inyourfootsteps.com makes no guarantee of the validity of this information, you must read our legal page. However, we ask you to help us increase accuracy. If you spot an inaccuracy or an omission on this page please contact us and we will be delighted to rectify it. Don't forget to help us by sharing your own experience.
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