Picking Up a Mooring

Bareboaters... Here's a tip:  The term "picking up a mooring" does not apply when you are leaving.

Gallows Bay Moorings, Christiansted, St Croix, US Virgin Islands
(Click photo to enlarge)

I heard someone's anchor windlass going and I thought "oh, the catamaran must be leaving... but wait, they're tied to a mooring".

I looked outside and yes, they were still tied to their mooring but there was a person in the water diving between the cat and the mooring ball... The chain is going tick-a-tick-a-tick-a.

Why did they drop an anchor on top of the mooring they were tied to? What is the state of that mooring now? It's probably not that they don't care about the probable damage done, but they more than likely don't have a clue that they might have pulled out one of the two mooring screws and have made yet another one of these moorings unsafe.

This is why you should always dive and inspect the mooring you have just tied to... especially before leaving your boat unattended. 

So it goes...

Another Bareboat... Why?

What's happening?  Why are we getting an influx of bareboats coming into Christiansted, St Croix?

Bob has a BoatBits post about recent bareboat antics "How not to pick up a mooring or, getting your doofus on..." I loved the woman with the boathook telling me "It's so hard!"

That boat left before 7:30 am this morning, and the one that took over 10 stabs at picking up their mooring must have departed before I got up at 7:00... and the ball is still there!

Anyway, we were having coffee #3 on the foredeck enjoying our view when we heard a bareboat approaching. After telling them not to use the dead mooring to windward of us, they took the one right ahead of us.  Got it on the second try, too.

A long stretch but they managed

Why do they have fenders down on both sides of their boat? It doesn't give us much confidence in their skill level. Are they afraid they will hit someone in the anchorage or did they sail with them down? Very untidy, as my RYA Competent Crew instructor would have said.

Hey, it's Valentine's Day. If you still need to get someone something in a hurry, how about an Amazon Gift Certificate.  Very handy and very easy as they can receive it via email.

Oh no, another one has JUST ARRIVED.  Bob just told them "Guys, bad mooring" so I've got to run and see what they'll do next...

So It Goes :)