First - How BIG is your boat to need 3 TONS of mooring ??

Without getting into the personalities, 3 tons of mooring granite is
not unusual in Maine. I have a 32 foot Pearson and the minimum granite
weight required by Rockland is 4,000 lbs with 6,000 recommended. A
friend who moors nearby recommended the higher amount, as he recalls a
boat similar to mine that dragged its 2 ton block (with appropriate
chain) over 60 feet in one storm. And our tides are only 8 to 10 feet.

As for the "free market," we are welcome to have whoever we want build
and set the mooring, but only those approved by the Harbormaster can
inspect and certify its condition and location. As a poor job
endangers other boats, etc., the Harbormaster is not being unreasonable
in setting standards and enforcing them.

I don't mind saving a buck, but it's good to remember that unlike other
shortcuts where deterioration can be easily spotted and remedied,
moorings are seldom inspected more than once a year (and frequently at
longer periods). And when you have a problem, it becomes big, fast and
the fix is not cheap. Do it right, the first time.

Steve Hayes