TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Southern Caribbean Grenada sailboat trip May2019

HI everyone,
We're a group of 3 boats- 2 Cats and 1 mono hull. We're doing a 10 night sail next year with Sunsail out of St George. I have a few questions for those of you that have sailed this area before:)
We're thinking we should pay the $500 more for the early checkin on the first day:) Has anyone done this and can you be out of there at noon?
We want to leave and go up to the Sculpture Garden for an hour or so then find a spot to anchor for the night.
day 2- sail to Tyrell Bay Beach- Long sail day and we're ok with that.
day 3- sail to Union island and spend 2 nights there
day 5- sail to Tobago cayes and Mayreau stay 2 nights there

day 7? 8?
day 9 start sailing back towards St George...

We need ideas. We've sailed the BVI twice so we do like the occasional beach bar but we really like gorgeous beaches, great snorkeling and hiking..

Since we have 10 nights, what would be our best itinerary. I don't think we'll go further north. Is PSV worth it?
Thank you for any help:)

Hello moore5678,
Years ago I chartered a Moorings 4200 cat from their Marigot Bay base in St. Lucia. I arranged for a one way sail to The Moorings base in Grenada. The advantage of the one way
sail is you can cover twice as much territory. We did enjoy the Tobago cays for it's beautiful turquoise waters. Sunsail being a sister charter company most likely offers one way charters as well. I believe you will be charged an additional day of charter for the one way option. So, in a 9 day one way charter you can cover more territory than paying for a 10 day return to Grenada charter. Check with Sunsail advisers but a sail south ( St. Lucia to Grenada ) will be easier and more comfortable than saillng north ( Grenada to St. Lucia ). Hope this helps!

Thank you for responding:)
We did check into the one way but most of us have been to St Lucia and really just wanted to concentrate on Grenada. My husband and I have been 2 years ago but no one else has:) Do you have any likes/dislikes of the itinerary above or can you add places you think are good to see? What were your favorite spots?
Thanks!

I have several comments.

We did a one way from St. Vincent down to Grenada last January and I agree with CaptBligh's other comments.

First, I would spend the money on the sleep aboard. Depending on how busy the base is, you could get your paperwork and checkouts done that afternoon which could get you underway before noon the next day. This also provides an opportunity to get familiar with the boat systems and get things fixed properly before you leave the dock.

Personally I would not spend 2 nights in Union (Clifton) on the way up. You will have to stop there to clear in and stop again on the the return trip to clear out of customs. Think about Chatham or Frigate Bay there. Also, PSV is nearby and Mopion is a good day stop. We typically spend 3 days between Mayreau (Salt Whistle/Saline) and the Cays. If you have never been to the Tobago Cays, you may wish to plan more than 2 days in this area.

If you have the time, and the wind direction is favorable Bequia is very nice and worth the opportunity to tour the island, visit the turtle sanctuary, etc. Depending on the wind/seas, Friendship Bay (Bequia) can also be a great stop if it is not too rolly. We have only done this on a monohull in January and it was a bit uncomfortable. Personally I would not bother with Mustique, but that can be a matter of personal preference. The sail down island off wind from Bequia is great. Canouan is not a bad stop on the way up or down. You can hit Tyrell and Sandy Island again on the way back to Grenada

I would spend an extra night on Carriacou and just one night on Union, unless you are kite surfers as there is a good kite surfing school on Union, but not much else.
Be aware that there have been reports of yacht burglaries on Mayreau; the anchorage at Saltwhistle Bay can get crowded and the one at Saline Bay, rolly.
One night in the Cays then over to Bequia would be my choice, it's the most developed of the Grenadines but still has just the right feel to it. Best lobster in the Cays is by Desparado, we always eat ashore and time it to finish eating just as the sun sets.
I'd skip PSV, it's a private island and you can only go to Goaties Bar on the beach for $30 (US) drinks.
Almost forgot, have a sundowner at Happy Island.
Why is my profile picture so big?????

Awesome info!
Tothedogs- If we do the $500 we can leave at noon the day of getting the boat, from what we understand. That way we can leave same day, get to the Sculpture garden and find a spot not too far to hang out for the next days long sail north:) It's called early boarding I think.. Paperwork and boat walk thru is done around 10am day of charter. Wondering if anyone has done that?
Love the Turtle sanctuary idea too!
Is January a little more windy than May in your opinion?
Sunset_Sammy- We keep hearing about Pirates from Venezuela? Is this who's maybe burglarizing boats or is it the locals? One of our friends is concerned about them & we keep assuring her they don't come up to Grenada:)
Also, Thanks for tip on the bars. This group is going to want to know where all the good ones are!

