Drake's anchorage

Hi - We are going to bareboat early Feb and spend 1-2 days in North Sound. I am interested in anchoring at Drake's anchorage or West side of Prickly Pear. Any suggested landmarks or comments? (yes, I know Leverick is near by)

You may have a lot of solitude in Drakes. As to land marks, Colquhoun reef as you enter Virgin Gorda Sound will be to starboard. Be sure to pass the very, very last red navaid before truning into Drakes. Ashore, it is private land, there ar no faciliities ashore for cruisers. Could be open NE winds, but some what protected from the seas by the reef.

to each their own, but there are shallows and reefs in Eustacia Island and Sound, For the north side of Prickly Pear, might be a good plan ,to stay outside the sound and anchor between Eustacia Isalnd and Prickly Pear.. There are no navaids, and a reef that surrounds most of Eustacia Island.

The sound itself is full of reefs and coral heads, and very shallow. We do not take our mono hull sloops into Eustacia Sound. For your plan, The sketch chart in the cruising guide shows an anchorage area off the west end of the dock on Eustacia Island. Closer to Prickly Pear, South west of Eustacia is another anchorage area nearer prickly pear..

Note wind direction and conditions in Feb .

We have always moored inside, and took the dink thru the cut , marked channel with nav aids to oil nut. We only take the dink out to snorkel Eustacia Sound.

If anchoring between prickly pear, and Eustacia we would use a bahamian moor .
hBe sure h to check with your bare boat company chart briefer and make sure that you are OK to anchor in that area.

Be advised that weather in Feb the BVI can be effected by challenging weather conditions and strong Christmas winds 18-30 kts. from the NE. The north side of prickly pear hlas some very open areas to the winds and seas .We chose to anchor inside
the sound the sound with our 36 ft. monohul.

Even then, one of our 16 BVI trips , I was leading a loose fotilla of Newport Sailing Club boats, and we moored off BEYC, and Saba rock area. An un forecast strong low pressure area let lose its fury. We stayed put, stood watches, and did not attempt 'to take the dink ashore. A para sail fast motor boat, moored next to us sank. Some other bare boaters attempted to dink into BEYC, and were lucky to survive and needed rescue. When I was up in the V berth reading, the boat's bow was bounding up and down, plowing into the seas. We used double bridles on the mooring..... Well, while laying up against the V berth bulk head, trying to read, with my legs extended toward the bow my legs were flying of the bunk into the air.

By the next morning, the low had passed and we all went ashore to the Bitter End. All of our vessels and crews were safe. Those not at the bitter end had found safety in other mooring areas of Gorda Sound,

Just FYI

Southwest corner of Prickly Pear Island is a fine, reasonably protected anchorage especially with typical E to NE winds in February. You will get wake from the passing local power boats. Anchor a few hundred yards downwind from Vixen Pt. There's a shallow reef to watch out for just west of Vixen Pt if you try to get too close to shore.

I like Drake's Anchorage for the solitude if the winds are <10 kts, but lately there has been so much barge traffic to/from Mosquito Island and construction activity on shore that I avoid it. As mentioned, make sure you pass the very last red buoy before turning towards Mosquito to avoid running onto a shallow reef.

Another anchoring spot that's usually well-protected is near the point separating BEYC and Biras Creek. It gets deep quick so with typical charter boat anchor rode you'll need to get close in to shore.

Robbins Bay between YCCS and Gun Creek is a peaceful anchorage if you happen to have SE winds.