We will be on a 7 night visit May 21 to May 27. I prefer mooring balls but anchoring is a good option. I just want to have all my bases covered. I'm not too sure about anchoring for the night. I'll have my Virgin Islands Cruising Guide handy just in case I do have to anchor. Does anyone know if the anchoring suggestions they give you are reliable? As far as the anchorages they suggest. I really just want to stay away from the crowds I'm the only experienced person on our trip. My daughter and son-in-law are newbies and my wife (The Admiral) is there just to look pretty and tell me what to do. Nothing etched in stone except for the direction we start out either East or West. I'm pretty sure we will do a CCW this time. First night at Cooper than to North Sound Leverick.

You might think about hiring a captain for your first day. Esp since you're the only experienced sailor. He can brief the crew on safety, anchoring and mooring drills and go over the cruising guide with you in depth. Let the charter company know your requirements for up to date local knowledge regarding anchoring. If you make Trellis your first stop overnight he can catch a taxi home. I think he might also be able to catch a ride back from Cooper.

I haven't compared the anchoring suggestions in the new Cruising Guide to the expanded mooring fields. In past editions it was fairly accurate. You don't want to anchor at Cooper Island Beach Club. The holding is poor due to the sea grass.

I am not sure exactly what your asking as far as anchoring. The cruising guide gives a idea of suitable spots to overnight however anchoring conditions can very greatly moving just 100 feet. The best advise I can give is to snorkle any area you are not familiar with before anchoring. This will let you check bottom conditions and insure there are no coral heads ect..
I am assuming you understand proper scope and how to set the anchor.
G

The cruising guide is pretty good and we anchor whenever we can. There are threads out there that list preferred spots for anchoring.

I'll echo the captain for a day suggestion. We did this for our first charter out of CYOA. Capt. Daniel briefed us on all of the systems and was able to helpfully instruct my newbie lady with implicit authority. It definitely reduced her anxiety.

Cheers, RickG

I agree the cruising guide is a good resourse, but pay close attention to weather conditions and dive to check your set. I tend to wake up a couple times at night to check how we're holding. Plan for what ifs, we had all of our chain jump off the windlass once and thankfully the end held in the locker. It was nice having 2 knowledgable crew on board for that!

You can always look to see where others are anchored outside the mooring fields to get an idea of good spots. Also, make sure you put a snubber on you anchor chain, that way the chain cannot jump off the windlass. The windlass is not designed to hold while at anchor, just raise and lower the anchor.

Last month we were shut out of Cooper as all the balls were full. We'd never anchored before. Got out the guidebook to see what our options were. We went around Cistern Point to Haulover Bay. Dropped anchor 3 times before we felt comfortable we'd hold for the night. As you pull into the bay, left side toward the rock wall is good sand. That's where we ended up for the night. Good luck!

Your wife should take a basic ASA course before venturing out on your own. God forbid, what if something happened to you. What would your wife do?
As to anchoring, all the above suggestions are good, one thing not mentioned is once your set write down your coordinates. We keep our coordinates and a hand held GPS by the bed. Yes, it keeps it's fix.

We've ended up anchoring in Haulover when Cooper was full. If you go to the beach there and walk straight through, you'll come to "Trash Beach." You'll quickly see why it's called that <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

And get an app like "Drag Queen." I know you use it, too, Evan.

I couldn't find the old threads where we listed decent anchorages. Here's where we have anchored in the last year that worked out for us.
- Great Harbor, JVD
- Diamond Cay/B-Line, JVD
- Cane Garden Bay
- Anegada/Setting Point
- Leverick Bay, back of the mooring field
- Prickly Pear Island
- Trellis Bay

In the USVI
- Honeymoon Beach, Water Island
- Christmas Cove, Little St. James
- Coral Bay, St. John
- Hansen Bay, St. John

I use the Drag Queen iphone app, but I still wake a couple of times each night to check the anchor. I end up doing the same for a mooring anyways. We set the anchor at 2000rpm and dive the anchor or mooring

Cheers, RickG

who you calling a drag queen? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> Yes we have it, takes a little time to adjust for swing, but better the alarm goes off early then too late. We prefer a good set to poorly maintained mooring balls

One thing that should be mentioned. The anchor windless is a tool to lower and raise the anchor. It is not intended to support the load of the boat while anchored or be used to drag the boat up to the anchor when retrieving it. One the anchor is down and before setting the anchor a bridal if on a cat or a snubber if on a monohull needs to be attached to the anchor chgain to support the loads from the boat. The anchor chain from the snubber to the windless should be let out at that point so it is slack with no load.
In addition to releaving the load on the windless the snubber or bridal will provide some give and cushion jolts to the anchor helping insure it will stay set. You will also enjoy a quiet night without chain rattle as a side benefit.
George

We use a snubber, the chain jumped before the anchor touched bottom, never say never! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

I understand the basics of anchoring scope vs. depth, snubber etc. I guess I am asking are the suggested anchoring places in the Crusing Guide accurate enough to go by.

