A131 - Isla Culebra and Imray-Iolaire Isla de Vieques CHARTS FOR THE EASTERN ABOUT THIS CHART Compiled by DM Street Jnr This chart has been compiled by D M Street Jr using official sources and additional information acquired during more than 50 years of cruising, racing, exploring, chartering and charting the eastern Caribbean on his 46’ engineless yawl Iolaire, built in 1905. He is the author of many yachting books and articles, first of which was ‘Going South’ Yachting, 1964. His Cruising Guide to the Lesser is regarded as ‘the book that opened the Caribbean to the cruising yachtsman and made bare boat IMPORTANT chartering possible’. It is worth reading for its nostalgic view of the Caribbean in the 1950s and ‘60s. Over the years it has been expanded to cover the entire eastern For the latest chart Caribbean, from the western end of Puerto Rico east and south through the islands to corrections visit Trinidad, then westwards along the Venezuelan coast and offshore islands to . www.imray.com Use Street’s Guides for interisland sailing directions, harbour piloting directions and interesting anecdotes about people, places and history. They are the only guides that cover all the anchorages in the eastern Caribbean. Patience Wales, editor of Sail , once The information shown on charts is said, ‘Circle in red all the anchorages that Street describes that are not in the other liable to constant change; Imray guides and you will have a quiet anchorage’. ensures that every chart is correct to Street has also been in the marine insurance business with Lloyds since 1966, placing insurance for yachts of all sizes and ages sailing in all parts of the world. Visit the printing date shown below. www.street-iolaire.com. Email [email protected]. The author and publishers believe that this chart is the most accurate and up to date Corrections received after this date available of the area it covers. It can, however, only remain so if mariners notify the may be downloaded from publishers of any inaccuracy or need for correction of which they may be aware. www.imray.com as Correction The pilotage information on this chart is taken from Street’s Guide to Puerto Rico and Notices. These are regularly updated the Spanish, US and British to which page numbers refer. It may be ordered and the website should be checked. from: Bluewater Books and Charts www.bluewaterweb.com Smartphone users Landfall Navigation www.landfallnavigation.com can link directly to Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd www.imray.com the Corrections Five popular sailing videos made in the late 1980s/early 1990s featuring D M Street Jr Notice for this chart are now available as DVDs. The most popular, Transatlantic with Street , the story of using the QR code. Iolaire’s 1985 transatlantic via Vigo, Madeira, Canaries, Cape Verdes has been highly recommended by Herb McCormick and Tom Cunliffe. TheSailingChannel.TV offers all five videos in one digital package, The Complete Street , at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thecompletestreet

Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd Edition date: July 2001 Wych House The Broadway St Ives Corrected to October 2015 Cambridgeshire PE27 5BT England (ILNW 393/15) ✆ +44(0)1480 462114 Fax +44(0)1480 496109 www.imray.com

Culebra

Electronic versions of this chart

Imray charts are also available as apps for iPad and iPhone in raster format in the Imray Chart Navigator series. The series also includes chart sets from official hydrographic offices.

Vieques Search ‘Marine Imray Charts’ on the App Store.

C a r i b b e a n

S e a

1 the anchorage is well to windward - a hard Pilotage notes by slog against wind and tide. To avoid this 1 situation, keep a hand-bearing compass DM Street, Jr Hr ZENITH handy and take continual bearings; if you T EAST IDE cannot see the island ahead, take stern bearings. 1 It is extremely important to allow for the Hr set of the current, which is made up of the

W easterly wind-blown equatorial current, E

E D

I S

T T reinforced by the ebb tide or partially (and

T

T S

I occasionally completely) negated by the

A131 Puerto Rico - Isla D E E

W flood tide. Tides in the Caribbean are Culebra and Isla de Vieques complicated, but here follows a simplified 1 Customs and immigration in the US and Hr method for figuring tides that usually works. are strict. In the US The tides from Antigua south are semi-

