Best anchorages and harbours in United States

Gasparilla Marina

Deep-water marina in Placida on the Intracoastal Waterway, a few minutes from Boca Grande Pass into the Gulf.

Lettuce Lake

Free anchorage off the Intracoastal Waterway at Pompano Beach, Florida, set well back from the channel.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE

Little Bayou

Enclosed anchorage on Pentwater Lake at Pentwater, off the Lake Michigan shore.

• Sheltered NW, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE

Santa Barbara anchorage (Seasonal)

Seasonal open-roadstead anchorage off Santa Barbara on the southern California coast, on a sand bottom.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

First Sassafras Bend

Anchorage on the first bend of the Sassafras River above its mouth, upper Chesapeake Bay, with the marinas of Georgetown to the east.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

Fortman Marina

497 berth marina in a man made rectangular basin on the Alameda side of the Oakland Estuary, opposite Coast Guard Island.

Harbor Point

Anchorage on the Mansfield Peninsula in Lynn Canal, Southeast Alaska, with a mud and weed bottom.

• Sheltered NW, E, S, SE

Robbie's of Key West Marina

Full-service marina on Shrimp Road, Stock Island, near Key West, Florida, with deep-water access on the Atlantic side.

Safe Harbor Ventura Isle

Largest marina in Ventura Harbor, with 580 berths for vessels from 25 to 95 ft, on the east side of the harbour basin.

Coecles Harbor anchorage

Anchorage inside Coecles Harbor on Shelter Island, at the eastern end of New York's Peconic Bays, on a sand bottom.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, W, NW

Arrecife Margarita

Anchorage on sand by the Margarita reef, 4.7 NM south-west of La Parguera, off the south-west coast of Puerto Rico.

• Sheltered NE, E, SW, S, SE

Emeryville Marina

Public marina on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, on the Emeryville Peninsula at 3310 Powell Street in California.

Indian Key Anchorage

Anchorage off Indian Key, an 11-acre historic island in the Florida Keys near Islamorada, lying just inside the Hawk Channel passage south-east of U.S. 1.

• Free
• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Isla Palominos

Mooring field off Isla Palominos, a private island in La Cordillera chain 3.5 NM east of Fajardo, leased to the El Conquistador resort.

• Free
• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Spencer Spit

Anchorage off Spencer Spit State Park on the eastern shore of Lopez Island, San Juan Islands, Washington, overlooking Lopez Sound.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, W, E, SW, S, SE

Windmill

Anchorage in the cove behind Windmill Point on the Ware River, Mobjack Bay, Virginia, on a mud bottom.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, SW, S, SE

Edgartown Mooring field

Town mooring field in Edgartown harbour on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, on a sand bottom with good holding.

• Sheltered NW, NE, W, E, SW, SE

Carrucho

Anchorage 0.7 NM south of Marina de Salinas, in the outer part of Bahía de Salinas on the south coast of Puerto Rico.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Fishers Island Yacht Club

Members' yacht club on the north side of Fishers Island in West Harbor, at the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound. Two miles off the Connecticut coast opposite Stonington.

Mansion Marina

Full-service marina with a fuel berth on Great Kills Harbour, Staten Island, New York.

Charleston Harbor Marina

Marina of 459 berths at Patriots Point in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina, on the north side of Charleston Harbor opposite the historic peninsula.

Cinnamon Bay

Bay on the north shore of St. John within Virgin Islands National Park, with a long sand beach and the park's Cinnamon Bay campground behind it.

• Paid
• Sheltered E, SW, S, SE

Maho Bay

Bay on the north shore of St. John within Virgin Islands National Park, next to Francis Bay, with its beach along the North Shore Road.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, NE, E, S, SE

McCotters Marina & Boatyard

Full-service marina and boatyard on the western shore of Broad Creek, off the north side of the Pamlico River, about 8 miles east of Washington, North Carolina.

Abel Marina

Mooring field off the Henry R. Abel boatyard at the head of Somes Sound, Mount Desert Island, Maine.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Copamarina Beach

Anchorage off the beach of the Copamarina resort at Caña Gorda, Guánica, on the south-west coast of Puerto Rico, 0.5 NM from Cayo Aurora.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SE

Ensenada Honda

Deep inlet at Ceiba on the east coast of Puerto Rico, the former harbour of the Roosevelt Roads naval station, 3.6 NM south of Puerto del Rey.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, SW

Kennedy point marina

Marina on the Intracoastal Waterway at Titusville, Florida, set on the Indian River Lagoon directly across from Kennedy Space Center.

Sunset Bay Marina & Anchorage

Marina and mooring field on the south fork of the St. Lucie River at Stuart, Florida, on the Okeechobee Waterway near the ICW.

Ayala Cove, Angel Island

Mooring field on the north side of Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, off Tiburon, with a mud bottom and shelter from the prevailing westerlies.

• Free
• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE