Anchorage· Great Dog· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Great Dog Anchorage
18° 28.8′ N · 64° 27.6′ W · approximate
National Park day moorings in the lee of Great Dog, the largest of the uninhabited Dog Islands between Tortola and Virgin Gorda: gin-clear water, turtles, and The Chimney and Coral Gardens within fin-reach.
Practical
Coordinate approximate: off the southwest-facing beach of Great Dog (OpenStreetMap coastline). NPT moorings are day use only (overnight use is illegal), 90-minute limit, first-come, first-served; orange balls for non-diving use, white for diving, yellow for commercial boats. A Marine Conservation Permit is required. Cruisers report all three main Dogs (Great Dog, George Dog, West Dog) have NPT moorings, so one day permit covers them. Overnight mooring is prohibited; move on to North Sound, Spanish Town or Trellis Bay for the night. Protected from the east by the island but open to the south and west; on a fresh trade-wind day the reef nearby can be rough for novice snorkelers. Uninhabited, no facilities.
Best for
Lunch-and-snorkel stop between Tortola and North Sound
Season
Day use; best in settled trades, avoid in north swell