Explore: Vieux Fort
General Info
Vieux Fort is located at the extreme southern end of the island by the international airport.
Security:
Daytime break-ins have been reported from this port for over a decade and continue to be reported (see adjacent). In the past, armed boarders attacked a cruising couple who were anchored overnight, resulting in the death of the British skipper.
It is advisable to avoid using this port.
If you have to come here (and many yachts still do to collect or drop off crew for the airport), be sure to leave people on board at all times, conceal anything of value out of sight, lock everything and do not spend the night.
Position: 13°43.28′N, 60°57.37′W (harbour entrance)
Clearance
This is an official Port of Entry.
See St Lucia/Clearance for the details.
The Customs officers can be found down by the container terminal. While Immigration officers can often only be found at the airport. Clearance may be completed during office hours on weekdays only; at weekends it is necessary to clear at Hewannora Airport.
Clearance here often involves delays and may well require a wait overnight. This is not a safe port for overnighting following the death of a British cruiser in January 2014 who was trying to defend his wife from armed borders. See report.
This port is best avoided. Use Soufriere instead.
Last updated: October 2015.
Docking
Anchoring
Vieux Fort has anchorages off the town’s commercial ship dock, or beside the Fisheries Complex.
Yachts can also anchor in the newly built “small craft port”, some two cable lengths NW of the commercial dock, behind a massive wave breaker. While landing the dinghy has always been the biggest difficulty, this little harbor has solved the problem.
The port is protected by security and is only one minute walking distance from the center of the town.
There is also an anchorage in the SE corner of the bay.
Last updated: June 2018
