Westman,
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<br>Yes, that's a permanent mooring bouy. They are provided at most the Forest Service cabins around S.E. Alaska. Of course many of the cabins are not located next to the ocean, so naturally they don't have them. [Linked Image]
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<br>Except for a couple exceptions, the bouys are 'first come, first serve' for any user of the National Forest. That means that even though you have the cabin reserved, it's possible that somebody else may be using the bouy, IF they are hiking, etc. in the area. Commercial users (Guides, tour boats, etc.) are not suppose to use them.
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<br>Even if somebody is using the bouy, it's common practice to also moor up to the bouy, and tie with the other boat. We just talk to whoever is there first, and make sure to actually tie off to the bouy also (as opposed to just tieing off to the first boat) so that anyone can leave without leaving the other boat drifting.
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<br>It sure beats hanging on the anchor, as the mooring bouys are much more secure. That area has a mud bottom though, which seems to be the best for anchoring. Sand, hard, and gravel bottoms are the worst, as it seems the anchor alway drags in those conditions.
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<br>Much easier to get a good nights sleep, when you don't have to worry about dragging anchor, and drifting into rocks. When I'm sleeping on the boat, I set my GPS anchor alarm and my depth finder alarm. Still, I end up waking up several times a night checking our position.

Brian