We have not chartered with the Moorings so no info on how they do things. The companies we have used offer a sleep aboard the night before. In this case, technically the charter starts at Noon the next day, but we have always been of the dock sooner. Your first full day will likely be several hours of motoring before you can set sail as you will be in the lee of Grenada for about half of the distance.

January is typically windier, and with a NE fetch which can make for some brisk upwind sailing as several legs are open ocean. May should be in the 15-20 kts range from the East. On Mayreau, you really should make the climb to the church at the top of the hill as the views to the cays are spectacular. Dinner with Dennis or Righteous is usually good as well as entertaining. Plenty of good places on Bequia - we like the Gingerbread House as well as Frangipani. With due deference to Sammy, we have had good beach barbeques in the Cays with Teddy (son of Mr. Quality), and in Chatham Bay will Bollhead. We also got off a little cheaper a Goatie's, but it is pricey for sure.

We have been to this area 7 times I think and never had a crime problem. It is not as well off as other Caribbean areas and people there will do just about anything to make money. Lock the dinghy and the boat when you are not on it and recognize you are in a foreign country and you should be fine.

Please note that the mooring customs here are different as there typically are no pennants on the moorings. The assistance of a boat boy to handle lines is useful in return for $5 EC and a cold drink.

Hi:

I have chartered with Moorings before in BVI and did a sail course in Grenada last April. I will also be chartering a Catamaran with Dream Yacht in May 2019. Perhaps we will see your Flotilla on the water!

Unless I misunderstood, you are arriving the same day that you want to undertake boat briefing, chart briefing and provisioning and get off the dock by around noon? This seems unlikely especially if you have 3 boats in your flotilla. Chances are something will be wrong that will require attention with one of the boats. When we rented with Moorings in the BVIs last year, the sleep aboard got us on the boat at 4pm and we were able to leave the next morning after boat briefing and last minute maintenance, etc. We did the provisioning and our own full inspection and chart briefing the night before (which you can't always do).

St. Louis Marina is a great marina with nice bar, pool, awesome showers. If you have to take your time and stay on the dock that first night to ensure everything is in order without stress I wouldn't take it as a negative.

We stopped off at the sculpture garden and to be honest was underwhelmed. Not a lot of fish life and a boat dropped their anchor in the big circle of statutes and destroyed a bunch. I would suggest staying on the dock the first night, skip the garden and anchoring on the lee shore and head up to Carriacou leaving in the morning the next day. Another disadvantage on anchoring in one of the harbours on the lee shore is the swells seem to curl around the top of the island so we had the swells on our beam rocking and rolling all night.

We don't have as long as you but here is our preliminary itinerary. Notice if possible we want to try to get up to Bequia for two nights if wind and swell are favourable hence the a/b .

Time - Early May
Boat - FP Saona 47
Crew - Cap, and 3 qualified crew, 4 passengers

Day 1 - Sat - Arrive by flight 2:15, provision, boat inspection
Day 2 - Sun - Check out of GND, Chart/ boat briefing, sail to Carriccou, sandy Island anchorage with dinner on shore (Slip-way in Tyrell bay is awesome!)
Day 3a - Mon - If wind and conditions are favourable sail to Bequia for check-in.
Day 3b - Mon - Union and maybe Chatham bay)
Day 4a - Tue - Bequai
Day 4b - Tue - Sail to Mayreau - Salt Whistle bay
Day 5 - Wed - Tobago Cays, Beach BBQ
Day 6a - Thur - Mayreau, salt whistle bay
Day 6b - Thurs - Palm Island
Day 7 - Friday Checkout at Union sail to PSV dinner at beach bar or main restaurant
Day 8 - Sat - long sail to Prickly Bay, Check in, maybe anchor Hog Island
Day 9 - Sun - boat return, Overnight ashore

Uncle Luff-Were you able to get from Carriacou to Bequia in one day? This is about 35 nm close hauled unless the wind went a little south of east. Must have been a long slog otherwise. We have done it many times from Canouan or the Cays and that was enough for us..

