A232
Virgin Islands
Tortola to Anegada October 2019 Before using this chart visit Plans Road Harbour & Approaches (Tortola), Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour www.imray.com (Virgin Gorda), South Sound (Virgin Gorda), Gorda Sound (Virgin Gorda), for the latest corrections Great Camanoe to Scrub Island, Fat Hogs Bay & Maya Cove (Tortola)
1: 90 000 WGS 84
A A2 A1
L E A14 E W VIRGIN A11 A131 A231 A ISLANDS R D A3 PUERTO A141 A232 A24 Anguilla RICO A131 St Martin A12 A13 A234 A25 A23 St Croix A25 Barbuda A26 St Christopher A271 Nevis A27 Antigua A25 I S Montserrat L A N D A4 A28 S
Guadeloupe A281 A281 Marie-Galante A29 Dominica Caribbean Sea B B5 Martinique A301 A30
St Lucia B1
B3 B30
MCA recognised MOBILE DOWNLOADS Imray-Iolaire Imray Navigator app CHARTS FOR THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN Digitally printed Donald M Street Jr on water resistant paper Ground swell A232 Tortola to Anegada Ground swells are generated by storms in the North Atlantic and are completely The Virgin Islands are an archipelago archipelago lies along the length of so independent of the Caribbean weather of small islands divided into two main called ‘Hurricane Alley’ and is systems. From mid-October to April any groupings: The US Virgin Islands lie at vulnerable to the devastating effects anchorage open to the northwest is the western end of the group and are that these storms can bring (see vulnerable. If these swells take you by governed as an unincorporated Hurricanes). surprise and you are lying to a single anchor you may end up being driven ashore. A territory of the USA. The British Virgin Approximate distances to/from Bahamian moor should hold you safely off. Islands lie at the eastern end and are Anguilla to Road Town, Tortola (BVI) Monitor the swell predictions available from administered as an overseas territory 90M online weather services (see next). A good of the UK. Westwards from the USVI site for swell forecasts is St Croix to Charlotte Amalie, lie the islands of Vieques and Culebra, St Thomas, (USVI) 1150M www.magicseaweed.com sometimes called the Spanish Virgin Charlotte Amalie to Puerto del Rey, Islands, which are governed as part of Puerto Rico 40M Puerto Rico and are not covered by this chart. The British and US Virgin Currency Currents and tidal streams Islands offer paradise cruising US dollar Away from the islands, the equatorial between December and May. current sets to the west at 1–2 kn or However, during the hurricane Time more. It is negated, and occasionally, season, from the start of June to the UTC -4 with spring tides, reversed, by the tidal end of November, the whole flood which can help you eastwards. The flood tide sets to the east, the ebb tide sets to the west. If you are working Useful websites method of entry to the US for any boat crew offshore, plan your passages so that you or visitors who do not have US visas is via the have the flood tide helping you, it can The Virgin Island Now website has important US Visa Waiver Scheme. If you intend to use make a big difference to your sailing information about moorings and anchorages the US Visa Waiver scheme you must make time. In Sir Francis Drake Channel the at an online application beforehand via the current will change along the shore an www.vinow.com/travel/marinas-anchorage- Electronic System for Travel Authorization hour to an hour and a half before it sites (ESTA) at changes in the centre. Also see the National Park details given opposite. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta Within the Virgin Islands the equatorial The official BVI marine guide is also very But note that the 90-day US Visa Waiver current has little effect, so the tidal useful. Go to Scheme is only applicable to travel on current flooding to the east will be www.bvimarineguide.com commercial carriers so those crew and visitors and click to download the e-guide. found even at neap tides. The tidal not having visas should travel by commercial current usually runs 6 hours in either ferry from Tortola to direction but strong winds may cause Transport links St Thomas / St John with a current Visa the west-going current to continue for International flights Waiver form to enter the USVI, and then up to 2 hours longer. Puerto Rico, through the Scheme. USVI (St Thomas, St Croix) The ebb tide sets to the west and BVI (Tortola) Buoys and lights strengthens the current. Heading Inter-island flights eastwards in the Virgin Islands it is very BVI (Virgin Gorda, Anegada) IALA B (red right returning). However, important to play the tide correctly. navigational aids (buoys, beacons and lights) Around the equinoxes in September and Ferries are notable for their absence and/or October, March and April, the evening Multiple ferry operators ply within and unreliability. Entering an unfamiliar harbour tide is the highest, whereas for the rest between the USVI and the BVI. at night or in poor visibility is not of the year the daytime tide is the recommended. highest. Tides are mostly diurnal (only Formalities one high and one low tide a day), except Temperature for the north side of St Thomas. Customs and immigration formalities in many of the islands are strict. Clearance can Average air temperature ranges from 26°C in Tides – rule of thumb be made: February up to 29°C in October. Average water temperature is 27°C. If you plan your passages so that you In the USVI at: have the flood tide helping you, it can Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas) Winds make a big difference to your sailing Cruz Bay (St John) time. The difference from setting off on In the transition stages at the beginning of a lee-going tide to a weather-going tide In the BVI at: winter (November, December) and in the is generally 020°, often as much as 030°. Great Harbour (Jost van Dyke) Spring (April, May), the wind is usually from There is a brief rule of thumb method: West End / Sopers Hole and Roadtown east-southeast at 15-20 kn. In December The tide starts flooding to the east soon (Tortola) through to March the winds become east- northeasterlies which strengthen to 20-25kn, after moonrise. It continues to run east Spanish Town (Virgin Gorda) occasionally going all the way around to until about an hour after the moon Online clearing systems north when a big winter cold front from the reaches its zenith (highest point in the sky), then it ebbs westward. Online systems for advance clearance have states works its way eastwards to Puerto As the moon sets, the tide again starts been developing and you may be able to Rico. flooding to the east. simplify the formalities through the islands. From the beginning of June to the end of Check for the latest information. November winds are generally lighter east- www.sailclear.com southeasterlies, but these are interspersed Imray Tides Planner app with tropical waves, which occasionally US Visa Waiver Scheme www.imray.com/ develop into tropical depressions and tides-planner-app Check for the latest regulations well before hurricanes. you plan to enter the US. If cruising within the BVI, USVI and Puerto Rico (including the Spanish Virgin Islands), a useful, legal Weather information Hurricanes NOAA National Weather Service Caribbean www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/zone/off/ The official hurricane season runs from offnt3cmz.htm 1 June to 30 November. US National Weather Service (Marine) Hurricanes trigger in warm seas near the www.weather.gov/marine equator, usually west of the Cape Verde islands, French services from where they normally track towards the www.meteofrance.com/previsions-meteo- western margin of the North Atlantic and Cape france/outremer Hatteras on the eastern seaboard of the USA. They then tend to recurve over a broad fan to There are numerous other weather websites the north or northeast as far as Nova Scotia and and apps. Caribbean Compass publishes a the Azores, but they sometimes track Historical category 4 and 5 Hurricane tracks from complete list of local stations which give westwards to Central America or the Gulf of 1851 to 2016. Source NOAA weather reports with the times of weather Mexico. report broadcasts. Also many of the morning VHF chats, prevalent throughout the islands, The frequency and intensity of hurricanes, the Hurricane swell and surge often give a local weather report. occurrence of early and late season storms and At sea, huge waves and swells are generated the predictability of storm tracks all vary year on which, depending on the storm track, can Meteorological data (shore stations year. become violently confused. In shallow coastal and buoys) With the exception of its far south and areas storm surge may temporarily raise the sea southwest, almost all of the Caribbean lies level by as much as 3–4m (10–13ft), which can Wind velocities from shore stations in the within their path. Between 10° and 19°N, the lift pontoons off their pilings and submerge Virgin Islands/Puerto Rico area give little worst hit area is ‘Hurricane Alley’ between solid docks, rendering any fendering useless. indication of winds expected offshore. The St Barts and the east coast of Puerto Rico. Crowded harbours pose the highest risk as weather buoys to the east of the islands will even the best prepared vessel is at the mercy of give a good indication of weather and sea The western end of Hurricane Alley, from conditions to be