Rodney Bay : Profile

Location

Rodney Bay is situated on the north west coast of Saint Lucia and is a popular holiday and yachting centre.

Note: There has been a recent spate of thefts of dinghies and outboards in the anchorage here, even when they have been locked. (March & July 2011).

Clearance

Tie up alongside the customs dock in the marina, which is marked by yellow posts, although this is not enforced, and boats usually dock wherever they can find a space.

Use of the ESeaClear system is recommended here. By completing all forms on-line in advance, it will enable you to "jump the line" at the Customs office and be in and out in a few minutes.

The captain must report immediately to the customs and immigration office inside the marina, open 08:00-12:00, 13:00-16:30 every day including Sunday, except Friday when it is open until 18:00.

The crew must not disembark until formalities have been completed. There is no docking charge if only coming to clear.

If a visa-on-arrival is required, then a taxi trip across the island to the airport is necessary.

The channel leading into Rodney Bay Marina has a maximum reported depth of 13 ft (4 m).

Last update December 2011.

Customs & Immigration Office
Tel:+1 758 452 0235
Opening Hours: Sat to Thurs 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Docking

Rodney Bay is the yachting centre of Saint Lucia. The bay is over a mile long with a man-made causeway at its Northern end that connects Pigeon Island to the mainland.

Within the bay is a large, completely protected inner lagoon, accessed via a narrow channel. This lagoon known as Rodney Bay Marina is dredged to 14ft in the main channel and at the main docks, so yachts with a very deep draft should proceed with caution.

Rodney Bay Marina is an official port of entry and also the ARC’s (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) Caribbean home. It has the island’s only boatyard for pleasure craft with haulout facilities for yachts up to 75 tons. The boatyard is part of the same organisation as the Marina with a range of workshops and repair services.

The marina was expanded and improved in 2008/9 and is "five star". Yachts are encouraged to contact Rodney Bay Marina on VHF prior to entering the channel, to get information on possible obstacles on the approach and to arrange for a slip.

Waterside Landings is a mini marina inside the lagoon with around 15 alongside and stern to berths (slips).

If you’re planning to anchor out at Reduit Beach, Gros Islet or Pigeon Point, the Marina is the most convenient port of entry into Saint Lucia. If anchoring here, as mentioned above, be sure to haul your dinghy and outboard out of the water and lock them to the boat at night. There is very limited or no anchoring possible in the lagoon.

Last updated July 2011.

Rodney Bay Marina & Boatyard
PO Box 1538, Castries, Saint Lucia, West Indies
Tel:+1 (758) 452-0095, Fax:+1 (758) 452-0185, VHF Channel 16, 68
Rodney Bay Marina & Boatyard Noonsite Page, www.igy-rodneybay.com, RBM@igymarinas.com
Full facility marina with 248 berths (slips) with around 20 superyacht berths. Within the Marina’s complex there are restaurants, boutiques, banks with ATM facilities, public telephones, internet cafe, a supermarket, a car rental agency, duty-free chandlery, hot showers and bathroom facilities.
The boatyard has a 50-ton travelift and extensive dry storage facilities and a wide range of repair services.