baugher's bay, tortola
I am always suprised that everyone wants to anchor over on the Fort Burt side of the harbor instead of off Baughers Bay! Baughers Bay is much better for anchoring in any type of weather except for wind and swells coming from the southwest. The big downside to here is the speed at which the Peter Island ferries go by at. It can get very uncomfortable for monohulls there. There is half a dozen or so mooring balls there that are privately owned by charter boats, but you can anchor just behind them in about 50 feet of water. Holding is good, being soft silt on the surface but three inches down it is hard packed sand. There is a reef there that is just where it starts getting shallower, up to about 25 feet. Anything shallower in this anchorage is going to be eel grass. Close to Baughers Bay Marina, there is a small dinghy dock there, and across the road a large free garbage bin. As well, the large metal mooring buoys are where the gas and propane ship hooks up when they deliver to the island once a month. Don't pick up the two bright yellow mooring buoys in this anchorage, as you will then be tied to the propane lines!.If you are blocking their access, you could be asked to shift. You can actually swim in the water there at most times. This is where the sister ship of the RMS Rhone, the RMS Conway landed ashore in the hurricane in 1867. For those who like to fish, this is a great spot at night. We have never been dissapointed here and in fact, have caught up to 9 baby sharks in one night. I think the fishing is good because it is not too far from the fish processing building. Easy to dinghy into Village Cay Marina and Moorings if you have a larger dinghy, or if it is very flat.
