Kralendijk - Docking

Anchoring:

Anchoring is strictly forbidden as the whole island is a designated marine park.

Moorings:

There are 42 heavy-duty public yacht moorings in front of the town. These moorings are painted red and white and normally there are a few available on a  first, come - first served basis

Contact the Harbor Village Marina on VHF Channel 17 for mooring assignments before picking up a mooring. If arriving on a Sunday when offices are closed, find a suitable mooring and contact the marina office Monday morning to finalize. You will need to go there to pay the daily fee.

Note that if the wind goes SW these mooring can be quite rough. Also, if no moorings are available yachts must be prepared to berth at a marina until a mooring becomes available.

See Fees for mooring costs. Boats over 55ft cannot use the moorings and must proceed to a marina.

Marinas:

There are three good marinas: Harbour Village Marina - or the "Yachthaven" (approx. 15 feet deep with berthing for vessels up to 150ft and also has one slip for up to 240ft), Plaza Resort Marina (approx. 7.5 feet deep on a high tide, but often full) and the Nautico Bonaire Marina in the heart of town and most convenient for shopping (but can get rolly in winds from the south and untenable if from the west).

Although the North Pier has been extended so that smaller yachts can dock at the inside, it is not recommended that they do so as the surge caused by fast dive boats does not make it either comfortable or safe.

Dinghy Docks:

There are no public dinghy docks. The dock at Club Nautico allows dinghy dockage at $10 per week.

Some bars may also have docks for customers.

Budget Marine had a floating dinghy dock near the Yellow Sub dive shop (not confirmed if this is still available).

Security:

Thefts and attempted thefts continue to be reported from here. Be sure to secure your dinghy and everything in it including the outboard motor.  It is also advisable to haul your dinghy out of the water overnight and make sure it is securely locked.  Incidents continue to occur in with cruisers leaving their dinghies in the water and not locked.  They are easy targets for thieves who are able to cut lines and make off with the dinghy.  See CSSN for the latest reports or the Security section for Bonaire.

Last updated:  October 2024