I feel badly for the owner as he sounds new to this stuff. My thinking on the mooring is that the owner is likely the only hope in keeping tabs on the state of the chain and any twisting or problems. Mooring guys typically just drop and forget until the next inspection. I used to own a mushroom mooring and tackle on Lake Champlain. It was typical there for the ease of raising and inspecting. Here in Maine, granite rules, it's everywhere as is the means to cut it and lug it around. We've been doing that for centuries.

I wonder if a marina would have a different policy regarding liability in the event your boat causes damage on a mooring you rent from them?