TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands 20 kts E/4-5 ft E too much for White Bay (Peter)?

We would like to anchor overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in White Bay/Peter Island or Benures Bay/Norman Island.

Do you think the conditions (20 kts E/waves: 4-5 ft E) will be Ok for this?

Should be fine.

Gonna be rolly in White Bay. Benures would be OK.

@YachtReprise: Because of the chart and land formation I would have expected exactly the opposite.

Yeah, I know. Funny that. It's all anecdotal after a jillion years of anchoring in the BVI. The swell rolls in around the point there by Stoney Bay. It's not dangerous, just rolly in a mono....like Cooper can be.

But, I bet one of those smart guys like Glenn can tell you exactly WHY it's true.

You are right. Experience is the most important thing for anchoring.

Maybe you have a different favorite for anchoring when you have wind 20 kts E and swell exactly from east? (we will come frome Sopers Hole where we have to fill up our food storages ...)

Sprat bay on a mooring or Little Harbour on the hook. Benures always fine.

When the swell rolls around Stoney PT it's usually caused by a N swell. Wind driven chop from the east will be from the opposite direction. I still would not be comfortable there in 20 knots of wind. Not much room to drag.
Benures will be fine but plan on being back winded.
G

White Bay gets hit by the reflection of north swells off of Thatch, Congo, Mingo and Grass Cays north of St. John. The reflected swell is easy to see from the air. On the water you can notice swells with scalloped tops as the crossing swells reinforce and interfear with each other.

We love Little Harbor, Peter Island when the Christmas winds blow. Nice very calm spot. We go stern-to and tie-off.

Cheers, RickG

I don't know why Little Harbor is not more popular. It is deep and can be hard to get a good set but we have spent many quiet nights there when it was rough most everywhere else.

Hi Glenn,

probably you mean White Bay on Jost v Dyke?

We were going to anchor somewhere around Norman or Peter Island. Therefore I was thinking of White Bay of Peter Island and if 20 kts E + Swell ~5 ft E are Ok for Peter.

ENE not a problem. ESE might be a issue in 20knots. Dead east I think you will be ok. Keep in mind that 20 knots will be reported as 35 knots by most.
G

Sorry, didn't catch that. White Bay Peter Island might be a little iffy. At one time we could get right up in the corner and be assured of a quiet night but they put up all those swim bouys around the good anchorage. Next choice was close to the rocks on the east side just outside the swim area and we were comfortable in a pretty good east swell. A couple of boats out the the west of us were rocking pretty good. Given a choice however I would try for Key Cay first and settle for White Bay if Key had more than one other boat in it.

Just a beautiful anchorage and great swimming.

We had three cats rafted up stern-to on Sunday night and it was flat as a pancake back there even though we found 20-30 knots and decent swells in the channel. Fun ride sailing the boats back to Hodges Creek.

We did a circuit of BVI-Guadeloupe-Antigua-St.Kitts-St.Barts-BVI and Monday was by far the best wind of the whole trip! This was my first time in the BVIs and if that is pretty typical of the Christmas winds, Little Harbour is a perfect spot.