Anchorage· St Thomas· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Magens Bay Anchorage
18° 22.2′ N · 64° 56.1′ W · approximate
The big north-shore bight behind St. Thomas's most famous beach: 1.6 miles long and deep, with flat water in summer and a short dinghy ride to the sand and Fairchild's beach bar.
Practical
Position approximate: the OpenStreetMap 'Magens Bay' water label, in the outer-middle part of the bay well off the beach. Coast Pilot: the bay is 1.6 miles long and 0.6 mile wide, safe only for small vessels, open to the northwest and so exposed to rollers; depths 5 to 12 fathoms (30 to 72 ft), but the south portion has a bank of 1.25 fathoms (about 7 ft) extending 0.3 mile from the shore, surrounded by 2 to 3 fathoms. Entering from the north or northwest avoid Ornen Rock (6 ft, a mile east of Inner Brass, which can break in heavy ground swell); from the east keep clear of the rocks 30 yards northeast of Picara Point and give the point a wide berth in ground swell. Reseau Bay and Lerkenlund Bay on the west shore are used by fishermen to beach boats. Wikipedia: small local fishing boats anchor in the eastern part; the bay has turtles, rays and tarpon but little reef. The beach is a public park with lifeguards and a gated admission fee: keep well off the swim area and land the dinghy only where permitted. Magens Bay is not on DPNR's designated-anchorage list (Noonsite 2018), so treat it as a day stop and check stay rules before overnighting. 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 calm-season day at anchor off the island's best-known beach
Season
Apr to Oct; open to the NW and untenable in winter ground swell