Anchorage· Culebra· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Ensenada Honda Hurricane Hole
18° 18.1′ N · 65° 17.0′ W · approximate
Ensenada Honda's enclosed, hill-ringed basin with its mangrove-fringed side coves is the traditional storm refuge of the Spanish Virgins; Coast Pilot describes it as one of the most secure harbors in the Leeward Islands.
Practical
Position is approximate: the OpenStreetMap 'Ensenada Honda' label in mid-harbor (node 368381516). Coast Pilot 5 (ch. 13) calls Ensenada Honda 'one of the most secure in the Leeward Islands' and the most secure anchorage in the area; the harbor has several small shallow side bays (OpenStreetMap names Ensenada del Coronel, del Cementerio and Fulladosa), and the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge includes the wetlands and mangroves at Ensenada Honda (Wikipedia), so tying into mangroves may be restricted: ask the refuge before you do. Controlling depth through the entrance channel is 26 ft. No published hurricane mooring scheme or storm rules were found in the sources consulted: in a named-storm threat expect the harbor to be crowded with local boats and plan early. Coast Pilot: tropical cyclone season is June to November, most active August to the first half of October; Hurricane Georges crossed Puerto Rico in September 1998.
Best for
Storm shelter in the hurricane season, if you arrive early
Season
Hurricane season Jun–Nov (peak Aug–mid Oct)
Nearby
- Hurricane season (Culebra)Right here
- Museo Histórico de Culebra (El Polvorín)0.5 NM away
- Ensenada Honda Anchorage (Culebra)0.6 NM away
- Ensenada del Coronel landing (D's Garden)0.7 NM away
- Susie's (Las Delicias)0.8 NM away
- Dakity Reef Moorings (Ensenada Honda)0.9 NM away
- Dewey Town Dock0.9 NM away
- Dinghy Dock Restaurant (Dewey)0.9 NM away