Havent done it yet! This is our intentions for next May. I assume that it will be similar to the slog from Grenada to Carriacou. But you are right if wind is north of east it will be difficult. We will have to play it by ear and hope the wind is south of east for more of a beam reach. There have been other posters that say they clear out early and head direct to bequia from Carriacou and it is an easier sail than the Grenada to Carriacou beat. We’ll see!

Take it from someone that’s spent a LOT of time in that area. Clear out Carriacou - Clear in @ Union. ***Pressures off***. What’s different than the BVI’s is Ocean rollers between Islands. Get a little N. Swell and a little east wind and some of the crew will have enough in about 3 hrs. between Islands. Luck out and everytings cool go to Bequia – A must stop – things don’t look so great stop at the Cay’s

We are arriving the day prior, spending the night and thinking about getting the boat the next day at 12 noon instead of 6pm. You have to pay an extra $500 to do that with Sunsail. We've priced other boat charter companies but none come close because we got in on a 20%off sale:)
We are looking at a similar itinerary but it looks like we have an extra night more than Uncleluff as we have 10 nights on board the sail boat.. We will take that extra night to come back south..
Are there better areas with less rollers to moor at than others?

Especially where there are multiple boats involved I would recommend the early boarding. You can probably get checked out on the boat that afternoon as well.

Calmest water anchorages that come to mind are: Tyrell Bay, PSV, Clifton (behind Newlands Reef), Frigate Bay, Salt Whistle, Tobago Cays, Princess Margaret/Tony Gibbons and Admiralty Bay on Bequia.

Thank you for the information! We’re staying at Blue Horizon the night before we board. There are 9 couples & we can all fit:).
I’ll be back here as it gets closer with more questions I’m sure🤗👍🏻

We have added the pre boarding to our Charter next May. Question-- How prompt are the Provision stores about getting your food to the boat at the time you request? If we want provisions delivered at noon, is that likely to happen? Sunsail will let us have possession of the boat then. We're sailing out of Port Louis..
TIA

We sailed a one-way from St. Lucia to Grenada last February. Was an interesting trip and quite different than our other sailing vacations. While I can't comment on your provisioning or pre-boarding questions, I will offer advice on a few nice beaches.

First as others have mentioned, Salt Whistle is a protected bay with a nice sandy beach. We spent a day there enjoying the restaurant/bar and my son and I hopped over to the bay to get some kiteboarding in. It was a nice respite after sailing in pretty squally conditions the past few days and we felt quite safe there - at least relative to some of our prior nights stops.

We did hit the Tobago Cays, however, we had cloudy skies with high wind and rain squalls coming though so we were not able to fully enjoy them. Still worth a visit for us and we did have a great lobster dinner delivered to the boat. I can see the appeal of the Cays in more settled conditions and would definitely return on future trips.

Probably our favorite beach of the trip was Sandy Island off the west shore of Carriacou. Though just a sliver of an island and no infrastructure, it had a great sandy beach and was the perfect place to relax. We probably should have spent the night there but we ended up going around the corner to Tyrell Bay which didn't do much for us.

We stopped at the underwater sculpture park and it was ok. Not quite a cool as I was hoping, partly because visibility was poor, but still glad we did it. Since you will be going right by it I would make it a stop if it works into your schedule. Not sure I'd do it if you are going to lose a day somewhere else though.

On our trip we pretty much had 20-25 knots every day with swells in the 6-8'+ range between islands. I think those are pretty typical conditions for December/January/February. Was not a problem for us as we were sailing on a beam to broad reach at all times (which made for pretty spectacular sailing) but it would have been a bumpy ride upwind.

I highly recommend that you do a one-way starting in St. Vincent for a 10 day itinerary. They will deliver the boat to St. Vincent for a fee. The most we have paid was $700 but that was not for a cat. This is a much more enjoyable trip (you won't be beating your brains out going into the wind for half your trip) and you get to see more. Bequia is an island that really is not to be missed...it is beautiful, has tons of cute local bars and a ton of history. The people are amazing!

Leaving from St. Vincent my suggestions are:

1st night: Bequia (I would do 2 nights here but that is how much I love this island): We have had some of the best lobster pizza ever at Mac's Pizzeria. The Whalebone is a fun place to check out for the whalebone decorations. The Frangipani has been there since I was a child (it was my parent's favorite place to go, so we went there a lot) so we like to go for a drink here. Last time there we went to Jack's Beach Bar because my oldest son's name is Jack. Might be a good place to hang during the day because of the beach. We went for happy hour.

