TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Boatyball increase

Just got an email from boatyball. They are increasing mooring fees to $55 as of 12/1/2022. That’s about a 40% increase. More to the reason I don’t use it.

Is anyone surprised?

FCFS balls are increasing in many fields - Anegada just increased to $40. I expect to see it across the BVI.

George, my only surprise is that they are still in business.

I just wish they wouldn't add the insult of citing increasing maintenance costs.

I find it interesting they claimed no raise in fees for 15 years. They raised the cost of every ball they converted over to boaty ball from the day they started, both reserved and FCFS. This is the second price increase since boatyball. With 150 days of use per year each ball would generate 6000.00 per year. It would be interesting to know the cost per year they pay for maintenance. In addition they seem to be implying their balls get better maintenance yet they are using Moor Secure the same company that always maintained the balls boatyball took over.

Yes, their saying that this is the first increase in 15 years is just plain false. In general, I have mixed feelings about the concept. I understand the attraction of being able to reserve a ball, especially for Cooper, and being able to arrive at a mooring field late in the day, knowing you'll have a ball, but the stress of the 7:00 am scramble and of having to deal with a squatter, which I've had to do, has me landing on wishing they didn't exist.

As for the company itself, they've repeatedly made at best misleading statements to justify their actions. For example, Moor Seacure has been maintaining most balls for many years, and there's no evidence that BB balls get a higher level of attention. And, BB seems to have a talent for alienating their target audience.

Well, just so everyone knows, here at Blunder Bay in the North Sound we are still at 30 bucks for our FCFS balls a little to the west of Leverick bay, and we currently have a marina promotion going where you can get a slip in the marina for 30 bucks if you dine at the North Sound Bistro, water and electricity available, In ecological terms mooring balls play an incredibly important function. It really makes a difference for the environment when people anchor as little as possible.

Thanks Tom!

Certainly a good point about the impact of anchoring, then it also behooves the people who decide such things to strike a balance between protecting the seabed and milking the cash cow. I assume the assignment of leases gives them some leverage on the fees charged. They could also think about the now $15 premium charged by BB and how many skippers will choose to anchor due to that. Few things are infinitely price elastic.

Apart from what MoorSeacure charges to maintain the moorings, there are also seabed license fees and maybe insurance. I don't know how much of the revenue stays with Boaty Ball and how much gets passed on to the mooring owners, who quite possibly want more revenue. I do know that costs in the BVI only go in one direction!

Nantucket pricing.... All reservations are offered on a nightly basis, with a 2 night minimum. Daily moorings may be available on a first come/first served basis.

Moorings are priced from $65 - $150 per night based on boat length.
Please note there is a 2 Night Minimum Charge and a 3 Night Minimum Charge for any reservation from July 1st - July 4th..

Are Nantucket prices relevant? Please explain.

The increase to $55 is totally INSANE, by Boatyball!

$40 was bad enough, but now this??? Come on, get real.

Again, just another reason cruising sailors avoid the BVI's, sailing season after sailing season after sailing season.

This is a discussion about mooring ball prices.
Might be worth comparing prices being paid outside of the BVI.

Mooring balls in Annapolis MD Spa Creek still at $35 a night.

Rate at National Park moorings in St John still $26 with senior discount $13 .... a great deal.

**********This is a discussion about mooring ball prices.
Might be worth comparing prices being paid outside of the BVI.*******

Sailing To Mustique Tips… $200 EC --- $ 77 US
2021


the harbormaster explained the rates.
He said, ‘The cost of the mooring buoy is $200EC for one night however you can stay for three.’ In other words, he wanted $200EC regardless of us staying for one night or three.

Ok, I'll Bite - prices in Antigua and in Nevis for properly maintained mooring balls: 0$XCD which is about US$0

BLOATY Ball..$$$$$

I think I woud feel differantly if the BB owners werent so brazenly disceptive...and my son a marine biologist never wants me to use the hook

Can anyone enlighten me on what percentage of the available mooring balls in the BVI are BoatyBall's? And are the rest run by Moor Secure or FCFS? (What does FCFS stand for?)

Last question: Is Boaty Ball the only one that offers reservations by phone?

