St. Lucia Base Guide

Cruising Grounds

Experience Level
A formal sailing license is not mandatory to charter here. A completed Sailing or Power resume is required to ensure you have the necessary experience required to charter yourself.

Cruising Area
This information will be covered in the chart briefing. Download The Moorings St. Lucia cruising e-guide here.

Cruising Area Restrictions 
In St. Lucia, anchoring is strictly forbidden in Soufriere in the area managed by the Soufriere Marine Management Area, but they do supply moorings.

Charterers can choose to explore the island and its anchorages on the western coast, head south to the Grenadines, or head north to Martinique and Dominica.

It is strictly forbidden to sail alone, we require two persons minimum on board.

Charts & Pilot Books
All the charts and pilot books you will need for the sailing area are issued at your chart briefing.

Cruising Guides

Download The Moorings' Cruising Guide for St. Lucia.

Download Doyle Guide's Cruising Guide for The Windward Islands.

Nighttime Sailing 
You must be moored at least one hour before sunset. Night Sailing is not allowed without permission from the base manager. The decision to allow night sailing is based on your skill level and can be requested in advance. You will need to fill out the Sailing or Power resume for the base to review but we cannot guarantee approval.

Cruising Permits & Taxes
There is no formal cruising tax for the windward regions. However, clients must clear customs as they pass through each country and, generally fees are associated with the clearing process.

Skippered Charters
There are several different countries represented within the cruising grounds of the Windward Islands and each of them require customs/immigration clearance upon arrival and departure. Fees vary based on the country, yacht, number of passengers, itinerary etc. All charters with a skipper are encouraged to provide the skipper with an initial $500 at the beginning their charter. This money will be used to cover costs for customs fees as well as mooring ball fees for the duration of the charter. The total amount needed may be less or it may be more.  At the end of the charter the skipper will return any remaining funds along with receipts for all money spent.  ATMs are limited in the cruising grounds so it’s important to plan ahead for these fees. Customs cost when sailing to Martinique is approximately $40 USD per boat to depart St. Lucia and $25 USD to clear back into St. Lucia - approximate total of $65 USD.

Moorings Fees & Taxes
There is no formal cruising tax for the windward regions as the BVI. However, you must clear customs as you pass through each country and, generally, there are fees associated with the clearing process.

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Provisioning

The Moorings Provisioning
Online Provisioning is available. Provisioning must be ordered 1 day prior to the start date of the charter for this destination

Visit our Provisioning Page to learn more about delivery direct to your yacht.

Supermarkets
Glass Mini Mart is located just next to our reception and the Massy SuperMarket is a short 3 minute taxi from the base.

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Water Toys & Sports

For your convenience, you can add water toys to your charter prior to arrival at the base. They will be waiting on your boat upon arrival. You are able to rent these at the base; please keep in mind that we have limited availability. For more information, please view our Water Sports Options.

Scuba Diving 
Scuba diving packages are available through Scuba Steves which is close to The Moorings Base.

Snorkeling 
The Moorings provides snorkeling gear (flippers, masks & snorkels) for all charters for your pleasure. Children's sizes are very limited; you may wish to pack your own snorkeling gear.

Fishing
No fishing license is required. Fishing equipment can be rented through The Moorings base at $20 USD per day.

Deep Sea Fishing
A number of boat charter operations on the island offer whole and half-day deep sea fishing excursions. Seasonal catches include mackerel, king mackerel, white marlin, barracuda, kingfish and sailfish.

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