How do you sleep at night on a mooring ball?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

The skepticism about mooring balls above is well founded. I have known several craft lost (of friends) and heard of many more due to failed moorings. I agree with the poster that I always dive them if forced to use them (as is the case in some areas such as Les Saintes in the EC and the Semilans in Thailand). Some are excellent, others were at one point, still others never were. Pancho of "Pancho services" at Roseau once tried to put me on a "mooring" of his own, in a 36 ton craft. I anchored quickly and had a look… was a car tire with concrete inside it. Caveat navigator!

If you do pick one up, run a second line through the ring or whatever available structure there might be, and leave it fairly loose, in case the first chafes through or otherwise gives up. I like to use a couple of grab mooring hooks in stainless for redunancy and chafe resistance.

And you can anchor in the BVI… but a fair number of the anchorages are now crowded out with moorings.

Even in the first world, I far, far prefer to use my own ground tackle, inspected by me, than a mooring of unknown condition and quality. Like others, I tend to use them only when there is no reasonable choice about it.

And in the third world . . .

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Flyingsailer

Hi all
My wife and I are doing our first ever bareboat charter in the BVI's in April/16. We will be tied to mooring balls over night. We have never done this before for an overnight. Don't get me wrong, we have some experience sailing but have always tied to a dock for overnight. We have just done small passages in the Lower Gulf Islands as well as the San Juan Islands in PNW. My concern is do we just tie to the ball ring by way of looping around the ring and back to a cleat on the boat or is it more complicated than that. Maybe two lines in case one should come undone. What is everybody's thoughts on this. Also if anyone has any other input they would like to add in regards to this trip in general it would be appreciated. Thanks

Well one thing is I do highly recommend a dive of the RMS Rhone. It is highly touted but with good reason. One of the best wreck dives in the Eastern Caribbean and with superb life. And the Callwood distillery is a worth a visit. Oldest continuously operating distillery in the Caribbean: try out their "Pantydropper" !

[Drobert]

For additional information about chartering in the BVI, the following has good local information that you will find useful, especially if it is your first time: Traveltalkonline: Viewing forum: British Virgin Islands

[rosatte]

If you have to pay for mooring s and they break .ur boat gets damage would the owners of moorings not be responsible. ..never used one yer...

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by rosatte

If you have to pay for mooring s and they break .ur boat gets damage would the owners of moorings not be responsible. ..never used one yer...

Mooring owners, conveniently for them, typically claim no responsibility. At least in the E Carib, all moorings are "use at your own risk."

Dave

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

In the park around St. John, anchoring is prohibited unless no balls are available, and then only in clear sand. Vessels larger than 60 ft (???) are not permitted to use the balls and must anchor outside the mooring fields. Best to get the official rules.



Dave

A few updates to St John moorings for large boats can be found here.
http://m.virginislandsdailynews.com/...ings-1.1414283


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[akprb]

If asking about mooring balls best to use them over anchoring. Watched way too many entertaining anchoring drills in the Virgin Islands. The fields are tight anyway and the scope of the moorings short. Approach head to wind and resist the urge to rush :-) I like to approach at a speed (declining with just enough for steerage) which ends are few yards from the pendant. Then just work her up gently and watch your crews arm or direction of boat hook for indication where the pendant is. Gentle reverse (don't forget prop walk) and there you go. This works well single handed as well.

Have a great time and enjoy those warm evenings!

[frankv1205]

Been to BVI 4 times on a bareboat cat. Always used a mooring ball and selpt like a baby never had an issue.Just get to your destination early enough before the mooring balls are taken

[zboss]

Almost all of the moorings you are likely to tie to in the BVI are installed professionally using screws. Most all of them use chain now.

The problem is the pendants. They get run over quite frequently or new boaters try and bring the pendants up on the deck. Some succeed and then they can't get the pendant off the cleat.

But, they have started to get better at maintenance.

Tying off to the top of the ball is no guarantee however. Many of the balls are old and use a solid piece of bar that goes through the ball to connect the top loop to the chain. That bar is not visible and can sometimes break.

[Compactorguy]

Here is a link showing a typical mooring system that also adds a stern line
Catalina Island Mooring Info & Rules | Visit Catalina Island
and a video showing how to in your part of the world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QwNDFcrFwM

Have fun

[deblen]

To save yelling,etc. from/to bow person,or if single handing on monohulls:

Bring bow line back to cockpit & slip knot it to something convenient.
Proceed upwind to mooring pendant & gaff it from cockpit.
Run bow line thru eye of pendant & re-tie bow line to previous convenient something.
Relax & let pendant slide up bow line to your cleat.
Go on foredeck & complete the mooring.

Cheers/ Len

[sloopman]

I've never used someone else's ball, but I have my own in San Carlos, Mex. and love it. I have it inspected and maintained by a local who has a bottom cleaning business there and trust it totally. I use double pendants for safety and sleep like a baby. Lots of good info. above for your first time. Enjoy you stay.

[levm]

Some mooring balls in the BVI have time limit of 90 minutes, especially in touristy places such as the Indians and the Baths.
I prefer to drop the anchor even when on a mooring ball.
And always ALWAYS have your anchor alarm set.


May the good winds always be with you

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by sloopman

I've never used someone else's ball, but I have my own in San Carlos, Mex. and love it. I have it inspected and maintained by a local who has a bottom cleaning business there and trust it totally. I use double pendants for safety and sleep like a baby. Lots of good info. above for your first time. Enjoy you stay.

Which goes to show that ignorance truly is bliss.

[Dr. Sea]

[QUOTE=Muckle Flugga;1962791]The skepticism about mooring balls above is well founded. I have known several craft lost (of friends) and heard of many more due to failed moorings. QUOTE]

It pays to be skeptical about mooring balls, but it also pays to be skeptical about anchoring. Haven't you ever heard of anchored boats dragging down on other boats or onto rocks? So there is some risk either way you go.

I can't vouch for every mooring ball in BVI/USVI but I've used a lot of them and never had a problem. They are better maintained there than in many places around the world. And although anchoring is fairly easy and rather secure in most of the BVI, in some places such as Manchioneel Bay on Cooper Island it is impossible due to thick grass. If you get there too late to get a mooring ball, I hope you have enough time before dark to go to another harbor. Great Harbor on JVD where Foxy's is located is notoriously difficult to anchor in. Also, as another poster said, a lot of the best anchoring spots are already taken by mooring balls, and you cannot anchor in a mooring field.

My advice is to not sweat the whole issue. A $30 mooring fee is chump change on an expensive charter. Anchor if you find a good spot, or take a mooring ball if it's easier or more convenient. Spend your time enjoying the BVI. And sleep like a baby while the boat rocks you to sleep.