The World's Best Mooring
You can rest easy now; the debate is over. The best mooring on the planet is in New Zealand's Bay of Islands at 35˚ 18' S, 174° 7' E. What, you think yours is better? Tell us why and win a party!
In Terms of Money
What does access to this version of paradise cost me?
I paid about $2,000 for my mooring. It’s worth more now.
Tides at Opua are usually in the six-foot range, and my mooring usually sits in 25 to 30 feet of water.
The base is a three-ton chunk of concrete. To this are attached 16 feet of one-and-a-half-inch chain, 16 feet of three-quarter-inch chain, 10 feet of five-eighths-inch chain, and 30 feet of one-inch line.
Although 60 knots is the strongest wind I’ve experienced, reportedly more than 70 knots have hit while I’ve been away, and The Hawke of Tuonela, which isn’t heavy or hard on anchors or moorings, remained safe.
I pay an annual mooring fee to the Northland Regional Council of about $100. And I have to pay for a mooring inspection and necessary replacements every three years. Last time, this came to $600. This time, I expect it’ll be less.
I also pay for a full membership in the Opua Cruising Club, whose dinghy dock I use; the O.C.C. is the only organization of which I’m a willing member. This costs about $100 annually. Temporary memberships for visiting yachts are available for less.
I don’t claim that my mooring is the best in the world or that the Bay of Islands is the world’s best cruising ground. Only that there are none better.
What, you think yours is better? Tell us why and win a party!
Frequent CW contributor Webb Chiles is the author of seven books, several of which are available on Kindle. Keep up with him at his website.
