MARINA & ANCHORAGES
he IGY Rodney Bay Marina was developed in the north of the island from the dredging of an old lagoon and the creation of the main center of St. Lucia Tourism. Recently purchased and completely rebuilt by Island Global Yachting, the marina provides 253 slips and a 4.5-acre boatyard, as well as excellent accommodations for mega yachts up to 285 feet with drafts of up to 15 feet—all in a well-protected, hurricanesafe haven. Onshore, the world-class property offers an excellent recreational area, with a swimming pool as well as outstanding retail, restaurant and entertainment options. It is also the perfect finishing line for the famous Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), a grueling 2,700-nautical mile voyage undertaken by more than 230 yachtsmen each year. ARC begins in Spain’s Canary Islands, and for nearly 20 years it has ended at the IGY Rodney Bay Marina. The boatyard facility accommodates up to 120 boats, with on-site workshops for wood, fiberglass, aluminum, stainless steel and bronze. Duty-free fuel is available for outgoing boats, and there is a well-equipped duty-free chandlery on site. The ensemble of great beaches, nearby restaurants and enticing shopping malls are added incentives to stop in beautiful St. Lucia’s IGY Rodney Bay Marina. Nestled into the rainforest that so beautifully envelops the scenic west coast of St. Lucia, you will find the most enchanting and intimate yachting destination in the Caribbean—the internationally renowned Marina at Marigot Bay. Marigot Bay is a tropical gem steeped in history and culture. It is one of the few truly authentic local harbors left in the Caribbean. Marigot Bay’s innate beauty and laid-back calm belies its colourful past: it was the film location for the original Doctor Dolittle with Rex Harrison in 1967, Fire Power with Sophia Loren, and Water with Michael Caine. It was also the scene of the legendary 18th century battle in which the English ambushed the French by hiding in the bay. Today, for yacht owners, captains and crew, it’s a boating paradise, with deep, calm waters and tranquility unmatched in the region. The uniquely shaped bay offers a natural “hurricane hole,” providing hurricane-safe berthing. Marigot Bay lies 3.4 miles to the southsouthwest of Castries and is approached through a buoyed entrance channel (160 feet wide, from the entrance waypoint at 13 Marigot Bay degrees 58.1 minutes North, 61 degrees 01.8 minutes West). Everything about Marigot
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Bay is invitingly relaxed and informal—a real “home from home.” Deeper than most other Caribbean marinas, with some 700 feet (218 meters) of stern to dock, the marina is able to accommodate 40 yachts, from 30 feet to 250 feet LOA with a maximum draft of 20 feet (6 meters). Soufriere, home of the famous Pitons and the island’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also an official port of entry. Anchorages can be found at Anse Chastanet, just north of Soufriere Bay, off the Hummingbird Beach resort north of the town, and on mooring balls off the town Malgretoute, and, most spectacularly, between the Pitons. The whole area is administered by the Soufriere Marine Management Authority (SMMA), whose marine rangers can advise on anchoring and mooring throughout the marine park, which is administered and zoned for the benefit of all marine users, yachts, fishers and divers alike. Soufriere is also the home of the island’s two main yacht services agents, Ben’s Yacht Services and Harmony Yacht Serv ices, who can arrange on-board Customs and Immigration clearance, mooring reservations and other services. Scattered down the west coast between Rodney Bay and the Pitons are a wealth of small sandy bays and anchorages, many with small fishing villages to welcome visiting yachts. Most of these lie within the marine park, so the Soufriere Marine Management Area issues coral conservation permits to all vessels anchoring or mooring within the management area and can advise on the exact arrangements for each bay. The cost depends on the vessel size and length of stay.
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Captain’s Guide MEGA YACHTS 2013
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