CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia CommonsAnchorage· St John· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Cruz Bay Anchorage
18° 19.9′ N · 64° 47.9′ W
St John's harbor town and only port of entry: a small, busy cove packed with ferries, barges, water taxis and day boats, with the national park visitor center, customs, groceries and bars all a short dinghy ride away.
Practical
Position is the USGS GNIS point for Cruz Bay (the bay). Coast Pilot 5 (2026): a small cove used by inter-island vessels; the entrance is marked by a light 12 ft above the water and private buoys mark the channels; the NPS marina in the cove east of Battery Point carries 6 ft to an 80-ft pier and bulkhead; the passenger ferry dock is on the southeast side. Motorboats are limited to 6 mph in Cruz Bay (east of Lind Point to the north and Galge Point to the south). The NPS allows a 3-hour daytime anchorage in Cruz Bay Creek beside the NPS boat ramp for vessels 60 ft and under, 6 am to 6 pm only, no overnight (Compendium 2026). Constant ferry and car-barge traffic: the Red Hook ferry runs roughly hourly and barges run hourly in daylight (Wikipedia/Wikivoyage), so stay clear of the ferry docks and channels. For an overnight, most boats use the NPS Caneel Bay moorings or the Lind Point designated anchorage just north. Gasoline, diesel, water and some groceries are available in town (Coast Pilot); fuel at the Puma fuel dock in the Creek.
Best for
Clearing in, provisioning, crew changes and a night out in town
Season
Year-round; busy and wakey by day from ferry traffic
Nearby
- Cruz Bay Beach0.1 NM away
- Cruz Bay Ferry Docks (Red Hook, Charlotte Amalie and BVI ferries)0.1 NM away
- High Tide (Wharfside Landing)0.1 NM away
- The Beach Bar (Cruz Bay)0.1 NM away
- CBP Cruz Bay (St John Port of Entry)0.2 NM away
- Cruz Bay ATMs & Banks0.2 NM away
- Dolphin Market (Cruz Bay)0.2 NM away
- Lime Inn (Cruz Bay)0.2 NM away