Welcome to Vieques Yacht Club!

Vieques Yacht Club is a non profit organization aimed to help boaters and cruisers coming to Vieques and Esperanza Bay on the South side specifically.  It was started by former cruisers Stuart and Natalya on Zig Zag who have settled in Vieques and opened Lazy Jacks, a waterside pub and pizzeria on Esperanza waterfront. 

ESPERANZA 

Esperanza is a cute little waterfront community and we highly recommend making it your stop.  Its got the highest concentration of food and drink establishments on the island, is home to the bio bay trip companies, and has two convenience stores (the Green Store and Colmado Lydia) as well as a mini hardware store (Gaymar).

APPROACH TO ESPERANZA

There is a sand bank sticking out of the Cayo Fuera (the unconnected island) towards the big pier, so we do not recommend passing from one side of the bay to another in a sailboat.  Many have tried and had to be pulled off. 

ANCHORING / MOORINGS

At one point Vieques Yacht Club had moorings (late 2009), but we could not get insurance for them, so we no longer offer them.  The holding in Esperanza bay is difficult, so make sure you take precautions anchoring.  There are only two sand spots, the rest being sea weed with clay underneath, so make sure your anchor is set.  All moorings you see in the bay are private and the only reason they may be unoccupied is if the owners are elsewhere fixing the boat or stowing it for hurricane season.  There is one DNR mooring left which we do not recommend using since they have not maintained them.  Some smaller mooring balls towards the shore are actually dinghy moorings with virtually nothing underneath, so please please please do not use those for big boats.

DINGHY PIER

There are two piers in Esperanza, one long and one short.  The shorter one is closer to the action.  The longer one is a longer walk which is fairly dark at night.  If you use the short pier, please use the inside portion of the little pier's West side, as the fishing boats use the windward side and the end.  In high tide we recommend using an anchor to hold the dinghy from going underneath the pier.  On the long pier, please use the inside section (the very last cleats towards shore) as the rest of it was built and is used by La Esperanza fishing boat that goes out every day.  Petty theft has been known to happen on both piers, usually happens on weekends when party population increases, so we recommend tying down your gas tank and engine with cable to the dinghy and not leaving anything of value in the dinghy.  These thefts are rare, so just take the same precautions as you would anywhere.  The big boat is generally safe (nothing has ever happened to ours and its been in the bay for 5 years).

You will likely meet Sharky while you are here, a local teenager who calls himself a Harbor Master, and speaks only some English.  Sharky is a nice kid and means well, though his manner of greeting is somewhat brusque and his English limited.  He will try to help you, but he may chase you off as well should you use the wrong dinghy pier side etc. that poses a problem for fishermen.  Make friends with him as he can be very helpful.

FACILITIES

Lazy Jacks offers laundry for cruisers at 5 dollars per load (check with barternders), as well as hot water shower boaters are welcome to (get key from bartender).  We have a book exchange in the plaza behind Lazy Jacks.  We can help with fresh water and ice needs within reason.  Lazy Jacks is where most of other boaters hang out so you can get relevant information you are seeking.

FUEL

There are no boating fuel facilities in Vieques or Esperanza, and publicos (local taxis) will not let you take a full gas tank inside the cars, so we recommend you plan on getting gas in St Thomas or whatever your next stop may be.  The fuel dock in Culebra is currently under construction as well.  

BIO BAY

We recommend getting one of the tour guides to take you on a kayak tour of the bio bay vs making your way there on a dinghy.  From Esperanza its too far and rough on your dinghy (unless you have a good one and its a calm night), and even from Sun Bay you have to go into open waters and clear the rocks in order to enter the Mosquito bay.  A lot of the year its far and rough and generally not worth it.  The bio bay itself however, is a jewel of nature, and must be visited on your trip to Vieques.

We are full time small business operators, and we will try to help you in any way we can, but the demands on our time are huge.  Please use Lazy Jacks bartenders as an information resource and a way to get in touch with us if necessary.

Email info@viequesyachtclub.com for more information.

Stuart and Natalya