2nd night: Mayreau, Salt Whistle Bay: Do the lobster beach BBQ here as it is much cheaper here than in the Tobago Cays. Make sure to barter. We paid $400 EC for 5 of us in 2016. Also check out the cute town by walking up the hill. Beautiful church at the top of the hill that has gorgeous views to the Tobago Cays and then reward yourself with a beverage and a swim in the pool at Dennis' Hideaway.

3rd night: Tobago Cays: Such an amazing place to just explore by dinghy. Tons of turtles to snorkel with off of Baradel. Great beaches everywhere. I would stay here for 2 days too if you can do it.

4th night: Petit St. Vincent: Goaties beach bar is a favorite. Gorgeous beach.

5th night: Clifton Harbor, Union: check out of St. Vincent and the Grenadines here. Cool bar is Happy Island. We really liked Sparrow's Beach Club. They have a shuttle that will pick you up in Clifton and take you to their place on the Northeast side of the island. Beautiful beach with the bar/restaurant right on the beach.

6th day: Sandy Island, Carriacou: Clear in at Hillsborough first and then hang for the day at Sandy Island.
6th night: L'Esterre Bay: There are several cute beach bars here.

7th night: Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou: We really liked the Lazy Turtle here. Just don't eat the manchineel apples that are abundant on the beach here. They are highly poisonous. I would actually add a day in Bequia instead of doing Tyrrel but thought I should leave it in as an option.

8th night: St. Georges, Grenada: We like to leave a couple days at the end of the trip to explore Grenada. Port Louis marina is a great place to be based out of. Easy to get places and they have a very nice facility along with a pool. St. Georges is not to be missed. I always make my kids walk up to, St. Mary's church which used to house the school I attended as a kid. Last trip we rented a car and drove to Annandale Falls (chose these because it was easy to hike into right off the road and we only had the car for the day). We also toured the Chocolate Factory and River Antoine Rum Factory (which was really cool) and then drove back along the east coast for a totally different view of the island. We wanted to end the day at Westerhall Estate for another tour of a rum factory but they were closed by the time we got there. I would suggest dropping the chocolate factory in favor of another rum tour.

If you do end up leaving out of Grenada there is a great grocery store (they even had veggie burgers) right by the marina. I think it is a Foodland. You can even take the dinghy to the little dock right by the store and have someone wait there for you.

Things are very different in this part of the Caribbean compared to the BVI's where we also frequent. The sails are longer, the seas are usually a bit bigger, wind stronger and you kind of have to act like less of a tourist. Absolutely lock your dinghy at all times. Take it out of the water at night and lock it. Make sure the outboard motor is locked as well as the gas can. Try to take as few valuables as possible. That being said, you will need a bit more cash as there are places that don't take credit cards. Whenever you leave your boat, lock it up tight (as in hatches and portholes as well as the cabin doors). When in town just be aware of your surroundings and don't leave bags unattended. This is not to scare but just to make you aware. The locals are amazing people and so kind and helpful. Just a few bad apples cause unnecessary reputations. The boat boys can be a bit annoying but also super helpful, especially if you are in the Tobago Cays and realize you don't have enough ice! LOL! I recommend being polite and telling them no thank you if you don't want them to bother you.

Enjoy! We are going back this December/January and are getting our boat out of St. Lucia, which is a first for our crew and I haven't done this sail since I was a kid so I'll have lots of questions for the forum!

We have 10 nights total aboard the boat WITH an early departure at noon on the first day. How would you change your original itinerary you posted? Stay longer in Union? Prickly Bay? Carriacou?
Or maybe up in Tobago cayes.. We're getting together soon to come up with out itinerary and I'd like to throw your suggestions out there. Remember we have 3 boats total- 1 Monohull and two 44 ft Cats..
We are experienced sailors and there are 9 couples. We are fun loving but also love the beauty of the islands..Some good beach bar/restaurants are a must as we'll eat out half the time if possible..
Thank you so much Uncle Luff and anyone else that would like to chime in!

