Mooring ball condition

Everyone should be aware that the NPS balls are in a terrible state of repair. Large numbers are missing completely and others are unsafe. If you are not leaving someone on the boat try and inspect the ball. It might save your trip. The BVI government should be embarrassed by this as they collect a large amount of revenue from charters to maintain the balls.

They should be ashamed and get them in good shape asap. The charter companies should be pressuring them for this as well.

As an aside those wishing to use BVI Ball at Peter Island half of these are missing pennants or attachment points. Save your money and figure it out on site vs. booking ahead. On the positive side very few boats were in Great Harbor two nights ago so it wasn’t an issue finding alternatives.

Peter was our last stop. The first 3 overnight balls we tried had no pennants. They are maintained by Moor secure. I suspect they might have inspected the balls there and found issues so they removed the pennants until the can be repaired.

I like the irony of the government shutting down so many charter boats over the last 6 week because of missing safety equipment while these same boats are mostly intended to use equipment(mooring balls) that the government leaves in an unsafe state.

My guess is that NPS revenue dropped after Irma and during Covid because fewer boats were out. Instead of reducing staff expenses (which they never do), they stopped paying for mooring maintenance. That is if the revenue ever made it to NPS.

Last I read, not a penny of the $10 environmental fee collected for years has gone to that purpose. But is that money truly set aside? Who knows.

Just got off a ball at the indians that had obviously been very recently replaced.

We’re all the balls back at the Indians? Several were missing.

I didn't make a count, but we did snorkel over the top of one unused mooring anchor. Didn't strike me as greatly fewer than in the past.

See pics from last week.

What mooring field was that BoatyBall located in TC42?

The Northern most ball at Mountain point looks similar however the damaged area is all underwater. That ball looks like one we passed on at Monkey point.

Isn’t it a BotyBall? Looks like it but then again I can’t enlarge it enough on my phone.

That is a boatyball. I did not look that closely. FYI if you are stuck with a ball like that it’s usually fairly easy to jump in the dinghy and run a safety line directly to the ball.

TC42...please let me know what bay this was in. Looks like Boaty Ball number 7 but need the bay. I will contact them and ask what is up.

The picture I posted was a ball in Great Harbor on Jost (number 7). My novice crew tied into it and I came forward to inspect and saw it. Someone had actually tied another loop on the line before the damage (you can kind of see it in the pic). We untied from the pendent and tied into the makeshift loop. I sent the pics to the BB team. They responded quickly and said they were previously unaware of the problem. To their credit they got the local rep to come out asap and he attempted to replace the pendent but he was banging on the shackle with a wrench and didn't have any luck. He said they would need the professions to come in and replace it. The BB team said they would take it out of service as soon as I dropped off. They were appreciative that we notified them and offered to pay it forward and buy our next BB at our next stop. The BB team assumed that someone must have run over the pendent, causing the damage and of course didn't report it.

All good, although I was a bit nervous sleeping on that ball.

Not a fan of boaty ball but they are correct. Someone wrapped it on a prop. Always make sure someone keeps the ball in sight until you are well clear after releasing the ball.

Many of the power boats pick up the moorings stern to for cockpit breeze.

On May 11th, while in CGB, we witnessed a Moorings cat that was drifting towards the reef…with the Boatyball still attached! We were on the gas dock at the time. Two people at the gas dock jumped in a dinghy and boarded the cat, started the engine and started motoring it off the reef. We then witnessed the charter come up from below. Had to be a rude awakening to hear your boat start while you were in your bunk.

Not sure who is responsible? It appeared that the chain was still on the ball we assumed the chain broke off the bottom?

weird. I see quite a bit of mooring ball maintenance in CGB. They were just out there yesterday.

Here is an image of the boat

They got it fixed fast. I just counted and we still have 10 Boatyballs in CGB.

There was only one functional NPS buoy at Sandy Cay when I was there May 7. There were several NPS buoys in poor condition at the Indians on May 8.

The picture of the boat at CDB moored to the boatyball is tied up totally wrong. Never use one rope from cleat to cleat. You need a rope on each side for redundancy and chaff protection.
G

True, but the ball actually broke away from the bottom

In addition those front "cleats" should just be used as chocks anyways....and then use the port/starboard real cleats to hold the boat using 2 ropes as you suggest

Last month when we were in the North Sound I saw two boats on balls that had ropes going through the pendant and back to the appropriate cleats but they ran the lines on the outside of the hulls. I don't typically see it that way ,but I assume that they did it to widen the lines and avoid chaff. Although it would seem that the ropes would rub on the hulls a bit. Anyone else tie in that way?

I typically toss the ropes to the outside as well. Keeps the rope from going over the top of the hulls and pulling down there.....or worse having something weird happen and putting pressure against the metal tubing for seats up front.

Absolutely it is the proper way to moor. The lines are then at the strongest part of the bow. We were taught to moor this way eons ago and it is reinforced by our yacht management company. Do we get some rub? A little and I will be replacing my logo soon but I want those lines where they are most effective.

I've always wondered about this. In spite of the warning sign not to use the cleats on the bar, most boats I see do this. Very few use the deck cleats, including all of the crewed boats I've observed. One reason is to avoid the annoying rubbing noise in the forward cabins. I suppose in light conditions it really doesn't matter much.

So... why NOT use the crossbeam cleats as fairleads and avoid getting bottom paint all over your dock lines?

That is how I do it....one end of rope tied cleat hitch style on port and starboard side deck cleats , then through the crossbeam cleats, then through the pendant from either side and then run back to each of the crossbeam cleats with cleat hitch on crossbeam cleats being careful not to bind the rope running through the crossbeam cleat.

If there is a better way would enjoy hearing it....

I used that method on my cat for several years with no problems, but I’ve since reconsidered given that crossbeams are not meant to take heavy loads perpendicular to their length. I think it’s better to tie a bowline on one end of each dock line, put the bight around the deck cleat, run the bitter end through the morning ball pennant, then back to the deck cleat, secured with a cleat hitch over the bowline bight.

If the gov't were serious about safety, they'd hold the mooring operators liable for the condition of their tackle and require them to get liability insurance. The insurance co's will sort out compliance standards shortly after their first big claim if not before.

It’s the government moorings that are the biggest problem!

Monkey Point day ball repair/replacement. At least they are working on day balls. Pulled divers around to dive and cut off old
Lines and replace with new lines, balls and
Pennants. [img]http:// https://share.icloud.com/photos/04eQPgF-VNPxgDNKE95t6-S3g[/img]