From setting up a new swing mooring to relocating, upgrading or removing one, we also take care of all the other mooring services that don’t fall under inspection and regular maintenance. If you need to increase your licence length, retrieve a sunken mooring, or when it’s time to renew your resource consent, our experienced team can help navigate the process smoothly and make sure you stay compliant. We also offer pre-purchase due diligence reports, so you know exactly what you’re getting into before buying.
Establishing a new swing mooring is a complicated process, but Moorings Northland can lighten the load and help you step through the process to achieve all the necessary approvals. We will help with matching your vessel to a mooring design by going through NRC mooring design guidelines, selecting a mooring site and developing a swing room plan. Buoy options, costs, timelines and associated risks will be discussed. The approval process includes applications to the Harbour Master and the NRC’s planning team, as well as consultation with iwi. Finally, we will cover the mooring installation programme and details around certification and your ongoing obligations.
Depending on your needs and boating requirements you can choose from a range of buoy systems. Every buoy system has its pros and cons. If your vessel changes or you find your current buoy system does not adequately meet your needs and is difficult to use, contact Moorings Northland and we can discuss the options and provide a solution.
Every mooring license prescribes a maximum permissible vessel length. If you upgrade your vessel or want to sell your mooring to someone with a longer vessel that exceeds your mooring license length, you must seek a new license length. Changes to license lengths must be approved by the Harbour Master.
The change in license length is not automatically approved and much depends on several pre-requisites: information around the need for a change, the mooring and vessel design, depth, location and available swing room.
To secure the approval a Harbour Master’s Application must be prepared. This document aims to answer and address the issues outlined above. Some license length changes will require a change in location. Moorings Northland has prepared hundreds of Harbour Master applications and can prepare and manage the application and approval process on your behalf.
From time-to-time, moorings need to be shifted to accommodate change, or, to improve otherwise dangerous swing room overlaps. Moorings cannot be moved without the Harbour Master’s approval, who will require a formal application prior to considering any relocations.
Using our mapping software, we carry out a site analysis and carefully assess the degree of swing overlaps. Our technology means we can map each mooring location and swing radii in your area. We will provide you with maps and options for solutions, including the preparation and submission of applications to the Harbour Master.
Prices to relocate a mooring vary, depending on the mooring location, timing and distance of the relocation.
Sadly, from time-to-time moorings sink. This usually happens when passing boats cut the buoy line with their props or prop strike on the buoy itself. Please contact the team at Moorings Northland and we will organise and work with reputable divers to recover and reinstate your mooring. Prices vary according to mooring location and degree of reinstatement work required.
If your mooring is subject to a resource consent, it will have an expiry date. The NRC will contact you as the expiry date nears (usually six months in advance) at which point you will need to begin the process to renew it. We can renew your consent on your behalf or provide advice on how this might be achieved. The process follows the consent process outlined above for a new mooring, but without the need for a Harbour Master Application but still with the need to consult with iwi if affected under the Marine and Coastal Area Act 2011. Please note, there are charges imposed by the NRC to renew resource consents.
Purchasing a mooring can be challenging: will the mooring suit by vessel? We provide Pre-Purchase Due Diligence reports so that you know what you are buying. These reports will tell you whether the mooring is certified, how closely the mooring matches the NRC design guidelines, when the next service is due, a location map showing your mooring and the neighbours so that you have comfort around the swing room. In nearly all cases, we will be able to tell you if your new mooring will have significant near-terms maintenance costs that should otherwise be factored into the purchase price, potentially saving you thousands in unplanned costs.
If you no longer want your mooring, or if you have cancelled your mooring license and now need to remove your mooring, contact us to arrange a quote. The removal would occur during the next time we are in your general area, and we will confirm with you and the NRC that the mooring has been removed. Please note: the NRC does not permit mooring owners to sink their moorings if they are no longer required.
For more information about mooring inspections, maintenance and our other services, call (09) 402 6939 or email us.
Moorings Northland Limited
Unit 4, 1 Beechey Street
Opua 0200
PO Box 4
Opua 0241
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