Virgin Islands, customs and immigration diurnal (two tides a day) but from Antigua EAST TIDE clearance can be made at Charlotte Amalie north, the tides are diurnal (one tide a day). NADIR (St Thomas), Cruz Bay (St John’s) and at both 1 However, if you check very accurate tidal Christiansted and Fredricksted (St Croix). Hr gauges you will discover two tides, one Inform harbourmaster 48 hours before major, a second one so small as to be barely entering US waters. The entire crew must noticeable. Thus the tide tables refer to it as show up at immigration, all non-US citizens diurnal. must have a valid visa if coming in on a yacht Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands area is as the visa waiver program works on When proceeding eastwards from Puerto further complicated by the fact that on the common carriers, aircraft and ferries but Rico to the Spanish Virgin Islands it is south side of Puerto Rico and St Thomas, does not work on yachts. In 2005 new important to try and figure the tide and to there is one tide a day, while on the north regulations came into effect regarding pre- take advantage of it. It must be remembered side of both islands there are two tides a day; clearance/notification. Check these that beating to windward is slow. If you are the east coast of Puerto Rico has two tides a regulations carefully before entering US tacking in 90° you must sail 1.4M for every day as do Vieques and Culebra. waters. mile you go to windward, if tacking in 120°, During one part of the year, the highest British Virgin Islands clearance can be had which knowing the average cruising man’s tide is during the day, at other times it is at Great Harbour, (Jost van Dyke), West End helmsmanship and the windward-going during the night. Schomburg, the Danish qualities of the average cruising boat, is a and Roadtown (Tortola) and Virgin Gorda naturalist, explained that during the equinox probable tacking angle, you must sail 2M to Yacht Harbour. (September and October, March and April) get 1M to windward. the evening tide is the highest; the rest of Customs and immigration in Puerto Rico Doing 5kn against a 1kn foul tide, the year the daytime tide is the highest. are also very strict, especially regarding guns; progress will be agonisingly slow, whereas make sure you declare them. It is possible to with a 1kn fair tide, progress will be made. WARNING clear in Mayagüez ✆ 831 33 42/43 where you Study the following table: The Caribbean is 0·4m to 0·6m lower in May, should go ashore and find customs and June, July and early August than it is in immigration. Yachts should not go to winter. In these months, shoal channels into

Boqueron. d various harbours should be used with

e e When coming from the US Virgin Islands it e caution. Nanny Cay to Tortola, Jolly Harbour d p i S t l

to Antigua, Rodney Bay to St Lucia, Blue

is necessary to enter, similarly when leaving r u e i g d o a d for US Virgin Islands you must clear, in both n Lagoon to St Vincent, and Secret Harbour/ i f f e i e

t l

k e e n n Mount Hartman Bay, the Lagoon St Georges cases customs only. g c o d p k k n i a N 1 S 1 t to do not have tide gauges and a Note All foreign vessels arriving in Puerto T Rico must first obtain a cruising permit upon require particular care. arrival and report to customs at every port of 90 4 1.83 2.83 3.83 Yachts are increasing in size and in call. 100 1.56 2.56 3.56 summer, especially at low water springs, 110 1.29 2.29 3.29 there have been incidents when large yachts GENERAL CAUTIONS 120 1.0 2.0 3.0 have grounded, completely blocking the 90 5 2.54 3.54 4.54 channel for others. I have campaigned for It is also important to read the sailing and 100 2.2 3.2 4.2 pilot directions for the area concerned the many years for gauges to be introduced to 110 1.87 2.87 3.87 prevent these incidents. night before, in order to plan the next day's 120 1.5 2.5 3.5 run and calculate your departure to 90 6 3.25 4.25 5.25 HIGH WATER FULL AND CHANGE guarantee arrival at the next anchorage 100 2.84 3.84 4.84 whilst the sun is still high. The time of High Water at each location 110 2.44 3.44 5.44 during full and new moons (full & change) These are general sailing directions. When 120 2.0 3.0 4.0 approaching harbour, the relevant large- occurs at a set time after the meridian scale chart must be consulted. passage of the moon for each location. Most of the Eastern Caribbean has been If you plan your passages so that you have The time of the meridian passage for each officially surveyed during the last 50 years the flood tide helping you it can make a big day can be found in Nautical Almanac , and but topography above and below the water difference to your sailing time. There is a Compass magazine. may well have been altered by natural causes brief rule of thumb method to follow. The tide starts running to the east soon after eg Location X – HW F & C 2h30m (from the such as volcanic eruptions, sandbank table on the chart) movement and coral growth amongst other moonrise, continues to run east until about Meridian passage at X for Y date is, say, things. This chart must, therefore, be used an hour after the moon reaches its zenith 0200hrs (from Nautical Almanac and with caution and prudence. Inshore (overhead) and then runs westward, Compass magazine) navigation should only be undertaken in reinforcing the westerly current. When the good light when the sun is high. Aids to moon sets the tide again starts running to Thus HW on Y date will be at 0430hrs. HW navigation (buoys, beacons and lights) are the east, turning westwards again about an will be approximately 50mins later each notable for their absence and/or hour after the moon passes its nadir (directly following day. unreliability. underneath), see sketch above. In the eastern Caribbean during the METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION Do not enter strange harbours at night. winter months, the wind will vary from east- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric TIDES AND CURRENTS southeast to east-northeast, occasionally Administration’s National Data Buoy Center going all the way around to north. The operate a variety of stations throughout the When heading westward, downwind, the current generally sets west at 1kn or more. tide is not particularly important. But world. Eight such stations exist in the Eastern Thus the greatest problem encountered by Caribbean recording a wide variety of heading eastwards, especially in the Virgin the yachtsman new to the area is letting his Islands, it becomes very important and meteorological information. Much of this boat sag below the rhumb line course. At the data is available to the yachtsman via the playing the tide correctly will considerably end of the day, he may suddenly realise that reduce your sailing time. NOBC website. Go to:

