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Mooring balls at the Bight #65598
08/22/2015 11:32 PM
08/22/2015 11:32 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 132
San Diego,CA
VIslandBound Offline OP
Traveler
VIslandBound  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 132
San Diego,CA
Just curious if anyone knows how many mooring balls are currently in the Bight?


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Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: VIslandBound] #65599
08/23/2015 05:03 AM
08/23/2015 05:03 AM
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 826
Tortola, BVI
L
LianeLeTendre Offline
Traveler
LianeLeTendre  Offline
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L
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 826
Tortola, BVI
There are between 74 to 76 (at any given time) in The Bight itself. Of course, that could change any day of the week if ground tackle fails on any of them.

There are an additional 17 moorings in the various anchorages.

Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: LianeLeTendre] #65600
08/23/2015 06:20 AM
08/23/2015 06:20 AM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
warren460 Offline
Traveler
warren460  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
I would have answered never enough if you arrive too late.
We regularly see people circling just prior to sunset.

Last edited by warren460; 08/23/2015 06:21 AM.

Warren S/V Scuba Doo
Lagoon 50 (winner of best crewed yacht under 55 feet at the St. Thomas crewed yacht boat show).

https://www.cyabrochure.com/ebn/2307/pdyrX/6642/4///
Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: warren460] #65601
08/23/2015 01:32 PM
08/23/2015 01:32 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 132
San Diego,CA
VIslandBound Offline OP
Traveler
VIslandBound  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 132
San Diego,CA
Thanks for the replies. We'll be there in Mid June and may not get to the Bight till around 6:30 pm....


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Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: VIslandBound] #65602
08/23/2015 01:38 PM
08/23/2015 01:38 PM
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 402
St Thomas, USVI
K
Kimber Offline
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Kimber  Offline
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K
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 402
St Thomas, USVI
You can always deploy that heavy chunk of metal hanging off the bow to anchor if the moorings are full. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: Kimber] #65603
08/23/2015 02:17 PM
08/23/2015 02:17 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Online content
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GeorgeC1  Online Content
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
I very rarely see all the balls taken in the bight outside of Christmas season. If they are you can slip around to Soldier Bay or anchor.
G

Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: Kimber] #65604
08/23/2015 02:29 PM
08/23/2015 02:29 PM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,492
Grenada
Zanshin Online content
Traveler
Zanshin  Online Content
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,492
Grenada
I like anchoring at the Bight - but the water depth tends to be around 40-50 feet in those areas where one can anchor and few, if any, charter boats have sufficient chain. The Bight has a lot of mooring balls and I've never seen both the bight and the mooring fields close by filled to capacity.


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Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: Zanshin] #65605
08/23/2015 02:56 PM
08/23/2015 02:56 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
warren460 Offline
Traveler
warren460  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
In June there are many anchoring opportunities if it's full. I have only seen it full in December and February. I would expect at most 50% full in June.


Warren S/V Scuba Doo
Lagoon 50 (winner of best crewed yacht under 55 feet at the St. Thomas crewed yacht boat show).

https://www.cyabrochure.com/ebn/2307/pdyrX/6642/4///
Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: warren460] #65606
08/23/2015 04:15 PM
08/23/2015 04:15 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,675
An island state of mind
tradewinds Offline
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tradewinds  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,675
An island state of mind
There's shallower water with a good hold for anchoring over on the East side of Pirates, if need be.

Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: tradewinds] #65607
08/24/2015 02:45 AM
08/24/2015 02:45 AM
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 124
Georgia
C
cruzdoc Offline
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cruzdoc  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 124
Georgia
Speaking of ground tackle holding, has anyone ever experienced a failure of a mooring ball? Am curious if most are setting an anchor alarm as a backup plan to cover the possibility of mooring ball failure, or is this considered overkill?

Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: cruzdoc] #65608
08/24/2015 04:25 AM
08/24/2015 04:25 AM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
warren460 Offline
Traveler
warren460  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
Horizon yacht charters used to recommend testing a mooring just like your anchor. Back down on it and see if it holds. I don't know If they still recommend this practice.

