Caribbean Sea. Sailing & Cruising Information. Anguilla

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Anguilla is the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. Its territory includes nearby Scrub, Seal, Dog and Sombrero islands and Prickly Pear Cays. Saint Martin lies five miles to the south and St. Kitts about 60 miles to the southeast. The combined land area is about 91 sq. km. Anguilla is a relatively flat, coral and limestone island covered with sparse, dry woodlands and fringed by white sand beaches. The highest elevation is about 65 meters.
Capital: The Valley. Official Language: English. Population: 11,147
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$). Exchange Rate: U.S. $1.00 = EC$ 2.70 
Time Zone: EST - 1; GMT -4
 

Anguilla (18°13'N., 63°03'W.) is the N of the Leeward Islands positioned 30 miles SE of Sombrero Island. Anguilla is low and flat in appearance.
Road Bay, on the NW side of the island, is a port of entry. The island should only be approached in daylight; because of its low elevation it is hard to identify at night.
A light is displayed from Snake Point, at the NE tip of the island.
 Depths less than charted have been reported in the area of the island, therefore, vessels with drafts greater than 12m are advised to keep outside the 100m curve where possible.

Dog Island (18°17'N., 63°15'W.) is covered with brushwood and grass, and lies about 8 miles NW of the SW extremity of Anguilla. Its SE side is steep-to except for Bay Rock, about 0.2 mile off the S side. Landing can be made abreast this rock.
A number of cays lie off the coast of Dog Island and can best be seen on the chart. Dog Island Channel, lies between Dog Island and Prickly Pear Cays.
The fairway has a width of 2 miles with depths of 13.1 to 19.5m. Vessels should pass W of Dog Island unless the sea in the channel is calm. Flirt Rocks, two in number, lie close together N of Prickly Pear Cays.
Prickly Pear Cays (18°15'N., 63°10'W.) are two islets separated by a narrow boat passage. Both islets are covered in brush, the W cay being longer and narrower than the E cay. A small rock, 2m high, called North Cay lies N of the E cay.

 Seal Island Reefs (18°17'N., 63°06'W.) extend about 5.5 miles E from Flirt Rocks. The E end of the reefs form the NW side of Northern Channel which leads into Crocus Bay. The reefs are dangerous to approach at night from the N as the bottom does not shelve sufficiently to indicate its proximity, there being depths of 25 to 29m close to the edge of the reef and also within 4 miles to the N of the reef.
 Seal Island (18°16'N., 63°09'W.) lies on the S side of Seal Island Reefs, 1.5 miles E of the reefs W extremity. 8.16 A small group of rocks lie 0.3 mile W of Seal Island. North Wager is a small dark rock lying about 0.7 mile SSW of the W end of Seal Island.

  Scrub Island (18°17'N., 62°57'W.) lies off the NE end of Anguilla and is separated from it by a narrow passage with a depth of 11m in the fairway. The island is covered with brushwood and stunted trees. 8.17 The sea breaks heavily on steep-to rocks which extend 0.5 mile from the E end of Scrub Island. The island is a hillock of white rock, which is very distinct when the sun is shining on it. Landing is possible on the beach on the SW side of the island. A stranded wreck is located near Graften’s Point at the E end of the island. 8.17 Little Scrub Islet is black and precipitous, and lies off the NW side of Scrub Island.

 

Middle Bank (18°15'N., 63°05'W.) a narrow ledge in Northern Channel, has a least depth of 6.6m. The bottom of the bank is distinctly visible and heavy seas frequently break on it in winter. Dowling Shoal, lies about 2.5 miles W of Crocus Bay. The shoal and Sandy Island at the NE end of the shoal are incorporated into a Marine Sanctuary as best seen on the chart. A patch of the shoal is awash on its NW edge.
The shores of Crocus Bay (18°13'N., 63°05'W.) are steep-to and heavily wooded. On the NE and S sides of the bay there are high white cliffs which stand out clearly.
At the head of the bay there is a sandy beach from which a broad road, clearly visible from the W, leads to the principal settlement of the island. In the settlement there is a conspicuous high tree which, with the road, enables Crocus Bay to be identified from seaward. A Marine Sanctuary, best seen on the chart, has been established in the N half of the bay.
 

  Road Bay lies S of a heavily wooded peninsula 2 miles SW of Flat Cap Point. At the head of the bay is sandy beach, behind which is the small village of Sandy Ground. There is a church, with a white roof and small darker spire, in South Hill village on the hill behind the S end of the bay.
Road Ground, with a depth of 4.8m, lies 0.3 mile off the S entrance point of Road Bay. Road Point Light is obscured over Road Ground. The light is difficult to identify in daylight due to the surrounding vegetation.
Apart from this shoal, depths of 5m or more can be carried into the bay until Road Point bears 013°, when depths shoal gradually towards the beach. The deepest water is at the S end of the bay. A stranded wreck is found in the SE part of the bay.
Road Bay is the main port of the island. Several trading schooners will usually be found at anchor up to 0.2 mile offshore. Ships entering the bay at night are cautioned that these schooners do not normally exhibit lights.
It has been reported that heavy, floating, but partly-submerged unmarked objects have been encountered in the vicinity of these schooners. It is advisable to navigate with caution in Road Bay with a good lookout in the bows.
Anchorage.—Good anchorage, undisturbed by rollers, can be obtained, in depths from 15 to 25m, sand, anywhere between Prickly Pear Cays and Crocus Bay, S of the parallel of North Wager.
 Good anchorage can be obtained in the approach to Road Bay, in a depth of 16.8m, sand, good holding ground, about 0.5 mile W of Road Point. With a NE wind a moderate ground swell is sometimes experienced in this anchorage. 8.17 A vessel should approach from W with Flat Cap Point ahead, bearing 093°, which course leads 1 mile N of Dowling Shoal. When Road Point bears 157°, the vessel should steer 170°, anchoring when the church bears 118° and Flat Cap Point bears 047°.
Small vessels can obtain good anchorage in Road Bay according to draft. A vessel found comfortable anchorage, in a depth of 6m, about 0.2 mile SW of Road Point.
  Caution.—Rapid coral growth in the area N of Road Bay and Crocus Bay was reported. New coral heads have been discovered within 0.2 mile of the S edge of Seal Island Reefs. Vessels are advised to navigate with extreme caution in the area.

Anguillita Island lies close off the SW end of Anguilla. A light is shown from the NW tip of the island.

Anguilla Channel (18°09'N., 63°05'W.) leads between Anguilla and Saint Martin with fairway depths of 18.2m and deeper. The channel is free of charted dangers, however, this is based on a mid nineteenth century vintage lead line survey and isolated shoal areas may exist in the passage.
The SE coast of Anguilla is fronted by a steep-to coral reef, which extends up to 0.2 mile offshore in places. Rendezvous Bay offers shelter to small vessels with local knowledge.
An oil terminal has been established in Corito Bay (18°10.4'N., 63°03.2'W.). Four oil tanks have been established on shore and a submarine pipeline extends 244m SSE from the shore.
The seaward end of the pipeline is marked by a floating pontoon and three mooring buoys are situated 122m farther S

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