Ok folks, just searched "drag queen" in the App Store. Um.... Not exactly what I was looking for .....

I once anchored in 35 ft in CGB and payed out the chain only to find out it wasn't attached at the bitter end. There was only about 150 ft of unmarked chain, and you couldn't really see into the locker to gauge it's progress. Fun afternoon holding station with no anchor and free diving 35ft in cloudy water to find the chain.

We eventually grabbed a late-appearing mooring and got the chain next morning when the swell died so you could see more than 5 ft on the bottom.

Since then I always check to see that the chain's bitter end is secured, and the lengths are marked somehow so you know how much you are paying out.

Hey guys thanks for the tip about Drag Queen. Here all these years I thought AAAHHH..... Never Mind! One more stupid question (I've got a million of um) Will the Drag Queen app work without cell service or Wi-Fi??

For our first trip, we bought "Virgin Anchorages" along with the Cruising Guide (http://angelinacat.com/SALES.htm). It has great aerial views of many of the different spots to anchor in both USVI and BVI with detailed notes about the best places at each location.

Cell phones normally use AGPS (assisted GPS) which needs a cellular connection to work, that's how they work so quickly compared to traditional handheld GPS units. So, you likely need cell service in order to work Drag queen. Never used it myself, though. I'd be interested in hearing from actual users, too.

does not need a wifi connection

The dragqueen iphone app works without with no wifi or cell service. I like to walk up to the bow when we start putting out chain and mark the location of the anchor and then add offset from the location of the anchor. Its easy enough to test the app when you're out for a walk.

Something to consider is that gps apps eat battery. I keep my iphone plugged into a charging battery overnight.

Cheers, RickG

It works off the GPS in the phone.

Assisted GPS deals with helping the cellphone acquire satellites. It gives the phone a general position on where to look in the sky. Once the phone has a GPS lock there is no assist. If you can't get a wifi site the phone will still get a GPS lock however it may take a few minutes.
George

I think the short answer is yes.
There are MANY mooring balls in the customary anchorages now, and as the years go by I find myself being able to anchor less and less. We always dive the mooring to verify that it's in decent shape. If it's not, we move.

There's a few places you can still anchor, but I suspect these will be filled with mooring balls sooner or later.

Walt, you can anchor in most any anchorage, we do all the time. The exceptions being Soper and Cooper. We currently anchored in Simpson Bay, SXM

Evan - perhaps I give up too easily!
When I see a huge mooring field with not much room on the sides and only deep water behind it I usually just give up and grab a ball.

I do have a few favorite places to anchor that were still available last year. Anegada in front of Neptunes is one of them. Had 1-foot of water under the keel at low tide (this in a cat).

2 weeks ago, we were on a ball in Great Harbour, JVD, and went over to White Bay for a couple hours, intending to leave and go back to West End for the evening. When we got back from White Bay, there were a bunch of Spring Regatta boats anchored throughout the mooring field, and essentially surrounding us. They were all yelling at me as I maneuvered our 58-ft Cat out and then we watched as 2 of them almost hit each other racing to get our ball. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

If when I get to Cooper Island where is a back up place to anchor if all the balls are taken? I understand you can't anchor at Cooper because of the sea grass.

You can go around Cistern Point and anchor in Haulover Bay.

I second Haulover bay. We anchored there last month

South of the field in Haulover Bay

Thanks for the Haulover Bay tip I'll defiantly put that piece of information in the hard drive between my ears. Any other tips are always appreciated.

Haulover bay will hold maybe 5-6 boats, if memory serves.

That was my back-up spot a dozen years ago, and even it was filled.

Went to my back-up back-up spot, Carvel Bay just to the North, and couldn't get holding. Rocky. Plus the big hill there back-winds you.

My recommendation is to get to your anchorage before noon and totally avoid the stress of late-after "musical chairs."