There are pictures on line where moorings in white bay jvd have failed and the boat ends up on shore.

Testing the mooring is not likely to be effective at white bay when a swell is running.

Last edited by warren460; 08/24/2015 04:27 AM.

Warren S/V Scuba Doo
Lagoon 50 (winner of best crewed yacht under 55 feet at the St. Thomas crewed yacht boat show).

https://www.cyabrochure.com/ebn/2307/pdyrX/6642/4///
Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: cruzdoc] #65609
08/24/2015 10:31 AM
08/24/2015 10:31 AM
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,100
Maryland
Twanger Offline
Traveler
Twanger  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,100
Maryland
I have never experienced a failure, but I've hooked up to balls that looked like a failure was immanent. Normally they can be temporarily rigged with a dock-line to make them safe for use that night. Sometimes it's just best to move on. Always dive the mooring! You are responsible for the safety of your boat.

Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: Twanger] #65610
08/24/2015 12:29 PM
08/24/2015 12:29 PM
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,213
GJ, CO S/V Long Overdue
sail2wind Offline
Traveler
sail2wind  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,213
GJ, CO S/V Long Overdue
tough to dive a mooring at the Bight without scuba equipment

Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: sail2wind] #65611
08/24/2015 12:53 PM
08/24/2015 12:53 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
warren460 Offline
Traveler
warren460  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
But it's a fun scavenger hunt dive


Warren S/V Scuba Doo
Lagoon 50 (winner of best crewed yacht under 55 feet at the St. Thomas crewed yacht boat show).

https://www.cyabrochure.com/ebn/2307/pdyrX/6642/4///
Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: cruzdoc] #65612
08/25/2015 02:44 AM
08/25/2015 02:44 AM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,492
Grenada
Zanshin Online content
Traveler
Zanshin  Online Content
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,492
Grenada
I watched a cat drift off with the mooring line attached at the bight in strong winds of about 5 knots smile
I managed to get aboard and start the engines before it damaged another boat. Here's what it looked like:

[Linked Image]

See https://www.sv-zanshin.com/blogpages/2010/blog2010-12-05.php


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Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: Zanshin] #65613
08/25/2015 08:14 AM
08/25/2015 08:14 AM
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 397
jbuch02 Offline
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jbuch02  Offline
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 397
Good story.

At your blog site you can see the point at which the mooring line failed.

Looks as if the thimble inside the mooring line loop at the bouy end rusted out and in no time at all the line chaffed and finally broke.

Not to ping on the charterer but that problem was identifiable with a simple inspection after tieing up. I've never found it necessary but on inspection if it looks like the thimble is questionable and is rusting out, run a mooring line thorough the bouy ring, double it up and run both ends back to a cleat ....... Or move on to another buoy.

Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: jbuch02] #65614
08/27/2015 03:32 AM
08/27/2015 03:32 AM
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 124
Georgia
C
cruzdoc Offline
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cruzdoc  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 124
Georgia
We have certainly seen our share of moorings which were not up to snuff and the obvious inspections are indeed a must. Otherwise it's just like throwing the anchor and assuming its good. Eventually you're going to be sorry. We have doubled up lines several times in these situations or switched balls altogether.

However, my real question to the other experienced captains out there was whether or not, after checking the reliability of the mooring, anyone is still setting anchor alarms on their GPS as a back up? Heck, does anyone else set anchor alarms if they're just anchoring for the evening for that matter or do you feel secure with a solid anchor site which has been dove and confirmed. I really like my sleep. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/thinks.gif" alt="" />

Re: Mooring balls at the Bight [Re: cruzdoc] #65615
08/27/2015 09:04 AM
08/27/2015 09:04 AM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,720
Massachusetts
maytrix Offline
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maytrix  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,720
Massachusetts
I've never set an anchor alarm. I back down on the mooring, inspect it when possible and do the same when anchoring.


Matt

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