Story and photos by Simon Scott and Bonnie Harrison
While geographically part of the Greater Antilles, the Virgin Islands are generally acknowledged as being associated with the Leeward Islands or Lesser Antilles, that stretch south in an arc to the island of Trinidad. The United States Virgin Islands is the adopted term for the group of islands that used to be known as the Danish West Indies until purchased by the United States in 1917 for $25 million. This island group includes the larger islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, along with numerous islets and keys that form, along with the British Virgin Islands to the east, the cruising area collectively known as the Virgin Islands.
From a cruising perspective, the jewel in the proverbial Virgins crown is the island of St. John, strategically located just four miles east of St. Thomas and less than a mile from the BVI.
St. John may be the smallest of the U.S. Virgin Islands but it packs a huge presence into its 19.6 square miles. With almost 60 percent of the island under the control of The National Park Service, the island has been able to retain its natural dignity without the commercial infrastructure and development associated with many islands throughout the Caribbean. Thanks to the vision, foresight and generosity of Laurance Rockefeller, the U.S. entrepreneur who started purchasing land on the island and then donated it to the National Park Service in 1956, nature’s scenic beauty, history and ecosystems both terrestrial and marine have been judiciously protected.
Historically we understand that the first Taino Indians (an Arawak sub-culture from Hispaniola) peacefully settled St. John around 1000. They established a way of life rooted in planting, fishing, ceramic pottery, toolmaking, and ceremonial objects that supported their spiritual development. Some of this work can still be seen in the form of petroglyphs around the island. By the time Columbus sailed by the island chain in 1493, St. John was reported to have been uninhabited.
From approximately 1500 AD, St. John was intermittently populated by pirates, fishermen, farmers and small groups of Native Americans fleeing persecution. This continued until the Danes settled St. Thomas in 1672 and later raised the Danish flag in the name of the Danish crown at Coral Bay, on the east end of the island, in 1718, an act that heralded the start of the plantation era and use of the labor of enslaved Africans. Forests were leveled, hillsides cleared and terraced, as prelude to planting sugar cane and cotton, and building numerous sugar mills throughout the island. Plantation life continued until 1867 when a series of cholera outbreaks, followed by a devastating hurricane and subsequent tsunami, damaged crops and infrastructure. This natural disaster, combined with economic factors including the emancipation of the slaves, effectively brought to an end the plantation era.
St. John is accessible by ferry or private/charter vessel. The gateway city of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, enjoys numerous direct flights, including frequent commuter flights, from the US mainland daily. San Juan, Puerto Rico is another nearby hub for both US and European travelers. The ferry system allows easy movement between islands with hourly service between Red Hook at the east end of St. Thomas and Cruz Bay, St. John. Thanks in part to administrative interventions by the British, along with the island’s Danish colonial past, vehicular traffic drives on the left. While interesting for an American destination, it should be noted that the cars are left hand drive, the combination making for interesting exploration on narrow island roads.
For visiting yachtsmen the port of entry is Cruz Bay. When a private vessel under 300 tons arrives from a foreign port (this includes BVI), all crew and passengers are required to present themselves at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Vessels with drafts up to seven feet can anchor in the creek at Cruz Bay for a 90-minute stay to complete clearance protocols. Laying the vessel alongside the Customs dock is not recommended, as this will incur port fees.
Once clearance has been completed a visit to the National Park Service building is recommended. Here you can obtain excellent information about the park, mooring restrictions, and facilities. While you are there, pick up a copy of the hiking guide, which will show the numerous trails and hiking paths within the National Park system. If you have a crew member over the age of 62, they can sign up for a $20 annual senior pass, which provides a 50 percent discount on overnight mooring fees within the park — lowering the rate to $13 per night, saving you money if you plan to spend more than one night. While there are no overnight marinas, vessels can anchor at designated mooring sites, including one just north of Cruz Bay for easy dinghy access to shore. This is the only designated anchorage in the park aside from the large vessel area at Francis Bay.
