For the most part, Bangarang is moored in the middle of the harbor. That means we need our dinghy for transportation to and from land. In the picture below, who is dinghy Captain and who is the Admiral?
Our "parking lot" when we go ashore...
When we first got on our boat in Martinique, we thought we'd want to occasionally pay a little more for a spot on the dock. The extra cost buys you unlimited access to fresh water, electrical hookup, and ease of getting to shore. Then, recently, Bangarang spent a few days at the dock so that Kent could more easily clean and refinish our teak deck, stairs and deck table. He needed access to the water hose for that job. Our boat has a water maker and a generator, so water and electric is not an issue. But for the teak job, we needed constant unlimited access for just 2-3 days.
What we discovered was that being on the dock isn't so great after all and may not be worth the extra cost unless you have need it for a boat project. In the U.S., harbor docks almost always have finger docks: docks that are built off the main pier between the boats, affording easy entry to each boat. In Martinique and in many places in the Mediterranean, there are no finger docks. Boats are backed up, stern in, so that you can enter and exit your boat easily. The bow is too high to allow access to and from the dock. No finger docks means that boats are right up against one another, separated and protected by fenders. There are about 300 boats at the docks. It's a lot more crowded, noisy, and less private! It's also much less breezy closer to shore, so that means a hot boat.
So, as nice as it may sound to enjoy unlimited water and electric, we've decided we like our mooring spot in the middle of the harbor. Better views of town, the sunsets, and the boats coming and going through our channel.
No comments:
Post a Comment