Hi Bruce,

I tend to avoid moorings at all costs anyway. Last time I used one was for several days at the Shelburne YC in Nova Scotia, I was pretty confident they were done right, beautiful brand new twin pennant arrangement on each, you don't see that very often. I believe that was where Tom's friends Iain & Fiona on RUFFIAN might have ridden out Hurricane Arthur a few months before, so I was probably gonna be OK... Using the moorings there grants you the full use of the facilities of the wonderful yacht club and great wifi, and the price is right (something like $16/day, if memory serves) so it was a no-brainer...

But in places like the Bahamas, I don't know why people use moorings, they can be very sketchy... In a spot like Hopetown they're probably decent, and at least down there it's simple enough to dive on one to have a look yourself... Even in the Exuma Park, I'd think twice before taking one...

I'm familiar with West Bay in Roatan, stayed there for several days a few years ago... Nice spot, but it can be a difficult anchorage, one of the few places I've had difficulty getting my anchor to set. The bottom is mostly covered with a very heavy grass, and unless you can find a patch of clear sand, it can be very dicey... I finally found a good patch off by myself close to the reef, possible mainly due to the smaller size of my boat. But I've heard that West Bay has become much more crowded since I was there, largely due to people leaving Belize and their high cruising fees, and in order to accommodate more boats, there's now a bunch of moorings in West Bay...

I believe DanY or colemj may have been in there since, so might have more to add...