Anchorage· St Thomas· Virgin Islands (BVI, USVI and Spanish Virgins)
Pacquereau Bay Anchorage
18° 19.4′ N · 64° 55.4′ W · approximate
A quieter bight on the east side of the harbor entrance, below the big Frenchman's Reef resort, where you sit outside the cruise-ship bustle with cleaner water than the inner harbor.
Practical
Position approximate: off the OpenStreetMap 'Pacquereau Bay' label on the east side of the entrance, checked to be in the water. Noonsite calls it reasonably well protected, less noisy and cleaner than the main harbor. Coast Pilot hazards close by: Point Knoll coral head 50 yards southwest of Muhlenfels Point, Rupert Rock (12 ft high, with a drying reef 100 yards west of it) 0.5 mile north of the point, and Scorpion Rock (28 ft, lighted buoy) in the entrance; stay clear of the entrance range and cruise-ship traffic. Noonsite reports dinghy thefts from yachts anchored here; lock up. 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
A calmer, cleaner alternative to the inner harbor
Nearby
- Hassel Island Historic Trails0.5 NM away
- Hassel Island (Virgin Islands National Park)0.6 NM away
- St. Thomas Social (Yacht Haven Grande)0.7 NM away
- The Box Bar (Yacht Haven Grande)0.7 NM away
- Yacht Haven Grande (IGY)0.7 NM away
- Yacht Haven Grande Fuel Dock0.7 NM away
- Charlotte Amalie Harbor Anchorage (Long Bay)0.8 NM away
- Hurricane Season (St Thomas)0.8 NM away