Roatan (Coxen Hole) - Docking
Anchorages and Mooring around Roatan
Anchoring in Coxen Hole is not recommended.
French Cay Harbour and West End are the two favourite anchorages for cruisers on Roatan. There are a number of marinas in both places and around the Island. Facilities in these harbours are improving and there are good marine supply stores available.
Brick Bay Marina is 4 miles East of Coxen Hole.
Cruising the eastern end of Roatan should be done with care and avoided during the low-season when the crime rate increases. The same applies when exploring ashore. Use extreme caution when off the main path, especially when in a highly noticeable rental car.
West End
West End is a small town and West Bay is the beach. Anchoring is no longer permitted here.
There are 20+ mooring buoys available. The moorings consist of two 6ft sandscrews connected with 1/2 inch heavy duty chain. Cruisers are advised to always check the tackle and use adequate line when tying up. For extra safety some cruisers use an additional line which connects directly to the screws.
Cruisers using the mooring buoys are asked to register at the RMP (Marine Park) office in Half Moon Bay and pay the mooring fee. The shop is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 – 17:00. Moorings cost US$10 a day, $50 a week or $150 a month. There is a mandatory mooring fee for moorings, payable daily, weekly or monthly. This is non-negotiable and funds go towards continually improving Roatan’s marine infrastructure and funding community projects. To simplify payment you can either use Paypal or pay the Park Ranger when mooring.
In Gibson Bight, West End, there is a marina.
West End/West Bay is badly exposed to northwest and north winds. Most local vessels move to the south side of the island if strong northerly winds are forecast.
Anchoring on the reef at Sandy Bay, West End Marine Park, within Half Moon Bay and West Bay, is prohibited. National Park mooring buoys are provided in these bays.
Roatan Marine Park Regulations can be read here.
French Cay Harbour
French Cay Harbour is a large, very well protected anchorage with good holding. There are 3 marinas: Brooksy Point Yacht Club, Fantasy Island Resort & Marina (see photograph left courtesy of Fantasy Island) and the Roatan Yacht Club and Dive Center.
Approach: Entry to French Cay Harbour waypoints.
Line up the entrance at 16.20.86/86.27.02 with the Blue Roof. Proceed past the starboard marker to 16.21.17/86.26.97, turn starboard to 16.231.16/86.26.79, paralleling the reef. This will keep you clear of the (sometimes) marked shoal to Port. Once past, the way is clear to the Marinas & anchorage, in no less than approx. 13’ of water.
Almost everything needed by cruising sailors is available within the French Cay Harbour area, including the best provisioning on the island, banks, hardware & marine supplies, doctors/dentist, a variety of dining options and a wealth of marine services. Access is via 2 dinghy docks, bus or “collective” taxi. Almost all goods and services needed are within a 15-minute walk of either dinghy dock.
The dinghy dock commonly referred to as the ‘Shrimp Dock’, is private property. The owner ‘Mr. Bobby’, has generously granted its use to cruisers. Your co-operation to maintain the shrimp dock as an access point is required by following basic guidelines – do not take water from the dock, do not dispose of garbage, and do not wander around the property. Please be courteous to all whom you meet. If there is someone on the dock, ASK for permission before you tie-up. Finally, the gates are locked and the dogs released at 4 pm, so be aware, and beware!
Another dinghy dock is at the Roatan Yacht Club and Dive Center (see photo above) which is now fully open and free. The security guard there will watch your dinghy.
Fantasy Island marina also can be used for a dinghy for a small daily rate. Trash can be dropped off here.
Notes:
- The whole harbour is a marine reserve and taking ANY marine life is prohibited.
- It is easy to take a taxi or bus from French Harbour to Coxen Hole to check-in.
Restrictions
For full details on restrictions for yachts and marine activities in the area see Restrictions.
Roatan Marine Parks
In all designated marine parks no one must touch the coral or remove anything from the sea including endangered species such as conch and lobster. Dive buoys (white with a black RMP logo) and fishing moorings (black fishes) cannot be used by yachts. No sewage is to be released into the sea within five miles of any Honduran coast. Failure to observe regulations may result in a jail sentence or vessel being impounded. Spearfishing is prohibited to tourists in ALL areas of Roatan. There is virtually no enforcement capability.
The latest Marine Park regulations can be found at the Roatan Marine Park website.
Security
Cruising the eastern end of Roatan should be done with care and avoided during the low-season when the crime rate increases. The same applies when exploring ashore. Use extreme caution when off the main path, especially when in a highly noticeable rental car.
Burglaries and dinghy and outboard theft continue to be reported here. Remember, if you don’t lock it you will probably lose it! However, sometimes even that is not enough. You may need to take extra security measures to ensure you do not lose your dinghy – particularly at night.
It is also advisable to securely lock hatches and items onboard, if going ashore for any length of time, day or night. In March 2023, thieves targetted three yachts in one night in the West End anchorage, stealing two dinghies before being scared off by the occupants of the third yacht. In April 2023, two masked and armed men boarded a yacht that was the only one anchored in Coxen Hole, assaulted the crew and stole a number of items.
See Roatan Security Reports for the latest information.
Last updated: May 2024
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Related to following destinations: Bay Islands, Honduras, Roatan (Coxen Hole)
Port Navigation
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This comment was posted on the main Honduras page:
Extortion from immigration officer Coxen Hole. We arrived from Rio Dulce and attempted to clear in at Coxen Hole. The immigration officer would only give us 12 days unless we paid a $200 bribe.
We arrived in Guatemala on November 20 and had never extended immigration there. According to Raul the agent in Livingston, we should have not had any issues here in Roatan. I recommend using an agent or a contact like Pete, the dockmaster at Fantasy Island. Based on our experience, I would not go it alone. Regretfully, we paid.
The first bribe in any of the 27 countries we’ve cleared into in 4 years. According to local cruisers, this extortion is common but not exercised by all immigration officials. We complained to the Port Captain but he said that he could/would not do anything about this.
Information from Women Who Sail Facebook Group:
We have 6 brand new moorings ready for you here at Mango Creek Lodge in Port Royal on the island of Roatan, Honduras.
They are only $10/night. We have free water and Wifi. Contact us for more info: info@mangocreeklodge.com and ask for DD or Doc.