Navigating the BVI with Boatyball

Navigating the BVI with Boatyball

For those embarking on a bareboat yacht charter adventure, one essential tool that can enhance your experience is Boatyball. This innovative mooring reservation system simplifies the process of securing a spot for your vessel, ensuring a hassle-free journey through the stunning archipelago. In this guide, we'll delve into what Boatyball is, how it works, and offer invaluable tips for maximizing its benefits during your BVI sailing charter.

What is Boatyball? 

Boatyball is a digital platform designed to streamline the process of reserving moorings in the BVI. Developed to alleviate the stress of finding available moorings, especially during peak seasons, Boatyball allows sailors to reserve and pay for mooring spots in advance, all through a user-friendly website.

How does Boatyball work in the BVI? 

Currently, there are three types of moorings in the BoatyBall program: Reservable, First Come First Serve (FCFS) moorings, and Day Use Only moorings. Reservable moorings cost $55.00 per night and First Come First Serve are $30-$40 per night. The day use only moorings provides users an easy way to donate to local charities and organizations that maintain the moorings.

Reservable Moorings

The Reservable mooring balls are bright orange, a different shape, have numbers on them, and will have the BoatyBall logo clearly visible. Through the web based application, you will be able to reserve any mooring that is in the reservations only program.

Reservable Mooring Locations

1. Cooper Island
2. Leverick Bay - Virgin Gorda
3. Saba Rock - Virgin Gorda
4. Setting Point - Anegada
5. Diamond Cay - Jost Van Dyke
6. BLine - Little Jost
7. Little Harbour - Jost Van Dyke
8. Great Harbour - Jost Van Dyke
9. Cane Garden Bay - Tortola
10. Soper’s Hole - Tortola
11. Marina Cay - Scrub Island

The First Come First Serve mooring balls are white with an orange BoatyBall sticker on them. The moorings in the BoatyBall application can be paid for on the web based application.

First Come First Serve Locations

1. Cooper Island - Cooper Island
2. Leverick Bay - Virgin Gorda
3. Saba Rock - Virgin Gorda
4. Marina Cay - Scrub Island
5. BLine - Little Jost
6. Little Harbour - Jost Van Dyke

The Day Use Only are white with yellow reflective tape and a orange BoatyBall sticker on them.

You will find “Day Use Only Moorings” in the BVI. Donations to the organizations that manage the moorings can be made through the application.

Day Use Only

1. Willie T Wreck - Key Bay - Peter Island
2. SharkPlano’s Wreck - Great Dog
3. Kodiak Queen Wreck - Long Bay - Virgin Gorda

Tips & Precautions:

1. DO NOT TIE up to a reservations only mooring ball unless you have reserved it. DO NOT BE THAT CAPTAIN that ties up to a mooring ball reserved by someone else. Captains that violate this policy will have their accounts and boats suspended permanently and will be reported to their charter company.
2. Make sure your mooring ball number you tie up to matches the ball number you reserved.
3. Cooper Island is extremely popular. You have to book your ball when reservations open at 7AM

Get Started

To get started using the App: Go to BoatyBall.com and select “BOATER APPLICATION” Create account and look for confirmation email After confirming account, enter boat information and payment methods under the account profile. You must have a “CURRENT” boat in your profile in order to make a reservation.

Reserve a Mooring

Reservable moorings are made availalbe every morning at 7 am local time. They are bright orange, numbered, and can only be paid for at BoatyBall.com Orange moorings in the application are available for reservation. Gray moorings have already been reserved.

To reserve, go to your desired bay in the application and select an orange mooring. Tap on “Reserve”. This reserves the mooring and you have 4 minutes to complete the transaction. Select “Pay” to pay for your transaction. Once the transaction is completed a red flag will appear in the location of your reserved mooring. You will also recieve a confirmation email.

Check in and check out for the reservable moorings is 12 pm.

First Come First Serve Mooring

First Come First Serve Moorings in the BoatyBall program are white bouys with orange BoatyBall stickers on them. These moorings appear blue in the application. Once tied up and secured to a mooring, log into your account at BoatyBall.com.

Then use the application to select a blue mooring in your current bay. The mooring number is not relevant for first come first serve moorings. The application will ask you to confirm that you are currently tied up to a first come first serve BoatyBall mooring.

Read the terms and select “I Agree”. Press the PAY button and you are done. You will receive an email verification of your payment. Keep this as it is proof of your payment for your stay.

Day Use Only

Day Use Only Moorings are in populare dive sites and have a reflective yellow stripe on them. These moorings appear yellow in the BoatyBall application.

You can make a donation to the organizations that maintain these moorings at any time by selecting the yellow mooring in the application and donating. Once tied up and secured to a mooring, log into your account at BoatyBall.com. Then use the application to select a yellow mooring in your current bay.

The mooring number is not relevant for day use only moorings. After selecting “Pay” the application will ask you to confirm that you are currently tied up to a day use only BoatyBall mooring. Read the terms and select “I Agree”.