2 www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Caribbean and RIG FOR DOWNWIND Culebra click on the station you wish to access. Take a spare line (spare sheet or dock line) at (Pages 76-80) Wind velocities from shore stations in the least the length of the boat, secure it to the Virgin Islands/Puerto rico and the entire end of the main boom, pull it tight and APPROACHING CULEBRA eastern Caribbean area give little indication secure the line to the goose neck, coil and When approaching Culebra, especially from of winds expected offshore. The weather hang up the excess. Once underway and St Thomas, note that the shoals of Bajo buoys to the east of the islands will give a running downwind, broad off, free it from Grampus are not shoal enough to cause the good indication of weather and sea the goose neck, take it forward outside all average yacht any problem except in periods conditions to be expected in the islands the rigging through a bow chock and secure of heavy weather. Least depth 18ft. When twenty-four hours later. Each year The it to mooring cleat or anchor windlass. It is the ground swell is rolling in, seas will hump Caribbean Compass publishes a list of radio then almost impossible to jibe. Rig the up over these shoals and occasionally break, stations and their schedules that broadcast headsail to a spinnaker pole of the opposite making it a very rough passage. weather information of interest to sailors in side, sail downwind wing and wing. If you do the Caribbean. not have a spinnaker pole and the preventer ENSENADA HONDA Use chart A131 GROUND SWELLS is rigged really tight, a good helmsman can sail slightly by the lee and keep the When approaching Culebra en route to When ground swells are expected on the headsail filled. Ensenada Honda, be very careful to stay north coast of Puerto Rico, they are south of the buoys that mark the reefs and predicted quite accurately on El Oso San DOWNWIND RIG WITH JIB AND shoals south of the island. It is all too easy to Juan, Virgin Island news. Add roughly MAIN find yourself in the shoal water south of twenty-four hours for the predicted ground This rig is for normal downwind sailing with Arrecife Culebrita. The course from St swell to reach the southern end of the the mainsail secured to leeward with a Thomas is approximately 260º mag. If the Caribbean. preventer on the boom and the jib poled out weather is good, you can pick up buoy No.2 On any beach open to the northwest as far to windward. and follow the numbered buoys straight up south as Antigua, there is a danger of into the harbour. If conditions are bad, ground swell, especially if the beach ashore however, I recommend continuing is quite steep and the sand very soft. I 1 southwestward until you have left to strongly advise either a Bahamian moor or starboard the flashing red buoy marking mooring bow-and-stern when anchoring Bajo Amarillo. Then lay a course of off it. 2 approximately 030ºmag and run in between 3 If the ground swell comes in during the 2 the buoys and on up to the town of Culebra night when on a single anchor, it will pivot (formerly called Dewey). the boat around in the surf and within a few If you are approaching from St Croix, no minutes the boat can be driven ashore. problem. Lay off a course for the Bajos Ground swells are completely 7 5 Grampus No.2 lightbuoy (Fl.R.4s), allowing independent of the Caribbean weather 4 for the westerly set of current, which will systems; they are generated by storms in the 6 become more northwesterly as you near North Atlantic. The season is mid-October to Culebra. Take cross bearings on Savana Island the end of March though very occasionally Key off St Thomas, which will give you a good ground swells will appear in April. 1. Main boom preventer indication of when to start looking for the For cruising, therefore, May is fine: no 2. Lee spinnaker pole foreguy Grampus buoy. When you pick it up, don’t be hurricanes; no ground swell. June is also fine, 3. Light line confused. It is number 2, the same buoy although there is still a risk of hurricanes. 4. Headsail number as the one at the south end of July is good but watch out for hurricanes. 5. Lazy sheet for headsail Arrecife Culebrita. If conditions are good, 6. Working headsail sheet head for buoy No.2, then Canal del Este. If BAHAMIAN MOOR 7. Foreguy conditions are bad, do as for the St Thomas Bahamian moor is useful if you are anchored The working sheet (#6) is run through the approach. where there is a reversing tide that will end of the spinnaker pole. If the wind goes When leaving Ensenada Honda through overcome the wind when the tide is running too far forward for the headsail to be poled Canal del Este and turning northeast into eastwards, or if you’re anchored off a beach to windward, this sheet is eased and the sail Canal del Sur, pay attention to the buoys and that is exposed to the ground swell. If you trimmed to leeward with the lazy sheet (#5). use careful eyeball navigation, because the are on a Bahamian moor you will swing in a area is littered with coral heads. circle that is equal to the length of the boat. In normal conditions, Ensenada Honda is Once anchored, back down with the an excellent harbour. You can anchor engine, slacking the anchor line or chain anywhere you want to, and you will be fine. until you have veered (eased) plenty of scope Of course, many boats want to be close to (line) then take a second anchor, carry it back the town of Culebra, so they will anchor near to the stern, drop it, shorten up on bow Cayo Pirata. If you wish to be farther away anchor until you have the correct amount of from town, you can anchor in other corners scope, then take a strain on the anchor you of the harbour. Be forewarned that you have dropped off the stern (but lead the won’t be able to sleep late if you anchor in rode through the bow chock), and secure. Now that you have moored between two BOW AND STERN MOORING anchors there is no danger of swinging ashore when the wind dies out at night.

