Anchorage· Anguilla· Leeward Islands

Road Bay Anchorage (Sandy Ground)

18° 12.0′ N · 63° 5.7′ W · approximate

Anguilla's only port of entry and the one anchorage every visiting yacht uses: a wide, west-facing bay under cliffs, with a long white beach lined by beach bars and the old salt pond of Sandy Ground behind. It is the base for day trips to Sandy Island, Prickly Pear and the north-coast marine parks.

St Martin, Anguilla & St BarthsAntigua & BarbudaGuadeloupe, Les Saintes & Dominica

Practical

Coordinate approx: placed on the north side of the bay, about 250 m off the Sandy Ground pier (OpenStreetMap pier way 361354823), where a 2019 cruiser report puts the popular anchoring area; check your chart plotter. Anchor either side of the marked approach channel to the ro-ro/cargo dock and keep that channel clear: north side 3-4 m, closest to the dinghy dock; south side 4-5 m. Holding is excellent in soft sand (2019 report). Open to the west, and northerly swell in winter can make it rolly and dinghy landings difficult. Ships use the ro-ro dock most days and party catamarans and supply boats come and go. Wrecks lie along the south shore, so the bay is not a hurricane refuge. The moorings in the bay are private, so visiting yachts anchor. No anchoring fee while you stay in Road Bay. A cruising permit is needed to go anywhere else, even by dinghy. A 2016 report notes the trades can be accelerated to 25-30 knots in gusts here. The dinghy dock is beside Customs & Immigration, and beach bars are within a few minutes' walk.

Best for

Clearing in, overnighting and Sandy Ground beach-bar evenings

Season

Year-round; rolly in winter northerly swell

Itineraries that stop here

Nearby