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caribcruiser · 31-12-2010, 13:52

Has anybody anchored in Anguilla or is it all protected? I ask this because it is an incredible destination and I never see anybody anchored there. I would love to visit but it seems like something is keeping everyone from doing it.

Hannah on 'Rita T' · 02-01-2011, 13:51

It's due east.

**Hud3** · 04-01-2011, 03:45

Anguilla is one of the two islands in the Lesser Antilles we didn't visit. I found their cruising permit policies irritating. They seem designed to discourage visitors on private yachts.

Overnight anchoring is allowed only in Road Bay and Crocus Bay. Cruising permits are required everywhere outside of Road Bay. A permit is issued for 24 hours, midnight to midnight, so you need a permit for two days for one overnight. The charges are high relative to other islands.

Cruising Permit US$38 per day = US$76 for one night
Mooring buoy US$15 per night
Departure tax US$3 per person

Cost for one night, two people = US$97

clifford sloan · 04-01-2011, 03:56

Read Hud's answer, we experienced the same thing. In that lattitude there are a lot of places with a better attitude. I loved "St. Eustacia".
Clif

nautical62 · 04-01-2011, 04:44

I anchored for the night in both Road Bay and Crocus Bay and for a day at The Prickly Pear Cays. Some reasonable snorkeling.

callistov42 · 04-01-2011, 14:04

The cruising fees are in EC, not US so the cruising fee is about $20/day. most cruisers won't pay it so there is almost no one there! PERFECT! We clear in at Road Bay and then go up to Crocus Bay. Beautiful anchorage. The resturant there, Da Vida's is very good and they don't mind you leaving a rent car in their parking lot. Then we dinghy to Little Bay which may be one of the prettiest spots in the whole Caribbean.

**Hud3** · 05-01-2011, 11:57

callistov, if you've been there and that's what you paid, I'll believe you, but here's what I found on noonsite.com

Quote:

Fees
Overtime: EC$30 at Road Bay outside of official hours and on Sundays and holidays.
Use of the mooring buoys in marine parks cost US$15 per night. These buoys are white and designed to take boats up tp 55 feet (18m). They can be booked in advance.
A departure tax of US$3 per person is payable.
There is also a fee for diving. Currently US$4 per person/per dive.
All yachts must pay for a cruising permit if wishing to visit areas outside Road Bay, (even in a dinghy). There are no exemptions for cruising yachts with the owner on board. The amount depends on the yacht's tonnage and is charged by the day.
FEES FOR CRUISING PERMITS
Tonnage - Period - Fee (EC$)
up to 5 tons - 1 day - 25
5 to 20 tons - 1 day - 100
over 20 tons - 1 day - 150

up to 5 tons - 1 week - 150
5 to 20 tons - 1 week - 600
over 20 tons - 1 week - 900

up to 5 tons - 1 month - 500
5 to 20 tons - 1 month - 1,900
over 20 tons - 1 month - 2,850

up to 5 tons - 3 months - 1,250
5 to 20 tons - 3 months - 5,400
over 20 tons - 3 months - 8,100

Last updated March 2009.

In my post, above, I converted the EC$ to US$. I found the US$15 per night for a mooring on another seemingly authoritative site.

amytom · 05-01-2011, 17:41

If you do go... Have dinner at Tastey's and order the lobster bisque. You won't be disappointed.

sck5 · 06-01-2011, 18:24

I came back from Anguilla yesterday (now in St. Maarten). The above posts are somewhat different from what we saw. Here is what I found

- There are NO charges whatever for anchoring in Road Bay. The charges referred to above only apply if you want to go elsewhere in Anguilla That means that visiting Anguilla is free if you are happy to leave your boat in Road Bay. If, for example, you want to go to one of the outlying islands to dive then you have to pay $25 for each day you do that but these are not good overnight anchorages anyway so you wouldnt want to spend the night there anyway. If there is a departure tax they forgot to charge us.

- Customs very easy to deal with and not particularly rigid - We arrived a few minutes after they closed and they said dont worry come back tomorrow - they didnt seem to mind if we went ashore without clearing. You can clear out 24 hrs. before you leave.

-Free wifi in Road Bay

- Road Bay has excellent holding and good protection from all directions except SW

- My wife and I loved anguilla. We rented a car (pretty cheap to do - and they gave a free ride back to the anchorage) to explore the island and found the people extremely friendly, the beaches pristine, security not an issue at all. Anguilla is extremely laid back compared to St. Maarten or St. Bart. A very nice change of pace.

-Truly excellent restaurants, some of the them right in Road Bay, accessible by dinghy. Try the Barrelstay you wont regret it.

- every price i saw at customs was in US dollars - including the daily cruising fee

- So if your happiness depends on being able to hop from bay to bay then dont go to Anguilla. If some of the best beaches and best restaurants I ever went to make you happy then give it a try.