Arc of Swing

BAHAMIAN MOOR

3 Ensenada Honda - the commuter flights start WEST COAST OF CULEBRA AND CAYO DE AGUA arriving and departing at dawn. ISLANDS TO THE WEST Half a mile west of Cayo de Luis Peña, Cayo Clearance in Culebra is dead simple. The Use chart A131 (pages 80-81) de Agua provides good shelter in normal easiest way to get there is to take your Due north of Punta del Soldado, in an conditions, when an anchorage can be had dinghy to one of the derelict docks in the in the cove on the south side of the island. northwest corner of the harbour and tie up unnamed bay, is an excellent anchorage. The beach is gravel rather than white sand, but Depths are two fathoms; use two anchors the boat. Then walk two minutes to the and dive to make sure they are secure; if you main road and another five minutes to the as long as the wind is in the east or north of east, it should be fine. ( Iolaire did not anchor drag off the shelf, the anchor will hang airport for a quick, painless clearance. straight down. Due south from Cayo Pirata appears to me here, but we explored it by dinghy.) As you to be the best anchorage within Ensenada continue northwest from Punta del Soldado, CAYO LOBO Honda. It is readily accessible to town, the you can anchor almost anywhere on the shelf. There are shingle beaches, but no sand In stable conditions, when it is not blowing water is clean (but not clear), yet it is far hard, an anchorage can be found in the cove enough offshore not to have a bug problem. beaches until Punta de Maguey. Behind Bahía Linda is a small anchorage on the southwestern side of Cayo Lobo. Farther to leeward, the water begins to run Again make sure you are well anchored - if out. The farther west you go, the greater the where only one or two boats could squeeze in. On the eastern side is a small sand beach. you drag off, your next stop will be Puerto fetch and chop when the wind pipes up. It is Rico. interesting to note that the wind funnels BAHIA DE SARDINAS CAYO LOBITO between the hills on both sides of the This bay on the south side of the town of harbour and increases in velocity as you get Culebra (Dewey) provides a good anchorage In late spring and summer ( not in winter), an farther in. It blows 5kn more off Cayo Pirata in two fathoms of water. Be careful of the anchorage can be had in 18ft, sand bottom, than it does behind the reef southeast of detached rock northwest of Punta Tampico. between the cove on the north end of Cayo Punta Colorada. You can get from here into Ensenada Honda, Lobito and south of Cayo Tuna. On the Some boats like to anchor behind Cayo but it is strictly a dinghy passage. It has been western side of the island, due west of the Verde, which means that if the wind is north dredged out several times, but each time it light, there is also an anchorage. Again, be of east, you are getting good shelter from has filled in again. This is the commercial sure you are properly anchored. Diving is Cayo Verde. However, this puts you farther port for the ferry that connects Culebra and excellent around the island. from town. Boats looking to get away from Puerto Rico. On the south side of the bay are heavy weather are likely to stick up into some attractive sand beaches - not Ensenada del Coronel and Ensenada del completely isolated, however, as there are North coast of Culebra Cementerio (the real hurricane holes are up houses along the shore. (P ages 81-82) by San Ildefonso, north of Punta Cabras). Needless to say, if you examine the chart, PUNTA MELONES BAHIA FLAMINGO Ensenada Santiago also provides a place Just north of Punta Melones is a good where you can tuck a boat in. Ensenada anchorage with a white-sand bottom. The Surfers flock here, where the Flamingo Hotel Honda is not a good hurricane hole, because small beach is very crowded at weekends, has its base. In winter, the bay is open to the you need to be right up in the mangroves. If when Puerto Ricans arrive in droves, but ground swell, but it is big enough so that you you are not in there when the hurricane during the week, you should find it deserted. can anchor well out in the middle and still passes by, the wind clocks around and you have swinging room if the ground swell can end up having as much as 5M of fetch. BAHIA TAMARINDO comes in. However, you are likely to spend a That much fetch, backed up by 100kn of This excellent anchorage is likely to be better rocky-and-rolly night. Come summer, you can wind, guarantees that no anchor will hold. in winter and early spring than in summer. anchor in the head of the harbour and be Plus, with the number of boats that will have When the wind goes to the southeast in sheltered from all directions except right out crowded into the harbour, someone is bound summer, it will probably funnel up between of the north - which is extremely uncommon to be dragging down on you. So forget it. Culebra and Cayo de Luis Peña. at that time of year. One of the best anchorages in Ensenada I haven’t visited the anchorages north of BAHIA DE MAREJADA/BAHIA DE Honda is between Punta Colorada and Punta Tamarindo Grande but Alan Maubery, Ensenada Dakity. It benefits from absolutely who runs a dive boat out of Puerto del Rey OLEAJE (Page 81) calm water thanks to the reef to windward Marina, reports that the little cove north of These bays are useless as anchorages in the which breaks the swell leaves the wind