INTROD UCT 1ON


General Statement and Purpose
 Development on the east end of St. Thomas is increas-

ingly geared toward water oriented facilities. The need

for boat anchorage and related service facilities on this

end of the island is being met in two places -- Red Hook/

Vessup Bay and, to a greater extent, Benner Bay (Figure 1)

where, within the past year the number of boats at anchor

or piered has more than doubled, due mainly to the opening

of a new facility (Antilles Yacht Services). There are

presently three bare-boat charter concerns operating out

of Benner Bay and plans for their expansion and for addi-

tional facilities will result in even higher boat densities

and traffic in the future. Construction has begun for the

Compass Point Club, a shoreline support facility for "Aqua-

miniums" -- ownership-lease properties similar to condoai-

niums but involving 46' powered houseboats as the property

unit; they are presently operating out of leased space on

the channel between Mangrove Lagoon and Banner Bay. Antilles

and a second charter sailboat facility, West Indies Yachts,

have docks on Benner Bay. Lagoon Fishing Center and Toby

Mann Mrine operate the remaining "public" dockage on

Benner Bay.

 Benner Bay is relatively shallow, maximum depth is

about 2.5 meters, and deep draft or deep keeled boats


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