expected in the islands Anegada westwards to the east coast of Puerto pontoons breaking free or other boats breaking 24 hrs later. Rico, has been hit by significant tropical storms free or dragging down onto them. www.ndbc.noaa.gov or hurricanes approximately once in every five Ashore during hurricane season years. Each time a hurricane hits, the yachting Ashore, vessels are frequently impacted by General caution industry suffers tremendous damage, much of which could be avoided if proper procedures neighbouring vessels which may topple onto Chart accuracy and preparations were followed. There are no the next, creating a catastrophic domino effect; While most of this region has been resurveyed hurricane holes in Hurricane Alley. All the so this effect is only mitigated by the removal of in the last 50 years, a proportion of the data, called hurricane holes have proved to be rigs and the most robust pits, cradles and tie even on electronic charts, is of 19th century disaster areas. If your crew or boat is not downs for all boats in the vicinity. Flying debris origin. Since then, topography above and prepared to head south at least 48 hrs before a is harder to mitigate against. below the water may have been altered by hurricane arrives, head to Marina Puerto del Insurance natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, Rey on Puerto Rico and hope they have space. If remaining in the hurricane belt during movement of sandbanks, the growth of coral The marina has 1,000 slips and boats have hurricane season, check the detail of your etc. All charts should be used with caution. mostly fared well there to date. Plan your next day’s run carefully every time insurance policy, research all your viable and calculate your departure to guarantee options, both on the water and ashore, and be arrival at the next anchorage in good light Hurricane winds prepared for the worst. when the sun is still high. Do not rely on your Storm bulletins GPS or chart plotter. Use eyeball navigation Categorised with central wind speeds of a and always have a paper chart available. minimum of 64 knots, hurricanes are among Monitor weather bulletins for storm predictions the most destructive forces of nature, with but note that storm modelling and forecasting, Shoals winds during Category 5 storms exceeding 137 including surge modelling, is improving but The Caribbean is 0·4m to 0·6m lower in May, knots. These wind speeds create astronomical does not yet factor in all the variables, so a June, July and early August than it is in winter loads because the forces are not proportional to ‘cone of uncertainty’ remains for each and in these months shoal channels into the wind speed (v) but to the square of the predicted storm track. various harbours should be used with caution. wind speed (v2). As the storm passes over, the Nanny Cay – Tortola, Manuel Reef marina, wind direction switches and exposes previously NOAA National Hurricane Centre Wickhams Cay and Fat Hog/East End Bay do protected areas to the extreme wind forces. www.nhc.noaa.gov not have tide gauges and require particular Catamarans are particularly vulnerable to Caribbean Hurricane Network care. Yachts are increasing in size and whilst windage effects. www.stormcarib.com shoal channels can be used safely in winter, in summer, especially at low water springs, there AccuWeather have been incidents when large yachts have www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane grounded completely, blocking the channel for others. restrictions. Make sure your information is up from the National Parks Trust Office. See Communications to date to avoid getting into trouble with the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands at authorities. Go to Mobile cell phone coverage is generally good www.bvinpt.org on the islands but will be limited or www.nps.gov/viis and click on ‘Resources’ and then ‘Marine non-existent offshore. and click on ‘Boating in Paradise’, then Conservation-Mooring Buoy Map’ and scroll download the Mooring Guide pages or use down the page for moorings information. National Park the Interactive Marine Users’ Map. The BVI National Parks Trust has installed more than The US National Park Service website gives all 200 mooring buoys for daytime use only at the latest information about the Virgin Islands many BVI dive sites. You must obtain a Emergencies National Park, including any anchoring National Parks Permit when clearing in or VHF 16 or ) 999 or 911 or for a list of useful contact numbers go to the Caribbean Safety and Security Net website at https://safetyandsecuritynet.org/ To download this booklet and Sailing Directions go to: emergency-phone-list/ www.imray.com/chartnotes