to Punta Tamarindo Grande has a beautiful winter, when they are glorious for surfing. In come whistling across the top of the reef. white-sand beach and room for three boats. the summer, however, when the wind is in The water is crystal clear, the bottom is white It is an excellent anchorage, but only in the south and it hasn’t been blowing hard, sand, the holding is excellent, there are no summer, as it is open to the winter ground you probably could anchor in these bays and bugs - this is certainly one of the better swell. enjoy vast stretches of pure white sand and anchorages in the Caribbean. little habitation. The entrance to Ensenada Dakity is from CAYO DE LUIS PEÑA the north, by Punta Colorada. In February During summer, when the brown boobies 1993, when we scouted the eastern entrance are nesting here, access is restricted. In Southeast coast of Culebra from the dinghy, we reached the conclusion winter, there are a number of good that you might be able to power out anchorages. One of the nicest is the cove in PUERTO DEL MANGLAR (page 81) through there with a good engine, but only the southeast corner of the island. Sail in There is an anchorage on the north side of a madman would run downwind through between the reefs, but only if you are a good Puerto del Manglar, but it is exposed to the that entrance. It is possible to go from eyeball navigator and have a fairly small easterly swell, with a good fetch. A couple of Ensenada Dakity to Ensenada Malena inside boat 30ft or under). Alternatively, go in boats are on permanent moorings there, and the reef in a shoal-draught (3ft or less) boat. under power, round up, and anchor behind the dock is nice, but the head of the dock has There is good swimming and snorkelling in the south reef. Only one or two boats can fit a huge sign saying ‘Private Property. No the area between the two harbours. in here but you’ll find excellent reef Trespassing’. Ensenada Malena is not as good as it may snorkelling and a good beach. A short walk The head of the bay is shallow and appear on the chart. The entrance is wider to the western side of the peninsula (be sure surrounded by mangroves. The western side than that of Ensenada Dakity, so it does not to wear shoes) takes you to a glorious sand has a cove called Punta Muleros which is give enough shelter. Plus, around the shores beach. There is also an anchorage off the completely enclosed by mangroves - among of Ensenada Malena are numerous small beach - mixed sand and rock. Be sure to the largest I have seen outside of Los Aves in houses, whereas there is nothing except a anchor in the sand. . Unfortunately, most of these few boats in Ensenada Dakity. On the west side of Cayo de Luis Peña , giant trees are dead. There is a good 5ft of north of Punta Cruz, is another anchorage. water almost all the way up to the head of During the summer, there are excellent Puerto Muleros; this ought to be a good spot anchorages on the northwest side of the for fishing fans. island. During the winter, however, Entering Puerto del Manglar is dead anywhere along the northwest shore is open simple. Just sail by the entrance, heading to the ground swell. Most boats anchor on north or south, and the entrance will open the southern side of the northwest cove, up. Run on in. If heading southwest into anchoring in the northernmost corner of Bahía de Almodovar (see below), jibe over that cove is highly recommended. and pass between the red and green stakes marking the two sides of the channel. Pass 4 midway between them. This channel carries ground swell comes in you will not swing This is a beautiful anchorage: good about 12ft. Once inside, anchor wherever around and end up on the beach. If you swimming, good beaches, and the pleasant you desire. equip yourself with shoes, long-sleeved shirt, small town of Esperanza. There are long pants, hat, and machete, you can cross numerous good and inexpensive restaurants BAHIA DE ALMODOVAR the low land to a beautiful beach on the along the shore, a few small grocery stores, Without doubt, this is one of the finest windward side of the island. In March 1994, and an excellent dive shop. anchorages in the entire Eastern Caribbean - while flying low over the area we spotted If you are anchored in Puerto Real and clear water, white-sand bottom, and a reef the path. want a fine beach, merely take your dinghy to windward that breaks the sea. We were The best anchorage is off the ruined docks to the sandspit between Cayo de Tierra and lying there in 20kn of wind with nothing but due west of the lighthouse. The bottom the ‘mainland’, pull it up on the beach, and a small chop! During the week, the comes up very steeply here - from 70ft to walk across the spit to Ensenada Sun Bay. anchorage is most likely to be deserted. 