CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons (Dr. Thomas Liptak)Anchorage· Antigua· Leeward Islands
English Harbour Anchorage (Freeman's Bay)
17° 0.3′ N · 61° 45.6′ W
Freeman's Bay is the anchorage just inside the entrance to English Harbour, below Fort Berkeley and off Galleon Beach. It is the classic Antigua anchorage: a deep, hill-ringed hurricane hole with the Georgian dockyard a short dinghy ride away.
Practical
Position is the OpenStreetMap seamark anchorage node for Freeman's Bay. Noonsite (Feb 2025): most yachts anchor in Freeman's Bay and it is frequently packed; tidal currents can spin boats in different directions; you may also anchor anywhere in the English Harbour waterway, including past the Slipway. Holding can be poor, especially in bad weather. The marked channel from Fort Berkeley to the inner harbour must be kept clear. Four historic Royal Navy hurricane chains lie across the harbour bottom; one in Freeman's Bay runs from the large anchor on Galleon Beach to Fort Berkeley Point, so ask the Harbour Master at the Dockyard before anchoring near it (ABYMA). The Antigua Marine Guide says holding is generally good but it gets uncomfortable when the wind goes south; tuck in behind the reef if there is room and stay out of the buoyed fairway. Speed limit is 4 knots in the harbour (ABYMA). All yachts at anchor pay National Parks harbour fees (see 'Nelson's Dockyard National Park Fees'). Dinghy dock is behind the superyacht dock at Nelson's Dockyard; lift and lock the dinghy, as thefts are reported (Noonsite). English Harbour cruisers' net: 9 am daily on VHF 06 (Noonsite).
Best for
The most protected and atmospheric anchorage on the island; clearing in at the Dockyard
Season
Year-round; uncomfortable in southerly winds; a traditional hurricane hole
