TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Least Rolly Anchoring in Gustavia St Barth

We'll be on a 45' cat. Corrosol? Anse de Public? Les Gros Islets? Les Petit Saints?

From what I can tell the swell typically comes around the corner from ~ 240 degrees?

If you get lucky in the off-season can you get one of the Port/stern moorings inside the Port of Gustavia with a cat or only monohulls?

Thanks!

I've always been able to get a stern-to berth in the Port itself, even on a cat. Sometimes it has been on the far side, outside the Hotel de Ville. Not so good but still more convenient than getting in the dinghy. 115 Euro a night for 40ft cat last May. However, I am always there in low-season and I'm pretty sure you won't get in in high season. Anse de Colombier has always been nice and calm. Mooring balls to protect the sea bed. Can't remember if there is a cost but you are supposed to go and clear in and get a permit before picking up a ball.

While @Jeannius is right about getting a berth in the port, it is very important to check the swells for the timeframe involved - I've seen it come into Gustavia and clear the concrete docks before. This swell can rip lines and make transferring from the dock to the boat very dangerous.

ALL of the mooring balls around Gustavia are private and may not be used. There are free public mooring balls at Anse Colombier and Ile Fourchue. These are well-maintained.

My favorite anchorage is Anse Colombier, preferably the moorings on the northern side of bay. With a fast planing dinghy and settled conditions, it is not a long way into Gustavia.

The private mooring balls make anchoring a bit more complicated just outside of Gustavia and the bottom has good holding in sand but it is 20-25 feet deep so you will have to put out a lot scope. I generally anchor closer to Les Gros Islets but if there's space off Plage Public I go there.

Ok thanks! Been watching the Gustavia YouTube stream and it doesn't look there is good protection from the SW local swell when winds are up or if there is a northerly swell. I'll try for a mooring in the Port, then consider stern to on the quay based on weather, then drop the hook out by the Islets.

I'm in Martinique right now and the winds are howling at 25+ knots. And once the front passes through and the winds subside, there will be a big north swell coming for us in a couple of days. I'm stuck here, as I filled my main tank with 400l a couple of days ago and then the fuel tank sprang a leak (on the bottom, of course), so I've had to remove all the fuel and am working on locating the leak today. Aren't boats just a blast!

You going to experience that second most happy day or stick with boating?