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Saltwaterpuppy · 03-09-2014, 09:45

Hello everyone!

I recently read on a website that a lot of the local government of US costal cities are charging cruiser to drop anchor and its becoming more difficult to do this for free. Is this trend also catching on in the Caribbean?

Cheers!

SmartMove · 03-09-2014, 09:48

We have not seen this happening in the Windward Islands ... Yet.

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zboss · 03-09-2014, 20:30

Sure, they are called mooring ball fields. Almost all the desirable anchorages in the BVI have them.

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SmartMove · 03-09-2014, 20:41

That is just the BVIs, go south young man -- go south.

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**GordMay** · 04-09-2014, 05:02

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Saltwaterpuppy.

Saltwaterpuppy · 04-09-2014, 05:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmartMove

That is just the BVIs, go south young man -- go south.

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So you have to pay to anchor in the BVI's but not in other area's?

JK n Smitty · 04-09-2014, 05:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saltwaterpuppy

So you have to pay to anchor in the BVI's but not in other area's?

Many of the good spots in the BVIs are filled up with mooring balls and you don't have any room to anchor. So if you want to stay you end up paying $20-35 for a ball for the night. Some are that bad and you can get free water and ice with a night's stay.

At most of the good dive and snorkel spots you can't anchor because you will damage the reefs. But you can get a weekly or monthly cruising permit that will allow you to use the moorings for the day (no overnighting on those balls).

If you want to cruise I think the key is to go soon because it will only get worse.

rourkeh · 04-09-2014, 06:36

Most places in the Caribbean you can still find nice anchorage for no charge. There are a few places where they want you to pay like the lagoon on the Dutch side in St Maarten. But you can anchor for free in the same lagoon on the French side. The BVI's are purpose built anchorages for the thousands of charter boats based there and they have created mooring fields to generate revenue. Why anyone would want to sail there I am not sure, every anchorage you pull into is full of Moorings boats so there is absolutely no privacy anywhere, everything is very expensive and most of the local people are rude, anti social and don't really want you there anyway. Like others have said, head south. Plenty of other islands.

Saltwaterpuppy · 04-09-2014, 06:48

Thanks everyone, very informative.

So south of the BVI's seems to be the way to go. Are the bahama's, cuba and jamaica the same way?

MarkJ · 04-09-2014, 07:26

Don't take the Moorings Only in the BVI's too strongly. I have anchored in each and every bay there, even Trellis Bay although that was getting a bit tight!

But the main bays have lots of room, and that includes Road Town, Sopers Hole, White Bay and Great Bay (where Foys is)on Jost Van Dyke; Norman Island with Willy Ts; Peter Island with its National Park snorkelling; Cane Garden Bay; Virgin Gorda - the whole virgin... Oh and keep going, lots more places too.

Mark

sailorboy1 · 04-09-2014, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saltwaterpuppy

Hello everyone!

I recently read on a website that a lot of the local government of US costal cities are charging cruiser to drop anchor and its becoming more difficult to do this for free. Is this trend also catching on in the Caribbean?

Cheers!

Where in the US is anchoring being charged for?

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Vasco · 04-09-2014, 14:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Where in the US is anchoring being charged for?

No Name Harbor on Key Biscayne.

maytrix · 04-09-2014, 15:02

As MarkJ said, there's still plenty of places to anchor in the BVI. It's a huge area for chartering though and that is why so many areas have mooring balls since most charterers prefer picking up a ball than relying on their anchoring skills.