I am going to copy and paste my response on the USVI Forum. This moorings have nothing to do with the National Park Moorings. There are 200 moorings total. 100 day use 80 of which technically already existed but have not been maintained and 100 overnight spread throughout the USVI.

I am going to reluctantly put my oar in the water on this.

For background I am on the Board of VIPCA. I have also been the chairman of the committee in charge of this mooring project for the last year and a half. The grant funding and basics of this deal were in place when I was elected to the board. And took that position as a volunteer. The board of VIPCA is made up entirely of volunteers from the industry. We all donate our time in hopes of improving our industry. This mooring project is designed to protect the environment and help level the playing field in the Virgin Islands charter and boating industry. It is critical infrastructure that is sorely needed.

Regardless of your preconceived notions about BoatyBall, this is a good deal for the industry and the tourists alike. BoatyBall is taking a very small slice of this revenue. In exchange they will be providing the mechanism for the collection of these fees. The fees are designed to help make this program self sustaining as much as possible. There is no reservation system this is an honor system on a first come first served basis. Any payments on the dive/day moorings are on a donation basis only. VIPCA as part of this grant has agreed to restore and maintain those existing moorings along with the new overnight moorings. VIPCA could not possibly build and maintain, the online systems necessary for this project at five times the cost of BoatyBall's percentage. BoatyBall also has a system of self reporting issues with the moorings that will allow timely repairs and maintenance of the moorings based on real time reporting. The insurance is a requirement of the grant and permits, it is not optional. The insurance was shopped among every carrier possible and the best options were chosen.

In the fifteen years that I have spent working in the charter industry in the US Virgin Islands this is one of the most significant improvements that have been made in support of the industry.