Regulate Yacht Traffic in White Bay
Commentator Claude Skelton Cline is urging the government to introduce controls on yacht traffic in White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, after observing vessels anchoring close to shore and disturbing the seabed. He says designated anchoring areas, moorings and enforcement would improve safety, protect the bay’s environment and support local businesses.
Commentator Claude Skelton Cline has renewed calls for immediate regulation of yacht traffic in White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, saying the current lack of controls threatens swimmer safety, the bay’s nearshore environment and the visitor experience that supports local businesses. Speaking on his Honestly Speaking radio programme, Skelton Cline described seeing a catamaran anchored very close to the beach and struggling to retrieve its anchor, which stirred up sand and disturbed the bay’s seabed. “You have a situation over there.
These people just anchor all across the bay. No specialised place, no demarked place, no moorings in which to speak of, no buoys,” he said. Concerns about anchoring practices and congestion in White Bay are not new. Skelton Cline said residents and business owners on Jost Van Dyke have repeatedly raised the issue, asking for measures that would both protect the environment and facilitate tourism trade. “It would facilitate business,” he said, adding that the problem should no longer be ignored by government and the territory’s Second District representative.
He also warned about the growing number of vessels competing for limited space. “People came right up on the bay. There are more boats on the bay, and minimal places for swimmers. All you can do is wade in the water,” he noted, highlighting the potential for accidents and a declining visitor experience.
White Bay is one of the British Virgin Islands’ best-known attractions, regularly drawing charter yachts, private vessels and day visitors. As boat numbers grow, residents and tour operators have from time to time raised concerns about congestion, anchoring damage and swimmer safety.
Skelton Cline and others say practical steps could include establishing designated anchoring zones, installing permanent moorings and buoys, clearer demarcation for swimmer areas, and stronger enforcement of existing rules. Education for captains and operators about responsible anchoring and the local marine environment would also be important.
Local stakeholders say regulation should strike a balance: protecting the natural features that draw visitors to White Bay while ensuring that businesses dependent on tourism are not harmed. Skelton Cline urged officials to act, warning that normalising the current situation will neither preserve the bay nor sustain the visitor economy.
The call adds to ongoing conversations about how best to manage popular marine sites across the territory and where responsibility for planning and enforcement should lie among relevant government agencies and local representatives.
Primary source: BVI News