Here's your original suggestion
Day 1 - Sat - Arrive by flight 2:15, provision, boat inspection
Day 2 - Sun - Check out of GND, Chart/ boat briefing, sail to Carriccou, sandy Island anchorage with dinner on shore (Slip-way in Tyrell bay is awesome!)
Day 3a - Mon - If wind and conditions are favourable sail to Bequia for check-in.
Day 3b - Mon - Union and maybe Chatham bay)
Day 4a - Tue - Bequai
Day 4b - Tue - Sail to Mayreau - Salt Whistle bay
Day 5 - Wed - Tobago Cays, Beach BBQ
Day 6a - Thur - Mayreau, salt whistle bay
Day 6b - Thurs - Palm Island
Day 7 - Friday Checkout at Union sail to PSV dinner at beach bar or main restaurant
Day 8 - Sat - long sail to Prickly Bay, Check in, maybe anchor Hog Island
Day 9 - Sun - boat return, Overnight ashore

Getting close! I have made a few changes to our very ambitious itinerary since I posted the above:

In Carriacou, we are thinking of anchoring at paradise beach instead of Sandy Cay. if you are following sunset Sammy's thread that's the beautiful beach where he is staying. It is more accessible than Sandy Cay which requires a bit of a dingy ride (especially with 8 adults!) There may be more options for mooring balls for three boats than Sandy Cay which might be full when you get there. something to consider. Also there is are multiple bars on the beach!

Bequia may be unrealistic for our shorter itinerary and if you have 10 days on the boat then I would take your time and check in at Union and then crawl up through Tobago, Mayreau, etc. Would be better and an easier sail from Mayreau for you than leaving direct from Carriacou which would be a tough sail. You also wouldn't have to do a check-in at prickly pear island, you sail from becquia to Union clear out and then check in at Union island and explore. Nice down wind sail from Carriacou to Port St Louis.

Cheers!

We’re so excited yet a bit nervous as it’ll be a different sail than the BVI...
Question, once we’ve provisioned in Grenada and head north, what are the best stops (islands) to grab fruit, veggies & bread at, Plus any extra liquor we might need?🤣🤗
Thank you

It definatealy is a little more raw than the BVIs but more rewarding I think. Regarding provisioning off of Grenada, while I don't know first hand, I would imagine that you would get better selection(and maybe prices) at the larger islands (Carriacou (have provisioned and they have a new market in Tyrell Bay Lots of beer and rum!), Union, Bequia).

Just curious Are you provisioning through Dream yacht Charters or are you going to self provision? I have a question about prices. seem pretty steep.

Thanks

You will be able to re-stock on a limited basis at Hillsborough (Carriacou), Union, and to a lesser extent at the small market on Mayreau. In the Tobago Cays you will be able to get some items delivered the next morning though you will pay a premium. If you keep going north, the next place would be on Bequia.

Looks like we’re provisioning thru a link on Sunsail’s website? I need to vigure out where exactly that is. When I looked at it months ago, it seemed to be a little more pricey than BVI provisioning but not much... By self provision, do you mean just find an independent & use them? That’s what we did in BVI’s.... We’d be okay with that👍🏻 We need to do some research in the next few weeks. We leave May 18...

Union has reasonable supplies, Bequia as well. Of course you can always stop at Mustique to pickup your Caviar and Cristal.

Have you found a semi affordable place to provision before you arrive in Grenada?
The Sunsail one is very pricey! Much more than the BVI options... I found the meet and meat market in Whisper cove marina but it’s not near the St George’s Marina. The Real IGA market will be great once we’re there but you can’t provision ahead there...
I’m stumped!
Help!

Hey; Here is a reply to a post that I put out on Cruisers forum (link included as there may some additional advise that could help you with your trip). Looks like the self provision at the Food land right next to the arena is the way to go!

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...provision-or-charter-company-216113.html

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We just got back (ended 23 March) from a charter with DYC in Grenada so hope I can help.....

Rest of post deleted by Carol Hill. You posted a link, which is fine, but you can't copy and paste the whole of a report from another forum. Carol Hill

Just wondering how your trip went? I read about the Boat boys in another post:). Good to know.
Did you bring any liquor in with you ? Customs says 1 liter per person. Are they strict about that?
Did you provision at Foodland?
We leave tonight from LAX arrive tomorrow and get sailboat on the 18th.
Thanks for any help!
Jaime

Hey Jaime; Trip was awesome, Provisioning, better off paying for a taxi and getting all the provisions at the main IGA this will probably cost you about 120 EC both trips and to get the taxi driver to wait for you. The food land near the marina did not have a lot of items that we required. Negotiate up front for the taxi. Actually negotiate up front for everything and make sure you understand the price, oneway, two way, per person, EC vs American...