Thanks for any info

I will take a stab at this, but am happy to be corrected. FCFS= first come, first served. Most moorings in the BVI were this way until recently. Someone would come out to collect the fee, or you would pay at the establishment. Some moorings are private, some of which could be reserved. Moorings are often color coded or may be labeled with the owner's name. You should not just grab any ball that strikes your fancy.

MoorSeacure maintains moorings for their owners, who pay for this service. Owners may be families, individuals or businesses who create them. They are supposed to get permission to do so and pay an annual seabed license fee to the government.

Boatyball moorings are reserved through an app. They collect the money, which is passed on to the owners, minus their charges.

You did well, Mrs RM. There are some sticky wickets not addressed by you, but those sticking points happen especially when playing with other people's money.

Thanks for the info. Does anyone have a guess as to what percent are FCFS vs. Boatyball?

Go to their site, they have a map that shows everything. You will have to register. https://boatyball.com/

I have never done a count, but it seems to vary depending on the popularity of each anchorage. At Cooper it seems like 70% or more are BB. Anegada about 50%.

I've been tracking the boaty count - update it occasionally at the link below. Check out that 2022 growth!

https://yachtwarriors.com/what-is-boatyball/#where

I am new to the forum and this is my first post. Interesting conversation and great forum. My sailing experience has been exclusively in New England and $55.00 is about the going rate for moorings here. I am just beginning my research to charter the BVI hopefully in May. I've been playing around in here for the last few days. If I'm lucky enough to put this together how difficult is it to grab a mooring in May? I hate the idea of getting up early to make it to the next destination in order to find an open FCFS mooring. It takes away from the peacefulness being on the ocean provides. Is it worth joining boatyball? Sounds a lot like Dockwa up here in the states. I'm not a fan but it seems like the world is going in that direction.

You don't really need to "join" Boatyball, though they offer an expensive priority service where you can book a day ahead for about extra $500 per week. in May you may not need to make early reservations at all, so I doubt that would be worthwhile. Also, just fyi there is no actual BB app, just a web page.

As MrEZgoin said above, you don't have to "join" Boatyball although it is good to create your profile ahead of time and make sure that you are logged in before 7am in order to reserve your ball. Last May we only needed to use BB in the popular anchorages like Cooper and Great Harbor.

One conspicuous place I notice the absence of BB is at the Bight. I assume this is because FCFS balls are so abundantly available that it doesn't make economic sense? Alternatively, I understand (correctly or not) that Norman Island is privately owned, in which case perhaps they don't permit BB?

It is up to the owner of the mooring balls whether they want to use BB or not. An increase in BB is due to local mooring ball owners deciding to use the BB system instead of the old system of coming out by boat to collect. Norman was using Dockwa but when we were there in late December the system was either down or they had decided to go in a different direction and you could not reserve or pay through Dockwa, instead the boat came by to collect.

Very informative. Thanks, caribbeangirl13.

We are at BEYC now. If you want a slip or reserved mooring ball you email them. They send you the link to a mooring/docking agreement. They are not using Dockwa. There are also new mooring balls (maintained) in Biras Creek - FYI.

MIDiver-

Anything going on at Biras Creek? I look forward to getitng back to the new SABA and BEYC

I keep reading over and over hat you have to use the bb web site as there is no app. I have the app on my android device. Perhaps there is no apple app.

That's really odd. Did you sideload it somehow? I see no Boatyball app on the Google app store.
Screen shot?

There is a BVI Ball app, not to be confused with Boatyball. BVI Ball has mooring at GH, Peter Island and St. Thomas Bay, VG.

Hey Bailau - new mooring balls in Biras but not much else going on there other than keep out signs. BEYC is humming - lots happening and food service vastly improved (aside from a surly waitstaff or two). Nova was a disappointment. OK lunch but less than impressed with the setup although others seem to enjoy it. Anchored off Sid’s last night in Anegada - perfect in every way. Heard a mooring broke last night in Guana - we only anchor there…. In fact anchored 75% of our time here the last 18 days.

There is a massive concrete building going up on the former site of Fat Virgins Restaurant in Biras Creek. Any idea what is planned there?

That was the Yacht Club for the mega yachts. Could be they are rebuilding it.

George is correct. Mega yacht dock 😳