Some SVI help (Biobay, etc.)

Couple of questions for anyone who has been to SVI and Vieques

1) We are hoping to visit Mosquito Bay on Vieques to see the bioluminescence. There seems to be surprisingly little info from cruisers who have also done so. I am curious if most anchor off Esperanza and use a tour group or try to anchor in Sun Bay and dinghy around on their own? I suppose one could anchor just outside of mosquito bay entrance but it looks like a relatively unprotected place to spend the night.

2) Is there any reliable place to fill up with water in Culebra? Look like very little in Vieques and not sure if I want to head all the way to Puerto Rico to get water.

3) Any advice on good diving locations in SVI?

Thanks in advance!

For the biobay, I suggest anchoring in Sun or off Esperanza and use a local operator. I do not believe dinghy's are allowed into the bay. Also, check the phase of the moon before you go as this will affect visibility.

There is/was a guy in Dewey last summer who would come out to your boat in his dinghy with plastic 5 gallon jugs full of water, lug them on deck, and siphon them into your tank. I do not remember his name or number but you may be able to get it from someone on shore. It was pricey at $1 per gallon, We took 40 gallons which was quite a load in his dinghy.

We did Mosquito Bay in April. It was something of a disappointment. We got a ball off Esperanza for a couple of nights. (Call Glenn Kranig 340-227-4288 or Christina 787-930-0831). Glenn is also a good source of advice re restaurants, dinghy tie-up, etc.


We used one of the tour services. They meet you with a van near the El Blok Hotel, drive you to the launch site, and take you out on two person kayaks in a group. Our guides were excellent. There were two problems: we were locked into a single date, with about a half moon, and the hurricane effect. Even with a half moon, it was very bright. And the guides explained that the bay had not yet recovered from the effects of the hurricanes 7 months earlier. The guides tried their best, by providing parachute cloth for covering in an attempt to block the moonlight. We could see a faint green glow, but nothing close to the luminescence seen in on-line photos and videos. In short, a worthwhile experience for $50, but not what we hoped for.

Several years ago, in ‘07 and ‘08, I overnighted in Puerto Ferro, just east of Mosquito Bay. The entrance is narrow but carries 7’ to 8’ minimum and is no problem with a chart plotter and good sunlight. We had the anchorage to ourselves and had great bioluminescence in ‘07, so-so in ‘08.

Also, here’s a link to a free cruising guide for PR and the SVI. I used his DR guide a few years back and it helped get Mike Kneafsey and I out of a couple of jams.
http://freecruisingguides.com/sites/default/files/puerto_rico_2.0_2015.10.22ad.pdf

Here's a report from May 2017. No bioluminescence in Puerto Feuro. Easting Puerto Rico - Blue Water

Appreciate all the help and happy to report that we were able to spend a very dark night in mosquito bay and the bioluminescence was excellent. I am trying to put together a trip report for those interested.

Glad to hear you had a good Mosquito Bay experience, and that the bay appears to have recovered a lot since we were there in April. Always interested in trip reports for the SVI, as few folks (relative to the BVI) make that a destination.