16ft - so make sure you don’t drag off the There is excellent snorkeling on the reef to shelf. Use two anchors and dive down to be ENSENADA SUN BAY windward. Tiny Isla Pelaita has a couple of sure they are well buried. This anchorage is This is a fair anchorage with a long, white- quiet little beaches, ideal for skinny dipping, sheltered from all directions except due sand beach that is likely to be mobbed in the but stay away during the summer, when it is south or southwest - uncommon wind summer and during the Christmas and Easter a bird refuge. (Signs are posted.) Brown directions - and is best if the wind is east or holidays. it has average-size crowds at boobies fly all the way from the Galápagos north of east. It gets a little lumpy if the wind weekends. During the week, however, it is to nest in huge flocks in the small islands is south of east. yours to enjoy. There are showers that you around Culebra and Vieques. A climb to the lighthouses is well worth are supposed to pay for, but we couldn’t find The ‘islands’ northwest and northeast of the effort, since you get spectacular views out how and where to pay for them, so we Isla Pelaita are in fact reefs that only break westward to Culebra and Puerto Rico and had them for free. the surface at low, low water in the summer. eastward to the Virgin islands. It is a hot Sun Bay is a bit rocky and rolly - which Leaving Bahía de Almodovar is no climb, so take water. Go early in the day, goes hand-in-hand with a white-sand beach problem, but if the wind is in the southeast, since the Culebrita mosquitoes come out the - but it is a passable anchorage in the right be prepared to throw in three or four quick minute the wind dies. conditions. tacks as you leave Puerto del Manglar. A fair- West of Culebrita is a shoal called Tierra a size bobble can build up at the entrance to Medio, which has great fishing. Row the PUERTO NEGRO the harbour, making tacking a bit difficult if dinghy out, anchor and dinner will be In future years, when Vieques begins to one is not prepared. forthcoming. become crowded, this small harbour may be You can take a dinghy southwest around a good spot to get away from it all. Punta del Viento to an unnamed bay where there is good snorkeling, but there is Vieques (Pages 82-90) PUERTO MOSQUITO absolutely no anchorage in this bay. The This bay has a number of anchorages. The water is much shallower than most of the old On the south coast of Vieques, with Puerto outer anchorage on the starboard hand on charts indicate. Real, Ensenada Sun Bay, Puerto Mosquito, the way in, right behind the reef, is the kind Avoid this harbour at weekends as it Puerto Ferro, Bahía de la Chiva, and I like. Northwest of the reef is a beautiful, becomes crowded and noisy with power Ensenada Honda, there is enough cruising to windswept anchorage with good snorkeling boats. keep a yachtsman busy for weeks. In Ensenada Honda alone, up among the and some small sand beaches. But if you like BAHIA MOSQUITO mangroves, are enough hurricane holes to to fish with a rod and reel and want As long as the wind is north of east, this is a hide the entire St Thomas charter-boat fleet complete shelter, you can continue up good place to anchor away from it all. There with room to spare. through the channel. You can squeeze 6ft is nothing much in the way of beaches, but into this harbour at high water. Proceed very there should be good snorkeling behind WESTERN END OF VIEQUES slowly - no real danger, since it is all soft mud Punta Vaca. We have explored Bahía If heading westward from Isabel Segunda, - but hug the western side of the channel Mosquito in Iolaire’s dinghy, and the shelter follow the buoyed channel or wait until the going in. Once inside, you can anchor appears to be good. The anchorage is in sand sun is directly overhead and proceed with anywhere and enjoy complete shelter, and grass, so holding may not be too secure. careful eyeball monitoring. There are excellent fishing, mangrove oysters, solitude A couple of handsome houses overlook the numerous shoals and coral heads just under and splendid displays of phosphorescence on beach. One could have been pulled out of the surface. dark nights. Aspen, and dropped in the tropics; There is a good and very popular PUERTO FERRO the others are of typical West Indian design, anchorage south of Punta Arenas and just with big porches. west of the tanks - a favourite weekend The entrance to Puerto Ferro is very easy to Behind the beach is a salt pond, which destination for the yachts from Roosevelt find, since there is an old lighthouse on Pta makes me suspect that Bahía Mosquito is Road Yacht Club. During the week, the Ferro and just north of this is a wonderful old well named, so do not anchor close to shore. anchorage is likely to be deserted. The beach Spanish lighthouse, a magnificent building Try to find some clear sand for good holding. is beautiful - all white sand. with a fantastic view looking right out into Excellent anchorages (for boats drawing the trades. Right below the lighthouse is a ISLANDS TO THE EAST (Page 82 ) 6ft or less) are reported 1M southeast of beautiful white-sand beach. Punta Boca Quebrada. The chart shows a One danger on this coast is a breaking reef sticking out, but you can go in behind rock 150 metres offshore, south-southwest I have not visited this little island, but I have the reef as long as the conditions are good of the old lighthouse. Do not get close flown over it, and it looks as though there and you understand eyeball navigation. inshore in this area. should be good anchorage on the shelf in When entering Puerto Ferro, hug the the southeast corner of the island in late starboard side of the channel and anchor spring and early summer - as long as the South coast of Vieques when well inside the harbour. Seven feet can wind is east or north of east. Further, in be squeezed in with care. Once anchored, summer, when there is no danger of the (Pages 83-86) get in your dinghy, get out the