and that is the essence of the "boatyball hole" and why this is a bad idea from a business perspective especially in places where the all year demand for balls isnt there (e.g. CGB)

A shrewd and ethical captain will NOT reserve a boatyball since they can look at the APP and see that there will be plenty of balls to reserve whenever they get to a harbor if they cant find a FCFS cheaper and more flexible ball. As my friend, Alec, most likely being fresh off his macroecon class can tell you the law of comparative advantage kicks in in the off season and/or at not as popular harbors making BB far less desirable and actually serving as the standby for FCFS balls.

A shrewd but less than ethical captain but still with a conscience will come in and if they cant find a FCFS will squat on a BB and slip the owner $30 cash for their troubles.

A less than ethical captain will just squat on the BB realizing that they wont be bothered by the toll takers...

A shrewd business will realize they can maintain they comparative advantage AND raise rates by NOT using boatyball in harbors where BB is prevalent and demand is low due to seasonal or geographic factors. Most likely they will succumb, however to the siren song of the BB slick sales pitch....