Hi,
Newport Harbor in California has private moorings that can be purchased. I
want to purchase one in a certain area and I have looked into them. You pay
a fee to the harbor department every year, this mainly is to pay the lease
on the land to the state. You must provide a inspection report on the
mooring to the harbor department every year and you pay for it and any
repairs needed. Dingy dockage is a problem, some private docks rent out a
space, some people also get sand mooring for the dingy. Some of the
businesses have docks you can use within limits. Membership in a yatch club
will get you a shore boat. Parking is even more of a problem.
Avalon has moorings for sale, but I don't want to spend $100,000 to live
there. Better to lease a mooring at Two Harbors but the waiting list is
YEARS. I am on the Catalina Harbor list. Dingy docks included but a permit
for a auto is needed (just to have one).
Mission Bay has space for moorings and you can put your own in. But limits
on size of boat and usage exist.
San Diego bay has moorings. The local dictators *SDUPD* are very boater
unfriendly. They limit the usage in the bay and want their pound of flesh.
What do you expect from someone that is NOT elected and with a business
outlook. The latest change is a private firm managing the moorings, talk
about a sweetheart deal. It takes months to get any mooring and YEARS to
get a choice one. I have a mooring in the America Cup Harbor myself which
means I have a choice one. I am going cruising and I can not make up my
mind to let this go or keep it. It is my choice, if I ever come back to SD
then I would need it. Of course that plays directly in the mooring company
hands. I get charged $140 a month. If I am not using my mooring the
company wants to rent it out to traisent boaters at $7.50 a day and split
the money with me. So they collect $225, give me $112.5, charge me $140, so
net they make $252.50 for a mooring, and I have to pay $27.50 for a mooring
I am not using. Sweet deal!
Other than these places I can tell you a lot about living on a mooring....

Get use to hauling...
You haul water by the gallon
You haul food by the pound
You haul fuel for the boat.
You will need a large backpack, most boats carry them.
Helps you haul, see above.
Carries your shower gear.
Change of shoreside clothing
Warm jacket and poncho for rain
Keys, wallet, sunglasses, and anything else you need.
Get a health club membership for showers, even it you have a shower onboard.
Plan and budget a few days at a dock each month, fill up the water takes,
get the canned goods on board, clean the boat.

If you plan to cruise living on a mooring is a good experience for you. You
learn just what it takes for you to live on the boat. How much electricity,
fuel, food and water you use. Making good lists so that you don't forget
something and have to make another dingy ride. How little it really takes
to live. Getting unplugged, no cable, no internet, no phone maybe, I
choose to live on a mooring just for those reasons. My home phone is my cell
phone, my address is a PO Box, I can move if I don't like my neibors.
Mike