Lindamoor on the Severn

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LIA - Rules for Administration of Cove of Cork

1. The Director of Marine Affairs (“Harbor Master”) is responsible to the LIA board for all community affairs pertaining to the Cove of Cork, which include (but are not limited to) community pier maintenance and space assignment, mooring buoy assignment and placement, maintaining a list of all owners with boats on moorings, at the piers, or on the dinghy racks, and coordination of pier/entrance channel dredging. The Harbor Master may board any watercraft at the piers or moored in the cove to ensure safety or compliance with Cove Regulations.

2. A Lindamoor property owner or a person renting ( long-term) and residing in Lindamoor and owning a boat registered in his or her name is eligible to apply to the Harbor Master for approval to put a boat on a registered deep-water mooring in the cove, at either of the piers, or on the dinghy racks. Owners should be prepared to provide proof of ownership (Bill of Sale, USCG Certificate of Documentation, Md state registration, etc.) upon request. Moorings and pier spaces are limited to one per residence. Assignments are made on a space-available basis in the order of requests (see para. 7) and are not authorized for boats owned in partnership with a non-Lindamoor resident.

3. The maximum size for boats at the main pier is 18? ft length x 6 ft. beam (tilted-up outboard motors do not count in this measurement). Only dinghies are permitted at the mid-cove pier. The Harbor Master will consider seniority when assigning slips but boat size will often be the determining factor.

4. Boat owners using community piers will be asked to provide labor for the maintenance and repair of piers. Cost of materials will be approved by the LIA Board for payment from the LIA treasury. Approval by the Director of Marine Affairs (Harbor Master) must be obtained prior to starting any modification or repair of the community access paths or piers.

5. The Maryland Department of the Environment has authorized Lindamoor to maintain a 16-buoy mooring field. Approval for placement of a mooring buoy will depend upon availability of a spot to fit the boat’s draft and required swinging room. Buoys will not be placed in the center channel of the cove, nor will they be placed so that boats will swing into the channel or interfere with a waterfront property owners riparian rights under normal conditions. The Harbor Master will designate mooring locations and assist boat owners with the installation, which will be in accordance with DNR Regulation Title 08, subtitle 04, Chapter 13.02.

6. The purchase, installation, and maintenance of moorings (anchors, chains, swivels, and properly marked mooring buoys) are the boat owner’s responsibility.

7. Mooring locations cannot be changed or traded without Harbor Master approval. Moorings may not be rented or provided free-of-charge to persons not residing in Lindamoor. The Harbor Master will maintain a record of boat locations and assignments and, if required, a waiting list for slips for small craft at community piers and boat racks. Prospective boat owners seeking to use deep-water moorings or the LIA piers should contact the Harbor Master prior to acquiring the vessel. Seniority in any waiting list is determined the date owner acquired the boat/s requiring a pier slip or a mooring.

8. Ownership of a mooring is in no way connected to deeds, property exchange or rental agreements. Assignments do not convey with property sales or rentals. Promises of available moorings, dinghy slips or rack space to enhance sale or rental of property are not authorized.

9. Owners with no further use for their mooring anchor and chain may transfer (sell/give) them to another LIA resident or abandon them. All abandoned moorings revert to LIA ownership and the space may be assigned for future use by the Harbor Master. LIA does not warrant the condition of abandoned moorings, which routinely are used merely to mark approved locations and maintain the mooring field.

10. Owners must notify the Harbor Master if they want to moor or dock guests in the cove. The Harbor Master will coordinate guest use of vacant moorings, if available, and community pier access. The normal length of stay for guests is two weeks. The Harbor Master may approve a two-week extension. Further extensions are subject to approval by the LIA Board. The Harbor Master will endeavor to place guests on reliable moorings but LIA assumes no responsibility for damages should the moorings fail, When no moorings are available, guests should consider setting their heaviest anchor-and-chain combination with a scope of at least 3:1.

11. The Maryland Department of the Environment has authorized dredging the Cove entrance to a depth of eight feet at mean low water (MLW) for a width of 30 feet; the main and mid-cove community pier have authorized depths of two feet MLW. Dredging will be conducted as required to maintain these depths. Costs of dredging the cove entrance will be paid from the LIA general fund to the extent possible with voluntary assistance from boat owners on the Acorn Drive side of the Cove. Should additional funds be required, all cove boat owners—LIA residents and Acorn Drive residents—will be asked to make up the difference. Costs of dredging the pier will be borne by LIA members and LIA boat owners. All contributions are voluntary. LIA does not charge for moorings or space at the piers.

12. Appeals to the above rules may be made to the LIA Board.

LIA - Recommendations for Boat Owners and Residents of LIA

Owners with larger boats on moorings may consider placing the smallest dinghy practical at either pier to maximize space for others. Most powerboats on moorings can load larger parties at the main pier; sailboats can be brought in fairly close to minimize travel back-and-forth.
One-hundred (100)-lb. mushroom anchors, or their equivalent, should be the minimum size for even small day-sailors. Larger anchors are appropriate for larger boats. Engine blocks are not adequate anchors.
Proper moorings provide a scope of 3:1 (the ratio of chain length to depth, which includes the vertical distance from the surface to the boat’s mooring cleats). A typical mooring in 10 ft. of water for a 24-ft sail or power boat would consist of a 150-lb. mushroom anchor, 15 ft. of 3/8-in lower chain, a large swivel, and 15 ft. of 5/16-in upper chain attached to a mooring buoy (white with a blue stripe encircling the buoy). Heavier anchors and chain are always appropriate for larger boats.
Boats should be attached to the upper chain by two independent mooring pendants, if at all possible. The upper chain should be inspected annually and the entire mooring—anchor plus lower and upper chain and all shackles and swivels—should be inspected at least every two years. The cove is well-protected from most directions, but it can blow hard out of the north over the entrance cut and adjacent low-lying sand spit. Boats have gone adrift in such winds, often because of failed lower shackles that were not inspected often enough.
When considering what size anchor and mooring chain to install, owners should remember that they are responsible for damage to other boats or property if their boats go adrift. A stout, well-maintained mooring is good insurance. Several of us have learned this the hard way.
LIA residents selling or renting(long-term) their homes, however, are encouraged to have prospective buyers contact the Harbor Master, who will update them on the status of moorings, dinghy spaces, etc., and give them a copy of LIA cove regulations.