We just came back from a charter last week and found anchorages filling up by early afternoon. We wondered if people were just getting up early and moving onto their next anchorage in order to grab a ball.

On separate days, here is what we encountered:

First time i had ever seen the Bight fill up. That was on Sunday Feb 22 and there had been some fierce weather with some rain and strong winds. Cleared by 4PM so we were off to Pirates and then Willy T's for our first, second, third and fourth painkillers of the charter (notice I did not write "of the trip").

Cooper (Manchioneel Bay) filled by 1PM - we grabbed a ball at Trellis. Met people later in the week who were there and told us a few spots opened up later in the day but as a charterer, we don't want to hang around for the possibility of a ball coming available.

Great Harbour filled by 130PM so we went to Little Harbour. Balls available then but they filled up by 3pm.

Grabbed one of 5-6 balls at Kelly Cove outside the Bight by 2PM and the last ones filled up minutes afterwards.