rod and reel, ground swell, there should also be a good and have some fun fishing among the anchorage behind the southeast corner of PUERTO REAL mangroves. (Needless to say, with the Cayo Sombrero (between Cayo Sombrero There are two anchorages off Puerto Real. presence of the mangroves, Puerto Ferro and the shelf between Cayo Sombrero and One is west of the shoal, sheltered in all makes an excellent hurricane hole.) Cayo Norte). However, I definitely advise a normal weather but not as calm as the one bow-and-stern anchor in case the current east of the shoal. Boats drawing 4ft or less BAHIA CORCHO/BAHIA TAPON runs to windward over the shelf at the can swing over the top of the shoal and Forget about these two. There are nice change of tide. These anchorages should be anchor in the eastern bay. Boats drawing beaches but no anchorages in Bahía Corcho; strictly for reef pilots who are interested in more than 4ft should continue east, south of Bahía Tapon has no water inside. exploring. Cayo Real, then run in midway between Warning There is an unbuoyed reef due CULEBRITA Cayo Real and Cayo de Tierra, round up, and south of Bahía Tapon with only two feet of anchor in a convenient location. between A protected anchorage may be found in the water over it. Make sure you spot this when Cayo Real and Cayo de Tierra, round up, and working your way eastward. There is plenty cove on the northwest side, but it is anchor in a convenient location. Warning the completely exposed to the ground swell in of water inside and outside of it, but no bottom is grass and very poor holding. The water over it. winter, so it can be very uncomfortable. Be harbour has reported shoaled drastically and sure to anchor bow-and-stern so that if the now has a least depth of around 9’. 5 BAHIA DE LA CHIVA BAHIA YOYE Bahía Icacos, between Roca Cucaracha and Vieques, where there are numerous This bay provides two good anchorages - one Exploring this area on foot, we decided that uncharted coral heads. northwest of Isla Chiva, the other east of Isla it looks excellent. Anchor in the northeast Without a doubt, this is one of the finest Chiva, right up under Punta Conejo. Do not corner. Note that there are detached rocks anchorages in the Eastern Caribbean. The try to pass between Isla Chiva and the off the southeast corner. There should be easiest entrance is from the west, on a course ‘mainland’, since there is only 3ft of water. good diving around the edges. of roughly 142° mag on the 147ft high hill This is strictly a dinghy passage. BAHIA JALOVA on the eastern end of Vieques. It’s wise to A quarter of a mile south off Punta Conejo have a good reef navigator at the bow. The is a reef half a mile long and carrying only Another secluded bay with a white-sand entrance is narrow, but you can sail through. 1ft of water. A bearing of 093°-273°mag on beach. (We visited Bahía Jalova in a dinghy, The last time we were here, the wind was the old lighthouse on Punta Ferro leads not in Iolaire .) Feel your way in and anchor way around in the south. We could not lay through the channel between the reef and in the southeast corner in mixed sand and the channel, yet the heavy, old, engineless Punta Conejo and a bearing of 100°-280° grass (the holding is somewhat uncertain). Iolaire tacked four times between the outer leads outside the reef. There is excellent diving on the rocks on the reef and Isla Yallis. We anchored in the ENSENADA HONDA east side and also on the island on the middle of the bay. western side of the bay. The reef off Punta Icacos extends Here is the pièce de résistance of the south BAHIA SALINA DEL SUR northwest towards Isla Yallis. This is coast of Vieques. You can spend days excellent, in that it gives double shelter - two exploring this bay. There is complete shelter This is definitely one of the ten best reefs to break any swell coming in from the inside and passages up into the mangroves anchorages in the Eastern Caribbean, but be north. We were anchored here when it was with 10 or 15ft of water. In hurricane sure you have the all-clear from the military blowing a full 20 –25kn out of the north, and conditions, there is room to hide hundreds before you enter. The reef on the south side we had nothing but a small bobble in the of boats, and there was little or no damage of the harbour extends much farther west harbour. We were on two anchors. We did to the 30 or 40 boats that tucked in here than the old chart indicates, so the harbour drag slightly before they set, but once set, all during Hugo in 1989. is even more sheltered than it seemed. The was well. Holding is good on a white-sand Around the edges of the harbour, use a wind would have to go south of west before bottom, no grass. leadline or sounding pole and feel your way it could send a swell into the harbour. The It is possible to pass between Isla Yallis and around - there are countless nooks and reef has only 1ft or so of water over it, so Punta Icacos, but I estimate that the channel crannies. even in a southeasterly, all the swell would has only 6 or 7 feet, whereas there was a full To enter Ensenada Honda, approach from be broken. We experienced a small bobble 14ft through the channel between Isla Yallis the south, steering a course of about throughout our two days here in 1993 but and the outer reef. 344°mag and favouring the lighthouse side since Iolaire is heavy and