Anchorage· St Thomas· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)

Charlotte Amalie Harbor Anchorage (Long Bay)

18° 20.2′ N · 64° 55.6′ W · approximate

The capital's harbor anchorage, tucked inside Hassel Island and backed by the red roofs of Charlotte Amalie climbing Government Hill. Coast Pilot calls St. Thomas Harbor the only sheltered harbor in the Virgin Islands that large ships can enter, and it is the classic place to clear in, provision and walk to town.

British Virgin IslandsUS Virgin IslandsSpanish Virgins

Practical

Position is approximate: the north part of the harbor west of Yacht Haven Grande, inside the Coast Pilot's small-craft anchorages 'Charlie' (Long Bay, north of Yacht Haven Grande) and 'Echo' (along the waterfront north of Alpha); checked against the OpenStreetMap coastline to sit in the water. Coast Pilot: the harbor is open to the south but well protected by the hills on the other sides; reported depths of 10 to 14 ft can be carried to the Charlotte Amalie waterfront. Do not anchor southwest of the buoys that mark the cruise-ship turning area (Noonsite), and anchoring south of the 30 ft contour in the Inner Harbor (Alpha) needs written permission from the St. Thomas Pilots (VHF 14, 340-774-1629). During peak cruise season up to six cruise ships call, and boats anchored in the inner harbor can be told to move or face fines and arrest (Noonsite). Rolly with any southerly component and frequent wakes; seaplanes land near Frenchtown and take off down the main channel. Dinghy landing: Yacht Haven Grande and Crown Bay docks (often crowded), behind the break wall at the Coast Guard station downtown, or at Frenchtown restaurants (Noonsite). Dinghy and outboard thefts are reported here: lift and lock at night. Designated DPNR anchorage. 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); move bays to restart the count or apply for a long-term permit (up to 30 days).

Best for

Clearing in, provisioning and walking to downtown Charlotte Amalie

Season

Year-round; uncomfortable in southerly wind or swell; avoid in hurricane season

Nearby