St. Lucia Marinas & Facilities

Rodney Bay and its inner harbour offer a full variety of services for yachts

Rodney Bay

Saint Lucia’s most extensive yachting facilities are located at Rodney Bay in the north of the island. The Rodney Bay Harbour, very spacious and relatively sheltered, is a popular anchoring site for boats of all sizes. Edged by a beach that extends for over a mile and several of the island’s major resorts, the area is the center of the island’s tourism industry with a concentration of hotels, restaurants, shops and service providers.

Near the mid-point of the harbour there is a channel that leads into the fully sheltered inner harbour where a recently remodelled marina, operated by International Global Yachting (IGY), is located (www.igy-rodneybay.com). The facility features 232 slips that cater to yachts of up to 250 feet in length with a 14 foot draft. The marina, which is recognized as truly world-class, offers a full-range of facilities and services for yacht visitors including Customs and Immigration offices. Facilities also include a high-speed fuel station and a 4.5 acre boatyard.

The busy and scenic inner harbour is ringed with townhouse developments and private homes with private docks. A few hotels and restaurants also sit waterfront with a number of yachts anchored about.

Rodney Bay also serves as the finish line for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers race which has brought over 200 boats to Saint Lucia in early December since 1986. The 2,700 nautical event begins in Spain’s Canary Islands and has become the world’s largest trans-ocean race. Most of the participants remain on island through the holidays and well into the winter season making Rodney Bay a very enjoyable place for yachtsmen to mingle.

Marigot Bay

Scenic Marigot Bay, located on Saint Lucia’s west coast a few miles south of the capital of Castries, also is a very popular yachting destination. Nicknamed ‘Hurricane Hole’, the very sheltered harbour has a small marina facility (www.marigotbaymarina.com) with a fuel station and many other necessary services. The harbour also has a modest number of moorings available and additional space for anchorage. Waterfront bars and restaurants are popular with yacht persons and other visitors enjoying the many hotels and villas Marigot Bay offers. Convenient Customs and Immigration offices are located dockside as well.

Castries

Saint Lucia’s capital, Castries, features a busy commercial harbour that also offers services and conveniences for visiting yachts. The two anchoring areas are along the city waterfront or in the more sheltered Vigie Cove on the north side where a fuel station is located. Once anchored, guests can dinghy to convenient docks which are close to stores and services. Customs and Immigration offices are available but most arriving yachts check in first at nearby Marigot Bay for convenience.

Soufriere

The town of Soufriere is located on southwest coast with Saint Lucia’s most famous landmarks, the Pitons, rising majestically nearby. Many of Saint Lucia’s other popular attractions are also located nearby making Soufriere the island’s sightseeing hub. The town offers two fuel stations and a Customs and Immigration office for convenience. The waterfront also has three dock facilities for arrival and short-term use. The town’s Fishermen’s Co-op facility offers repair services as well.

The Soufriere area also has several locations for yacht mooring within the local marine park, the Soufriere Marine Management Association (SMMA). Many of these moorings are found in the midst of the Pitons World Heritage Site or off the beaches of world class resorts making them among the most scenic found anywhere. Limited anchoring is available off the beach at the north end of town.

For additional information on Soufriere and the Soufriere Marine Management Association (SMMA), CLICK HERE

Vieux Fort

Vieux Fort is located on Saint Lucia’s southern tip. Mainly a commercial shipping port, anchorage is available in the harbour and arriving yachts can tie up at the commercial docks where Customs and Immigration is located. There is also a fishermen’s complex that offers short-term docking and a fuel station with shopping and some services located nearby.

For additional information on the island’s sea ports contact the St. Lucia Air & Seaports Authority (www.slaspa.com).