At its core, BoatyBall is really a booking service for moorings; BoatyBall does not own moorings. It’s no different from an Airbnb or a broker that many boaters use to help reserve a boat. The locals still have 100% control over the seafloor and the moorings. The decision to use the BoatyBall program by the mooring ball owners is a way to simplify the payment process and help them differentiate themselves from their competition. All the moorings in the BoatyBall program have been insured and maintained. After Irma this has become especially important. BoatyBall allows mooring owners who have done the right thing and maintained their moorings to offer a competitive feature. In the end the local businesses still control the seafloor and the moorings. They are in charge of installing more moorings and the overall price. BoatyBall just helps them do it more efficiently.