the mizzen was up, We did not sail or sound the eastern of the entrance. As you enter the harbour, we were never uncomfortable. I suspect that channel, but from the bosun’s chair on start swinging around to the north and head lighter boats would want to minimise the Iolaire’s masthead, the water depths looked for Punta Carenero. Once you have picked roll by anchoring bow-and-stern in a about right. I would not enter via the eastern up Los Galafatos (the three rocks that look southeast-northwest or a south-north axis. channel, however, as it means running dead like turtles just breaking water), come The beaches cover the entire bay, and downwind. The only time I would do that is around so that you keep Los Galafatos just there is excellent snorkeling on the reefs. The in the morning in light air and on a boat to the north of Cerro Matlas, the site of the navy officially recommends that you not go with an engine. artillery observation post. Head for the rocks ashore here, but if you do, be sure not to on a course of about 060° mag. As you poke around any of the military debris you PUERTO DIABLO approach Punta Carenero, head northeast; may find on the beach. Iolaire did not go into this cove, but we eyeball and feel with the sounding pole or The best dinghy landing is just west of the explored it in the dinghy. Puerto Diablo is a leadline, working your way eastward. small island on the north side of the bay. one-boat anchorage only in summer, when The best water is close to the little island Swing in behind the island, drop the dinghy the wind is out of the south. There is a nice north of Los Galafatos - swing east and you anchor, and run a bow or stern line from the sand beach. are back in deep water. With care, 12ft can dinghy to the seagrape trees ashore. You can be carried into the deep anchorage leave the dinghy in perfect safety in calm PUERTO NEGRO northeast of Cayo Jalovita. Throw the pick in water without having to pull it up onto the I have not anchored in Puerto Negro and anywhere and start exploring, fishing, and beach. indeed have not even been able to find out snorkeling on the outer reefs that form the When we were here, we took a half-mile whether it is a possible anchorage. If it is, it south side of Ensenada Honda. hike over to Bahía Icacos (see below), on the would be usable only in summer. other side of the island. You can anchor in one bay and walk to the other, but it is hot, Eastern end of Vieques so be sure to carry water and wear shoes. Eastwards from Puerto Rico (south coast) You can also carry swimming gear and swim across to Isla Yallis, a beautiful deserted to the Virgin Islands (Pages 86-90) island with a fantastic white-sand beach on If you are heading westward from Vieques, When crossing Vieques Sound from Culebra its eastern end. it is dead downwind to Puerto Rico. to Vieques, the westerly set is very strong. In We did aerial spotting of the bays at the If you are going eastward to the Virgin 1993, on the day we did it, the current was very eastern end of Vieques - on both sides Islands, take a break at one of the many running at least 2kn to the west. It set us so of Punta Este - and all have beautiful white- anchorages in Culebra or Culebrita, and then far to leeward that we ended up hard on the sand beaches. Weather permitting, it slog your way eastward into the Virgin wind as we approached the eastern end of certainly is worthwhile to hop in the dinghy Passage. Be prepared for some steep, high Vieques. It did not look like we would clear from a secure anchorage farther west and go seas here, especially during flood tide when Punta Este, but suddenly, a mile off, we hit a off to these beaches, where you can have the current opposes the tide. This is one of back eddy. The current was running to complete privacy - there are no roads, so no those situations that all sailors must confront windward at a knot and a half, possibly two tour bus is likely to show up suddenly with a at some point when you must simply pull knots, producing steep, breaking seas. It was horde of tourists. your head in and slog it out. Remember, rough going, but the ride sucked us up to though, that you don’t have to sail all the windward and around Punta Este as if it way to St Thomas Harbour in one shot. You were a vacuum cleaner. Once we were Eastern end of Vieques can duck in and anchor in Airport Bay or around the point, the current was again (north coast) behind Island or at Buck Island, have a running to the west. What caused the good night’s sleep, and continue on to St eastward-flowing eddy north of Punta Este BAHIA ICACOS Thomas the following morning. See notes on is beyond me. for chart A2. Navigate with great caution along the However difficult the return trip, I BAHIA FANDUCA eastern end of the north coast. We have consider a cruise through the Passage Islands explored the area in Iolaire and also by East of Ensenada Honda, this bay does not time well spent, especially for anyone who dinghy, and have updated this chart seem to be deep enough to provide any has become familiar with the Virgins and is accordingly. There are many hazards, some shelter. I recommend skipping it. casting about for new territory to explore. still uncharted. Sail only in good light. One The people are friendly, the food inexpensive particularly bad spot is the area west of and the anchorages are quiet and secluded.

6