Great Harbour, Peter Island

A deep and well-protected harbor, this area is also a popular commercial fishing spot and relatively quiet year-round. This is a great spot to duck into and spend the night after a lazy afternoon at neighboring Deadman’s Bay.

Approach:

Straightforward with excellent depth all around. The only hazard to watch for is the enormous oversized can (scuttled ship?) that marks the southeast corner of the marine park. This is centered or slightly east at the mouth of the harbor. Once inside, it’s best to stick near the shore to avoid tangling with any fishing boats or their gear.

Anchoring/Mooring:

You can move up into the far southeastern corner of the harbor for the best protection, anchoring in deepish water on a sloping bottom. Holding is generally good. As an alternative, you could pick up a mooring off the small encampment in the southwest corner. This area is more open to breeze, the fetch is just enough to develop a small chop if the wind is really hooting, but this is a pleasant, bug-free spot with great sunrise potential. We’ve never managed to pay for the mooring, because the restaurant/camp has been closed whenever we’ve been by… And now, many years later, you better check the condition of the mooring hardware before laying there overnight!

Ashore:

Not much, really. A good chunk of Peter Island is private, including the gorgeous, exclusive Peter Island Yacht Club just to the east of the harbor. They have a fine restaurant that may take you in if you radio in ahead of time. Mostly this is a great spot to cook yourself some grub, sit back, and watch the play of light at sunset over Tortola, and the lights peeking out as it gets darker.

Don’t Miss:

If you’re dressed properly, a short trail will give you access to the exclusive Peter Island Yacht Club, and fine dining experience. Good idea to radio/call ahead for reservations during high season. Be respectful of their property and members, of course.