Anchorage· Ilet Pinel· Leeward Islands
Ilet Pinel Anchorage
18° 6.3′ N · 63° 1.0′ W
Shallow turquoise water in the lee of Ilet Pinel, between the islet and Cul-de-Sac - beach restaurants, an underwater snorkel trail and calm water in normal trades.
Practical
Position is the charted anchorage mark west of Pinel (OpenStreetMap seamark data); a second mark lies closer to Cul-de-Sac at 18.1061, -63.0224. Inside the Reserve Naturelle: use the moorings; boats under 10 m may anchor only in sand, 20 m off the beach; no night mooring without reserve authorization. Approach is through reef and shoal water - see the Orient Bay / Pinel Reef Approach passage; read the water in good light. A small ferry runs from Cul-de-Sac about every half hour in high season, so expect day crowds. The reserve's site sheet says access by boat is tricky and must be made through the pass between Green Cay (Caye Verte) and Pinel. It lists 15 permanent yellow reserve moorings for boats up to 40 ft or 10 tons; boats under 33 ft may anchor on sand only. The islet empties after the last ferry at 4:30pm. Dinghy to the Cul-de-Sac pontoon for a well-stocked grocery and pharmacy about 10 minutes' walk away. From September 2026, sargassum barriers in Cul-de-Sac Bay ban anchoring in the barrier zone, but a marked channel to the jetty stays open (see Sargassum on the East Coast).
Best for
Lunch and snorkelling at a beach-restaurant islet
Season
Normal ENE-E trades; avoid in northerly swell