Renaissance marina
The marina is located inside Oranjestad harbor. http://www.renaissancemarina.com/ , When entering Oranjestad harbor contact Aruba Port Control on channel 16 to ask for permission to enter the harbor. (Do call Aruba Port Control anytime you move your vessel within Oranjestad harbor, they don’t want to run over yachts when maneuvering with large steel ships.) The SE entry buoy to Oranjestad harbor is at 12° 30.317′ N 70° 02.153′ W.
The water depth at the entry to the Marina is 12½ ft.
Renaissance-Marina
Bucuti Yacht Club (BYCA) & Varadero Caribe
Bucuti Yacht Club (BYCA) located just South of the airport this is a private club which on occasion will accept visiting yachts.
Varadero Caribe right next to (NE of) BYCA, will accept visitors. There is a restaurant on premises. They have a hydraulic boat lift trailer for vessels up to 60 tons, 80 ft. long, 40 ft. wide and 7 ft. deep. The Varadero also offers dry storage. Currently they are in the process of getting the yard and storage recognized as an entrepot area by the Aruban customs service. This means that time spent on the hard will be exempt from the maximum 180 days limit. Phone + 297-588-3840.
BUCUTI LAGOON:
Yachts can easily travel inside the reef from Oranjestad Harbor to Varadero Caribe and Barcadera harbor through the Bucuti Channel.
There is a bank in front of the Varadero Caribe and the Bucuti yacht club that covers about 2/3 of the width of the lagoon. From the large orange buoys of the charter boats up to Bucuti Yacht Club this bank is up to 6-1/2 ft deep. From Bucuti yacht club towards the land fill the bank gets shallower. Closer to shore at Bucuti and Varadero Caribe the water is around 14 ft. deep up to the thatched roof restaurant on a pier.
Description and waypoints from West to East passing inside the Bucuti lagoon (in italics is optional):
Exit the harbor channel and go to – 12°30’.510N 70°02’.045W
Next: end of ‘Bucuti island’ – 12°30’.390N 70°01’.919W
Then pass outside or inside the first two landing lights of the airport
Next ‘Habri’ – 12°30’.165N 70°01’.756W
Next: (Only if over 7ft deep) – 12°30’.096N 70°01’.677W
Next: Entry to Varadero Caribe channel – 12°29’.577N 70°01’.133W. Varadero has a marked channel going over the bank with red and green markers. The Red side is the deeper side of the channel. 7-1/2 feet draft can go in at any tide. Green side can be 1 ft shallower than the red side.
Next: Mangrove – 12°29’.475N 70°00’.998W
Barcadera Harbor: – 12°28’.923N 70°00’.259W
Arubus: the local bus company (Line-8) has service from the Bucuti yacht club / Varadero gates. http://www.arubus.com/
Aruba Nautical Club
Located in between the water plant and the Spanish lagoon. Will accept visitors, has a small restaurant on premises. Can take up to 12 ft draft. You will have to eyeball your way between a few shoals to get there from Barcadera harbor.
Entry to Aruba Nautical Club past De Palm Island
