Club Moorings
All swing mooring allocations in Williamstown are controlled by Parks Victoria.
Members interested in acquiring a swing mooring must apply to lease one from Parks Victoria (on an annual basis). Parks Victoria then require every mooring holder to have their mooring tackle inspected and certified annually (usually by 30 June).
Williamstown Sailing Club is an authorised mooring contractor for these inspections and certifications, but only in zones WTA and WTB, and only for our own members. The fee for the inspection and any necessary repairs or replacements will be invoiced to the club member in January each year. The club has two dinghies which are available for members to allow access to and from their moored boats.
Please be aware that there may be a waiting list for a mooring in the WTA and WTB zones, and also note that the lease on a mooring cannot be sold or transferred to another individual. Please note that the annual leasing charges by Parks Victoria does not cover the cost of the tackle, which remains the responsibility of the boat owner.
All boats registered with the club and using moorings maintained by the club are restricted to a length of 18 feet or 5.5 metres.
Notice to members with boats on moorings
This notice is applicable to Club Members with moorings in WTA and WTB mooring zones regarding insurance and liability.
Members with boats on moorings are reminded that it is their responsibility to hold adequate insurance policies for their boats on Parks Victoria moorings. It is also their responsibility to maintain the mooring, including regular clearing of organic growth on boats and mooring lines and organise annual inspections by a Parks Victoria Authorised Mooring Contractor to ensure secure moorings.
The Club has for many years secured agreement to be a Parks Victoria Authorised Mooring Contractor on behalf of its Members with boats on moorings in the WTA and WTB zones. If you have no outstanding debts this service is available to you.
The Club mooring subcommittee team volunteer their time, at no charge to their fellow members, during the winter months to undertake inspections, issue a certificate of inspection to Parks Victoria and repair or replace the mooring gear.
The work is carried out by Club volunteers and every effort is made to use the best available materials to ensure secure moorings. However, no guarantee can be made that all craft will be secure for the full year in all weather conditions. Boat owners should ensure that they have individual insurance policies to cover accidental damage caused by failed moorings or other craft. The club does not accept any liability in these circumstances.
Fees charged by the Club for inspecting and ensuring compliance of security of moorings is done on the basis of material costs plus 20%. Once the Club invoices the member it is anticipated that this will be paid within 30 days. It should be noted that the Club reserves the right not to offer this service to members if the invoice is not settled in a timely manner.
Top ropes and buoys that have an accumulation of mussels and seaweed pose a health and safety risk to the volunteers working on the mooring pontoon. Over time this accumulation of organic growth affects mooring tackle performance because of the extra load on tackle components as well as being a handling hazard when working on the mooring pontoon as it could destabilise the platform.
These hazards can be minimized by mooring owners being proactive in maintaining their top ropes and buoys. Before the start of annual mooring inspections the club dinghies’ can be used to row out to their moorings at low tide with a paint scraper and wire brush to remove any organic growth on the mooring line down to the swivel.
In the future the Club may need to impose a levy on those members who fail to meet their obligations in this regard. Alternatively, a certificate of inspection may be withheld until such time that mooring rope and buoy meet acceptable standards.
If any mooring holders wish to have their moorings inspected by an alternative Authorised Contractor, they should notify the Secretary before these works start which is usually before the end of April.
Rear Commodore
Chair Mooring Sub-Committee
This has been Endorsed by the Committee
