You have to understand what the protocols are for state run moorings and the harbormasters, they always keep an unspecified number of docks available strictly for transient boaters and it's first come / first served when you hail the Harbor Master on channel 9.
Pay attention as they will respond with a switch and answer on channel **, at that point when you establish comms they will ask your position/ETA to the facility and if you answer anything farther away than being inside the pierhead / channel marker you'll be instructed to radio back when closer.
Let's just say if you've been running with a large group of other cruisers over open water and they all look like they are heading to the same place you can call in a little ahead of time, be *inside* the pier heads when you radio and they will assign you a dock position and number even though you're running late and need to get fuel and pump out before coming in to the slip. ~See how that works?
Plenty of boats radio in an hour plus away for those transient slips and if you don't there may not be any, welcome to how cruising on the Great Lakes work.
Overnight dockage, water and shore power for a small 30' slip will run around $35-40.00 and up for larger docks they don't rent by the hour.
