This being a breakwater (and without water and electricity) it's actually the quay of the last resort, with an expectation that it won't be used muchexcept for shorter stays. The motorboat was in it's perfect right to moore up as he did, and it would have been space for one more boat there had it been the same size as the motorboat.
I usually try to make as little space as possible to the boat in front when mooring up, but there are some disadvantages:
- In situations with lots of wind, it can be challenging enough to get the boat moored up at all, fine-tuning the distance to the other boat may take lots of time and effort.
- Too short a distance may be considered inappropriate for different reasons - like, a big boat may cast a shadow on a smaller boat, if both boats have sitting places aft and the first boat has the port side towards the quay and the second boat hes the starboard side towards the quay, a short distance may feel awkward, etc.
- It will be more difficult to get out in the morning if one is "trapped" between two boats, while it's trivial to get out when there is no wind, things can be pretty complicated if there is much quite wind in the air.
Even if one ensures the distance is as small as possible to the next boat, there will eventually become a gap when the boat in the middle leaves.