Anchorage in South St Lucia

[Teej]

I have to pick up a friend in St Lucia in a few weeks. He is flying into the St Lucia airport in Hewannora and advises me that a ride to Rodney Bay, where I had planned to meet him, would cost him about $90. I have experienced anchoring in Rodney Bay and that is why I had thought we could rendezvous there. Given the expensive taxi from Hewannora, can anyone recommend an anchorage closer to the airport and, as well, the good and the bads of doing so.
Thanks very much,
Teej

[atoll]

you can anchor in vieuxfort,to the east of the harbour, often windy and there have been reports of thefts by swimmers .
you may also be hasseled by port police,but ok for a short stay!

[Hud3]

There's a fishermen's marina in Vieux Fort, protected by a breakwater--look it up on Google Earth. You can't go into the marina, but holding is good outside the breakwater. As atoll says, it can be a bit choppy. I stopped there to drop off crew who were flying home and pick up my wife and cat, who had flown in on the plane my crew were flying back to the States on, leaving the boat unattended for two hours or so.

Dinghy into the marina, but be careful where you park it. It's been some time and my memory is a bit cloudy, but I seem to remember being told to tie up outside a fenced area within the marina, off to the right of the buildings somewhere. I was approached by a kid and an adult male, each wanting to "guard the dinghy" for a fee. I struck a deal with the adult--$5 EC ($1.86 US). The kid was miffed, so I gave him a candy bar, which was OK with him. Lock the dinghy; pay the dinghy guard when you come back. You can find a taxi in town, and it's a short ride to the airport terminal.

There have been some instances of boat burglaries in the anchorage there, but I would imagine you'd be OK leaving it for a couple of hours during the day. Lock up tight if staying overnight.

[amytom]

Originally Posted by Hud3

There's a fishermen's marina in Vieux Fort, protected by a breakwater--look it up on Google Earth. You can't go into the marina, but holding is good outside the breakwater. As atoll says, it can be a bit choppy. I stopped there to drop off crew who were flying home and pick up my wife and cat, who had flown in on the plane my crew were flying back to the States on, leaving the boat unattended for two hours or so.

Dinghy into the marina, but be careful where you park it. It's been some time and my memory is a bit cloudy, but I seem to remember being told to tie up outside a fenced area within the marina, off to the right of the buildings somewhere. I was approached by a kid and an adult male, each wanting to "guard the dinghy" for a fee. I struck a deal with the adult--$5 EC ($1.86 US). The kid was miffed, so I gave him a candy bar, which was OK with him. Lock the dinghy; pay the dinghy guard when you come back. You can find a taxi in town, and it's a short ride to the airport terminal.

There have been some instances of boat burglaries in the anchorage there, but I would imagine you'd be OK leaving it for a couple of hours during the day. Lock up tight if staying overnight.

Or just have your friend take the taxi or better yet the helicopter ride between the airports. Expensive but a ride he won't soon forget. Castries is where you want to be anyways.