Le Moule Bay

About This Anchorage

Le Moule is the principal town on Grande-Terre's Atlantic east coast — a historic rum-producing town with a strong local culture, a beautiful beach (Plage de La Barrière), and an important archaeological museum (Musée Edgar Clerc) dedicated to pre-Columbian Arawak and Carib culture. The bay itself is exposed to the Atlantic NE trades and swell, making it primarily a daytime anchorage for vessels comfortable entering through the fringing reef. The town has excellent provisioning including a major market (Saturday is the main market day), supermarkets, pharmacies, boulangeries, and the historic Damoiseau rum distillery (one of the finest in Guadeloupe, with free tours). Surfing is popular here — the reef break at Le Moule produces good waves in trade wind conditions. For the sailor, Le Moule is best visited by dinghy from an anchorage at Saint-François (9nm south) in ideal conditions.

Hazards

• !Atlantic swell and NE trade wind exposure — this anchorage is only safe in exceptional flat-calm conditions
• !Fringing reef entry — local knowledge or up-to-date SHOM chart essential; never attempt in poor visibility or heavy swell
• !Fair holding with seagrass patches — drag risk in stronger conditions; set firmly and monitor
• !Surfers in the reef break — watch for surfing activity near the anchorage approach

Skipper's Tips

• →Le Moule is better visited as a day trip from Saint-François rather than as an overnight anchorage — its reef entry and swell exposure make it challenging
• →The Damoiseau rum distillery offers free tours on weekday mornings — one of the best rum experiences in Guadeloupe
• →Musée Edgar Clerc has one of the finest collections of pre-Columbian Amerindian artefacts in the French Caribbean — well worth a visit ashore
• →Saturday market in Le Moule is one of the largest on Grande-Terre — go early for the best produce and atmosphere
• →The beach at La Barrière (east of the anchorage) is worth the dinghy ride for its wild Atlantic character

Nearby Anchorages