Anchorage· St Thomas· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Brewers Bay Anchorage
18° 20.6′ N · 64° 58.8′ W · approximate
A quiet bay off the long beach below the University of the Virgin Islands, just north of the airport runway, used by cruisers for short overnight stays away from the harbor bustle.
Practical
Position approximate: the OpenStreetMap 'John Brewers Bay' water label, north of the runway. Coast Pilot: the Cyril E. King Airport runway extension forms the east side of Brewers Bay, running about 800 yards west from shore inside a rock dike; caution is advised and the waters directly west of the runway end are a safety zone (33 CFR 165), so anchor north of the runway line and stay out of the zone. No published depths or holding found: sound in. Noonsite: anchoring here is limited to 5 days, 4 nights. Brewers Bay is not on the DPNR designated-anchorage list (Noonsite 2018), and a 2019 Noonsite report describes DPNR officers boarding a cruising yacht here over stay rules. Wikivoyage calls the beach especially nice at sunset. Jet noise from the runway during the day. USVI anchoring rules: DPNR requires an Anchoring Permit for recreational vessels anchoring in USVI waters without a mooring permit, and charter vessels not registered in the USVI need a Cruising Permit for overnight anchoring; pollution and refuse discharge fines run to US$10,000 per offense (DPNR site, 2026). DPNR enforces a 14-day limit in any one designated anchorage in a six-month period (Noonsite, 2018).
Best for
A short, quiet night near the airport and the university beach
Season
Settled trades; open to northerly swell
Nearby
- Brewers Bay (St Thomas)0.2 NM away
- Cyril E. King Airport (STT)0.5 NM away
- Southwest Road Anchorage0.8 NM away
- Lindbergh Bay Anchorage1 NM away
- Emerald Beach Resort Bar & Grill (Lindbergh Bay)1.1 NM away
- Krum Bay (Hurricane Shelter)1.5 NM away
- Crown Bay Marina1.7 NM away
- Crown Bay Marina Fuel Dock1.7 NM away