The first phase has been completed in the installation of what will be a total of 200 new secure Helix-type moorings in bays throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands. All 200 moorings are anticipated to be ready for use by local and visiting boaters, both private/recreational and commercial, in the coming season, with completed moorings locations live now at www.boater.boatyball.com/map.
The installation is part of a private-public partnership between the non-profit Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association (VIPCA) and the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands designed to build the infrastructure necessary to support the marine industry, provide employment by maintaining the moorings, and protect the territory’s undersea environment.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. issued the following statement: “The Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR), the Office of the Governor and VIPCA joined forces for the installation of 200 territorial day, and overnight recreational moorings utilizing a federal Economic Development Authority (USEDA) grant for $562,000. DPNR provided the in-kind match and regulatory guidance. This successful public/private partnership will now allow for monohulls and multihulls to visit many of our popular bays while preventing damage to our precious coral reefs by allowing for vessel mooring for both residents and visitors.”
To also support the territory-wide marine moorings project, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) has provided grants totaling $175,000. This includes a $100,000 grant from the fund for the Virgin Islands and a $75,000 grant for St. John moorings from the Friends and Family Fund for USVI Renewal.
Who Can Use the Moorings, How to Use and Where?
Any yacht, boat, tender or dinghy between 1ft. and 65ft. — whether local private/recreational or commercial, or visiting private/recreational or commercial — can moor for up to 14 days. The blue-banded moorings are for overnight use with a payment of $35 per night paid online at BoatyBall (www.boatyball.com). The yellow-banded moorings are for day use with a donation of $10 per use paid online at BoatyBall (www.boatyball.com) or, for frequent users, with an annual payment calculated by multiplying their daily use by 12 months in a check made out to “Moorings” provided to VIPCA.
Fees collected fund each mooring’s third-party liability insurance and year-round maintenance. For more information, email info@VIPCA.org.
Locations of these moorings can be found at boater.boatyball.com/map
https://boater.boatyball.com/welcome
“VIPCA works beyond the charter yacht community for the marine economy, workforce development, and marine environment. One of the most significant benefits of vessels using moorings rather than anchoring is that anchoring can break corals that may take a century to grow back, plus the action of the anchor chain sweeping back and forth as the yacht moves in the wind creates a V-shaped area of destruction of soft corals like sea fans as well as seagrass, which is a mainstay of endangered sea turtles.
For more information about VIPCA and its programs, visit www.VIPCA.org, email: info@vipca.org or call 642-0656