Cruising around St. John takes you on a series of short sails from the entry port of Cruz Bay, around the west and north coast bays including Trunk Bay, where you will find a 650-foot marked snorkel trail. The coastline reveals an endless stream of picturesque bays that remain pristine and idyllic, with steep green wooded hillsides cascading down to the water’s edge, but subject to ground seas from the north during the winter months. Further to the east is Leinster Bay and Water Lemon Cay, a delightful spot to swim and snorkel. Leinster Bay is also home to the ruins of the Annaberg Plantation, overlooking the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Open daily, the site offers an insight into the island’s history during the plantation era, with demonstrations of subsistence gardening and the baking of “dumb bread” (a USVI treat, made without yeast, often enriched with coconut and baked over coals).
Sailing east, up the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and rounding the eastern most point, you will enter Coral Bay and the anchorages of Long Bay and Hansen Bay, the site of the sunken wreck of HMS Santa Monica, which sank after striking a submerged rock off of Norman Island in 1782. These anchorages are just outside of the National Park (NPS) so anchoring is permitted.
Farther into the bay and within the NPS is Hurricane Hole, with its maze of mangrove-lined bays for daytime exploration.
Coral Harbor, historically the center of plantation life in the 18th century, still bustles with the sailors who anchor in the bay and the locals who gather at the nearby watering hole for a libation or two. Lime-Out is a floating taco bar just inside the harbor entrance, where guests are served in the water, on a bar just above water level. Coral Harbor is home to some wonderful, eccentric and dedicated cruising sorts who consider it more of a haven from tourists than a destination.
The south coast bays lie within the NPS and provide delightful anchorages that are less frequented by visiting yachtsmen. There are several hiking trails from the area, including the Ram’s Head Trail, Drunk Bay Trail and Salt Pond Trail. Farther along the south shore is Reef Bay, a daytime anchorage (mooring only) that reveals the ruins of The Reef Bay Mill where some of the original machinery is still in evidence. A 2.3-mile hike up the hill toward the Great House will be rewarded with a view of the waterfall and spring fed pool, the site of the petroglyphs that date back to about 1000 AD when the first Taino settlers arrived on the island.
Further info can be found in our Complete Guide to Visiting St. John
For more information on the Virgin Islands and the sailing areas of the Caribbean pick up a copy of the latest 2026 edition of the Cruising Guide series, or download the CruisingGuide app on both the Apple and Google stores, or visit us at www.cruisingguides.com.
US Virgin Islands Entry and Exit Procedures
Ports of Entry:
There is one port of entry on each of the three main USVI islands: Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Cruz Bay, St. John; Christiansted, St. Croix.
Advance Paperwork:
Download the latest version of the CBP ROAM App (Customs & Border Patrol, Reporting Offsite Arrival Mobile) and preload vessel and crew information.
All nationalities, other than citizens of the USA, Canada, or Bermuda, arriving by private yacht need a valid US visa or visa waiver entry in their passport prior to arrival. See USVI Immigration details on Noonsite for more. www.noonsite.com/place/us-virgin-islands/view/immigration
Entry Process:
Complete clearance via the CBP ROAM App by submitting vessel and crew information, declaring arrival, and answering clearance questions. CBP may request a video interview (via the App), request crew report in-person to a port of entry, or may clear vessels and crew in with no further action required.
Exit Process:
Visit the USVI CBP offices if your next port requires exit clearance papers (zarpe). No zarpe is needed to visit Puerto Rico/Spanish Virgin Islands, the USA or the BVI.
Rates:
There are no fees for entering or exiting the USVI.
Visit USVI Clearance www.noonsite.com/place/us-virgin-islands/view/clearance for full details and the latest updates. This information is provided by noonsite.com, specialists in worldwide formalities information for the pleasure yacht community for over 25 years , and was accurate at press time.
