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Pens and harbour moorings

Find out how to apply for a boat pen, mooring, or service jetty berth.

The Department of Transport (DoT) manages boat harbours and other maritime facilities that offer safe, secure, and convenient vessel accommodation across Western Australia.

Each maritime facility’s vessel accommodation differs and may include boat pens, swing or pile moorings and jetty berths. Moorings and pens range in size and cater for vessels from 10 metres or more.

Vessel accommodation is offered on a casual, short term and long term basis and is in high demand.

Always contact the maritime facility in advance to ensure there is vessel accommodation is available.

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Apply for a harbour boat pen or mooring

Boat pens and moorings are always in high demand so you will need to contact the harbour or maritime facility to find out if there is any availability.

There may be a waitlist for boat pens and moorings at some facilities.

Our facilities that offer boat pen and mooring options include:

Complete and submit the enquiry form on the relevant facility page and we will be in contact with you within 48 hours.

Ready to apply?

Once you have spoken with one of our Harbour Officers to confirm availability of a pen or mooring, fill in either the waitlist or vessel accommodation application form below.

Make sure you read and understand the terms and conditions of vessel accommodation use.

Waitlist for pens and moorings

Short and long term boat pen and mooring accommodation at DoT facilities is always in high demand and there may be a waitlist.

How the waitlist system works

  1. Submit a waitlist application form (see below).
  2. You will be assigned a wait list number once we receive your application form.
  3. When a suitable pen or mooring is available, you will be contacted in writing. You will have two-weeks to respond.
  4. If you do not respond within the two week period, your name will automatically come off the waitlist. You will need to re-apply to go on the waitlist again.
  5. You will get a maximum of two offers within a year. If you decline both offers, your name will be removed from the waitlist.

Make sure you read the terms and conditions for use of boat pens and moorings before applying to join the waitlist.

Need to come off the waitlist?

If you are on a waitlist but have got a pen or mooring elsewhere, please notify the wait list facility and ask to have your name removed.

Casual berths at service jetties and wharves

DoT manages service jetties and wharves in WA’s regional and the Perth metropolitan areas.

Our regional service jetties are suitable for loading/unloading, passenger drop off/pick up, and overnight or emergency vessel accommodation. 

Our locations that offer casual berths include:

Always contact the maritime facility in advance to ensure a casual berth is available. 

See below for fees and charges for use of our service jetties and wharves.

All fees quoted are inclusive of GST and should be paid in advance.

When calculating fees, vessel length refers to the overall vessel length rounded down to the nearest whole metre.

Service jetty and wharf fees (excludes service vessels at Exmouth, Onslow and Point Samson)

Fee type Fee
Recreational vessel of less than 25 metres in length, use of service jetty or wharf, alongside berth, pen or pile mooring - per day $58.85
Recreational vessel of 25 metres or more in length, use of service jetty or wharf, alongside berth, pen or pile mooring - per day, per metre of vessel length $8.25
Commercial vessel use of service jetty or wharf - per day, per metre of the vessel length $8.25
Short-term use of service jetty or wharf for any vessel (excluding service vessels at Exmouth, Onslow and Point Samson) – 12 months paid in advance, per metre of the vessel length $94.35

Commerical charter operators

For information on operating your commercial charter vessels Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour or Barrack Street Jetties, contact DoT’s contracted Property Manager, McGees Property on 9476 2000 or email admin@per.mcgees.com.au

Swing moorings

We also manage recreational and shared swing moorings in a range of Mooring Control Areas in WA.

Find out more about swing moorings.

Fee refunds and waivers

Refunds for fees paid for use of DoT managed maritime facilities 

Under current maritime legislation DoT has discretionary power in certain circumstances to refund fees paid for use of DoT managed maritime facilities.

You may be eligible for a full or partial refund of fees paid for use of DoT’s maritime facilities if relevant infrastructure or services are unused.

Please note that refunds relating to use of vessel accommodation in a pen or berth or on a mooring in a DoT managed maritime facility may only be considered on the following basis:

  1. The customer informs a DoT officer in writing that the pen, berth or mooring allocated to them is no longer required, prior to the expiration of the agreement term.
  2. Refunds will be calculated from the date of relinquishment. If no date of relinquishment is provided in advance, the date on which DoT receives the written notification will be used.  Refunds cannot be back dated.
  3. Refunds are not pro-rata but are calculated based on the difference between the original payment and the amount that should have been paid for the revised accommodation term.  For example, if a customer pays an annual fee, but leaves after five months and two weeks, then the refund calculation is based on the difference between the annual fee paid and the fee that should have been paid for five months at the quarterly rate and two weeks at the weekly rate - in this instance the customer may have paid $5,872.80 for 12 months, but would have paid $3,207.00 for five months and two weeks, so the refund would be $2,665.80.
  4. A refund will only be paid to the customer named on the original receipt or licence agreement.

For further details, please contact your local harbour office.

Waivers associated with use of DoT managed maritime facilities

Under current maritime legislation, DoT has discretionary power in certain circumstances to waive fees payable for use of DoT managed maritime facilities.

Fee waivers will be considered in limited circumstances such as a health emergency, as in the COVID pandemic; for vessel breakdowns/emergency repairs; in response to certain weather emergencies or events; or to facilitate public safety, such as waiving pen fees for approved sea, search and rescue vessels.

The following fee waiver instruments currently in place for the use of vessel accommodation at DoT managed maritime facilities:

  • Hydroscheme Industry Partnership Program - JR-2023-205979
  • Sea, search and rescue vessels - JR-2023-205937
  • Government Contractors - JR-2022-205144
  • Lease swing moorings - SPMCAR-2023-206523
  • Carnarvon Boat Harbour – Carnarvon Yacht Club vessels moved from the Fascine due to access issues - JR-2022-205273 and JR-2022-205490
  • Hillarys Boat Harbour - JR-2023-206426
  • Hillarys Boat Harbour - JR-2023-206525

The following fee waiver instruments have expired or been revoked:

  • COVID-19 Response and Economic Recovery (Vessel Accommodation Fee Relief) Order 2021
  • Carnarvon Boat Harbour – Carnarvon Yacht Club vessels moved from the Fascine due to access issues - JR-2022-205140
  • Sea, search and rescue vessels - JR-2022-205143
  • WA Museum vessel - JR-2023-205938
  • Hillarys Boat Harbour - JR-2022-205650
  • Hillarys Boat Harbour - JR-2023-206500
  • Swing mooring fees within a DoT seabed lease area - SPMCA-2022-205328
Page last updated: Thu Dec 21 2023 5:10:50 PM