Boats & watercraft

Boating rules:

There are two buoy lines at Magens: the inner to guide swimmers, and the outer for boats. Boats –and boat anchors –must stay outside the outer buoy line. According to The Cruising Guide of the Caribbean, "Anchoring permitted 100 feet to seaward of the boat buoys."

Very small boats can enter and leave for pickups and dropoffs at the northeast end of the beach within the dinghy access lane demarcated by three pairs of red & green buoys. Per The Cruising Guide of the Caribbean, "Dinghies may not be left on the beach but are allowed 15 mins for loading and unloading." Beach visitors who arrive by boat are expected to pay admissions ($2.00 for residents, $7.00 for non-residents) at the gate at the drive-in entrance. 

Magens Bay is designated by Coastal Zone Management as an Area of Particular Concern. It is also a known habitat for sea turtles, fish, marine mammals, and other wildlife. Sea turtles are especially vulnerable to boat strikes, as sea turtles must surface to breathe. To protect sea turtles, NOAA recommends not exceeding "no wake" speeds, which in the USVI means not exceeding 6 mph, which is the legal speed limit in restricted areas and designated anchoring & mooring areas. Additionally, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) recommends keeping boats at least 50 feet away from any visible turtles. The Virgin Islands National Park suggests installing a prop guard to prevent damage to turtles and other animals.

By USVI law, unless otherwise restricted, short-term anchoring is allowed for up to 14 cumulative days within a 6 month period in any one location. As Magens Bay is not a designated long-term anchoring or mooring area, boats may not stay longer than 14 days per 6 months (excepting some small local fishing boats which have been explicitly granted permission). The Cruising Guide of the Caribbean says that "Short term anchoring permits 5 days and 4 nights by DPNR permit. Transient moorings (14) are available at $30 in addition to Day-usage moorings." Anchoring should be done only in sand, as anchors can damage the seagrass beds that nourish turtles. Rafting is not permitted.

Dumping sewage or pollutants such as gas and oil in shoreline areas and territorial waters is prohibited by law and punishable by a $10,000 fine. Do not throw trash overboard, and take steps to ensure trash does not blow overboard. The trash cans at Magens Bay are intended for beach garbage only; boats must not dispose their trash at Magens, and should make arrangements for their own trash disposal.

Title 25 of the V.I. Code spells out regulations for navigation. In particular, Chapter 15 covers the operation of motorboats (any vessel, propelled at least partially by machinery) and Chapter 16 covers mooring & anchoring. Links to the V.I. Code are provided at the bottom of this page.