Marinas

Try contacting the marinas for info.
There's a marina at Sapphire Beach, Independence Boat Yard, Compass Point Marina, all on the east end. There is Yacht Haven Grande in town and Crown Bay Marina by the other cruise ship port further down in sub base. There are also many other smaller marinas. This is just for STT. Oh, I forgot to include American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook, also on east end

Will your boat insurance cover you in this location during hurricane season? Many boat owners that I know head back to the states in May due to this.

On STX we have Green Cay Marina, St. Croix Marine and Salt River Marina. Just give them a call and tell them how big your boat is. I'm sure all would be happy to assist. I used to keep mine at Green Cay Marina.

you should be able to find the numbers in the online yellow pages for the virgin islands

Here's some info that will help you.

http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/more_info/marinas/

Compass Point Marina tel. - 340-775-6144

Green Cay Marina STX 340 718 1453 www.tamarindreefresort.com

There is a hotel on site and 2 restaurants.

i of the restaurants will be closing. but the deep end is pretty good

Thank you everyone for the information. The vinow.com link from Alana33 is nice, lots of info there.

Will your boat insurance cover you in this location during hurricane season? Many boat owners that I know head back to the states in May due to this.

Alana33, That is something I will need to look into. It hasn't been much of a concern since the boat currently sits on a lake in South Carolina. What do boat owners who can't leave for hurricane season do when one is approaching? I would imagine much depends on whether the boat is at dock or on a mooring.

Many people take their boats the other way for hurricane season, to Grenada or Trinidad, south of the supposed hurricane belt. If you are unlucky enough to get caught with a storm coming, you usually head for protection of the mangroves. Some of the marinas will also make you vacate your slip.

Many take their boat out of the water for hurricane season. If they live on the boat or prefer to keep in in the water they get on list to be pulled out in case of approaching storms. Most marinas put their slip owners at the top of the list. If you are with your boat and cannot get it out of the water there are protected waters often referred to as hurricane holes but these fill up fast and only experienced sailors should attempt to ride out a big storm even if in a good hurricane hole.

Here's an old post I found

"In event of Hurricanes, boats leave the marinas. Some anchor around the island in selected coves though only one true hurricane hole is available over at St. Johns and space there is awarded by annual lottery. Other places to go are Culebra and Vieques, 20 miles east of the west end of StT. There is a protected harbor on the north side of STX, but I don't know the name or controlling depth - it is just west of Christiansted."

Alana 33 observations:
Culebra is an excellent hurricane hole if you can get into the mangroves. I spent the long hours of Hurricane Hugo there.
Our 65 ft. Sport fishing boat was fine but others in the harbor,
not so much. The PR National Guard were great about helping incoming boats get ready for the storm and advising on depths in area. They got as many as they could, allowing for draft, into the mangroves before allowing boats to tie off across the channels.

Only A few boats were left afloat after the storm that were in the main harbor, only one that I saw still had a mast. Everything else was pancaked under the bridge, sunk or onshore. Everyone in the mangroves was fine. It was a terrible thing to behold. It didn't help that the blasted storm had an 18 hour duration and we had winds in excess of 150mph. Someone told me they had their anometer blow off after a 180 mph gust. It was truly a terrifying experience.

There are a few places here in STT that are good hurricane holes but they fill up quick and it depends on your draft as to whether usable.

Had friends who regularly go down to Grenada for hurricane season get blasted by a hurricane there one year which is unusual for that island. Just make sure you have good insurance.

On STT, only Independent Boat Yard can haul you out of water. Maybe another in Crum Bay. The others don't have that capability. Compass Point, I believe, let's boats stay on their dock. Mandahl Bay is a good hurricane hole,depending on your draft as long as you're tucked all the way back in the salt pond, mangrove area. I don't know if there are any restrictions by DPNR for that location. I'm not familiar enuff with STX marinas to comment.

When you check out marinas you can ask what their policies are regarding impending storms.

I never took my 27' powerboat out of Green Cay Marina during the two hurricanes I've experienced. It was the safest place to be and my boat was fine. However, I do now have a trailer.

Thanks everyone for the info, I have lots to think about.

I never took my 27' powerboat out of Green Cay Marina during the two hurricanes I've experienced. It was the safest place to be and my boat was fine. However, I do now have a trailer.

Do you know if they or any other marina on STX has the equipment to haul a boat? A TravelLift maybe?

Alana 33, you endured Hugo on a boat? Wow! Would you mind telling me more about that experience. I clearly remember the night Hugo blew through South Carolina. Although it was not a hurricane by the time it reached the upstate where I am it was still intense. It pretty much wiped out the low country of SC.

PM me. It was certainly a night I will never forget. If we were not protected by the mangroves and we had been out in main harbor,
I'm not sure we or the boat would have survived. Many boats and lives lost. Boats piled on top of boats, pancaked on top of each other, crushed, under the bridge, atop shoreline homes and so many sunk that it took us a week to be able to leave the harbor to come back to STT to deal with the mess at my house. It was an horrendous and terrifying experience for everyone there that survived Hurricane Hugo. STX took a really big hit as well. STT too, but we really got clobbered in Huricane Marilyn in '95.

Since then we've had some close calls and some hits but nothing like those 2 hurricanes that caused such devastation. Hope to never deal with the likes of either of them again

St. Croix Marine has a Travelift and can handle very large boats.

Hey, so I keep a 27' at compass point. It's $16 per foot per month plus electricity and water. If a hurricane is predicted they bring the long lines out, pull us all 6ft out of our slips and tie us all off. There is a charge of course but you are required to either be in the marina tied up or out of the marina. I'm actually on the mangrove side and we all get tied to the mangroves. As for insurance, there are insurers that will provide coverage but they require a hurricane plan. I submitted the plan in place at compass point which sufficed.

Hey, so I keep a 27' at compass point. It's $16 per foot per month plus electricity and water. If a hurricane is predicted they bring the long lines out, pull us all 6ft out of our slips and tie us all off. There is a charge of course but you are required to either be in the marina tied up or out of the marina. I'm actually on the mangrove side and we all get tied to the mangroves. As for insurance, there are insurers that will provide coverage but they require a hurricane plan. I submitted the plan in place at compass point which sufficed.

Thank you for the info. I have been to Compass Point Marina once, chartered a sailboat out of there back in 08. I remember it being a nice marina. Do you know if there is usually a waiting list for slips or do they normally have some available? $16/ft seems like a decent price(for the Virgin Islands anyway). I have a 34Ft Sea Ray. The marina at Palmas Del Mar in P.R. charges $13 to $14/ft. Puerto Del Ray in Fajardo is about the same.

I've never had insurance on my boat and the marina never asked me either.

When I moved my boat to compass there was no waiting list but give them a call they are very friendly and helpful.