Life sailing often means choosing between anchoring or picking up a mooring ball. Understanding how this works — and how to handle payments — is an important part of real-world cruising seamanship.

Expense Expectations: Most groups tend to use a mooring ball each night rather than anchoring (if the option is available). Personally, I’d love for us to embrace anchoring for at least a couple of nights—it’s a great experience! For budgeting purposes, plan on approximately $100–$150 per crew member to cover mooring fees and tipping dock crews throughout the trip.

Marina Fees (Occasional Nights Ashore)

Some nights we may choose to stay at a marina instead of anchoring or using a mooring ball.

• Marina fees vary by location and services (showers, power, laundry, dock access)
• Costs will be discussed with the group before committing
• Marina nights are often a chance to recharge (literally and figuratively)

Dock Crew & Tipping

At marinas, dock crews often assist with:

• Catching and securing lines

• Basic docking support

  Pointing out power, water, and dock facilities

Typical tipping expectations for Boaty Boys and Dock Crew:

• ~$5 per person per stop is customary for those that help with the boat

Learning the Etiquette

Tipping can feel awkward if you’re unfamiliar with it — we’ll walk through:

• When tipping is appropriate
• How much is customary