We had a little bit of time off this February, so we scheduled the last remaining requirement to complete our MCA compliance....... the ever dreaded Stability test.

Down in the BVI, you have to book a reservation at Nanny Cay Marina, where they expect your boat to fit into the tiniest slip one could ever imagine. When you are settled in, they bring these big blue barrel jugs that they are going to put on your boat and fill with water. Once filled up, they check on how much your boat lists (tilts) to the side.

As we were beginning to put the barrels in place, the main surveyor showed up and with a smirk said, "This is clearly a waste of time! How much does your boat weigh?"

When I told him, "45 tons", he assured us that McGregor II will no doubt pass with ease. So, we began filling the barrels with seawater, 11 in all and waited for Greggie to start to lean….Well, there was not much leaning going on.

The exact measurement was 0.47, not even 1%. McGregor is a strong, well built vessel and did indeed pass with no problem.

That being done, the surveyors submitted their report to Her Royal Majesty's Shipping Registrar and we were issued our completed MCA certificate. Needless to say, we are very glad to have that behind us and our guests can be assured that we have met all current standards for safety and yachting requirements.