All in all the boatboys were really nice, treat them with respect, shake their hand, introduce yourself, offer them a beer, slip them 20EC if they provide help with a mooring ball or direct you to an anchorage. They will try to get you to come to an establishment on the beach. The only boatboy issue I had was in Union and that was just inexperience and I didn't confirm the price for Ice before hand. They charged me 25EC per bag x3 (you can get them at the Anchorage Yacht club in union for 12EC per bag. Liquor we brought some scotch, rum and white wine from the duty free.

Enjoy, PS salt whistle bay was so nice one of our favorite locations, Palm Island is really nice but rollie and they won't let you use any of the facilities (except the pricey bar) unless you buy a day pass for US100 per person, which sounds expensive but this includes unlimited drinks and a three course lunch. So not bad at all. This is subject to how busy they are however and may not be offered to every boat, no kids allowed...

we stopped at
- paradise beach (entry is difficult especially for a monohull, cat was fine (go to tyrell bay to check out as I think immigration is closed in Hillsborough)
- Chatham Bay, had a great time and if you get there early enough you can arrange for one of the beach bars to handle check in or wait and do it in union the next day (they are pretty relaxed regarding check in and check out as long as it is around 24 hours since last check out) we ate at Aqua and had an amazing dinner. Lisa is the cook, bartender and waiter and she is amazing! service took a while but understandable when you find out she is doing everything! if you have a large party best reserve in advance as I would imagine they would have to source everything to prepare. We had drinks at the sunset grill as wll and the rum puch was pretty strong but good
- Salt whistle bay - watch the rum punch at the salt whistle bay resort - the bartender/server Cupid was amazing, food was good
- Tabago Cays - we used Taffa AKA 'Desparado' which was delicious, lobster is out of season unfortunately but fish was really good
- Union, Happy Island - had sundowners and then bought some fresh fish and bbq'd on boat! really good!
- Palm island - already described, but if you get a day pass you can add a message for 75US which we did for the ladies as an early day mothers day gift
- long sail back to Port Louise - stayed in Marina for the night, Ate at BBs which was locale fare and hands down the best meal we had on the whole trip, portions are huge!

have fun!

Thanks for the report UncleLuff! A couple of quick questions if you have a minute to answer as we are headed down there later this week.

- I'm assuming you anchored in Paradise Bay on Carriacou. How were the conditions overnight and was the holding good there? Also did you motor around to Tyrell Bay to clear out or dinghy in and take a taxi over from Paradise Beach? Do you know if they will

- Would you be comfortable headed over to Chatham Bay from Carriacou and waiting until the next morning to clear in to SVG over in Clifton? That seems a little risky to me I guess but certainly would save the hassle of going all the way over to Union just to clear in and back to Chatham.

-Seems like Salt Whistle is pretty crowded most of the time. Have heard they do not allow anchoring there anymore with their mooring balls in place. Is that accurate based on your experience?

Thanks for any help and would love to here a report from moore5678 too from your recent trip. Will give my own trip report as well upon return.

happy to help, see answers below:

1) Yes Paradise Beach on Carriacou, as for holding cannot say as we got a mooring ball in about 8 feet of water. Conditions were great not rolly but I think this would depend on the direction of the swell (it was east for us) As for checking out, we dinghy'd in to the beach and walked up to the road and walked until we flagged a bus. Tip: when they drop you off at the top of the hill its a steep walk down to the marina and the C/I office. DONT walk up the hill on the way back, follow the beach to the Lazy Turtle and get a taxi or continue your walk from there.

2) Based on the laid back feel of the island and having experienced it and done it, I would have no problem in doing this again. The C/I in union gave me know issues upon check in but this might have been because it was within 24 hours since our checkout. Do this at your own risk of course based on your level of risk tolerance!

3) I think you will be in off season, we were able to get a mooring ball no problem around 1:30 and there were lots of mooring balls available the next day. There were cats and a monohull that anchored in front of us (a big 60'plus cat charter with captain though so he knew where he was going and what he was doing). I have not heard anything about not being able to anchor.