There are several type of mooring balls in BVI:

Red – National Park Balls, Day use only

Blue – National Park – dinghy only (Baths, Indians, Caves)

Yellow – Commercial boats

White with blue stripe – overnight balls $25/night

When picking up a ball the objective is to have zero boat speed when you get to the ball. When driving, target the ball to the forward bow cleat, this will give you maximum visibility. The boat hook is located in the main salon, just inside the companionway.

On the bow seagull striker is a mooring clip. Lay this on the trampoline as you are about to get the ball. The person with the hook that is getting the pennant should give clear hand signals for speed. Should there be too much speed, and you are stuck on the pennant with the hook, just drop the hook, it will float and can be collected in the dinghy. If you do not drop the hook, you risk bending it and replacement in BVI is $65.00. Once the pennant is collected, hook the mooring clip the pennant eye. The skipper should always wander forward to check on the connection. By using the mooring clip the boat should always face into the wind.

If you are spending the night on a ball, we recommend tying a safety line to the mooring ball. There is one very long dock line in the anchor locker. Take this line to one of the bow cleats, put someone in the dinghy to come forward, get the line and pull the line through the eye on the mooring ball, then back to the other forward cleat. If one line is not long enough, tie two lines together.

When it is time to depart, just uncleat one side of the safety line and pull it through. Release the mooring clip and throw the pennant clear. The helmsman must be told where the ball is and where the pennant is, too many people are careless and foul their props on mooring pennants.

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