Applications are being taken for berths in Hurricane Hole at Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument/NPS

With the 2017 hurricane season on the horizon, the National Park Service is accepting applications for mariners who want to be able to shelter their vessels in Hurricane Hole at the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument.

Vessel owners who were permitted to use a storm mooring in Hurricane Hole during 2016 and who wish to retain their storm mooring berth for 2017 may contact Esther Francis (e-mail park staff or call 340-693-8950, ext. 232) to obtain an application. Completed applications may be sent via e-mail, U.S. mail, or delivered in person at the park visitor center between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and must be received by May 19. Applications can be mailed to Virgin Islands National Park, 1300 Cruz Bay Creek, St. John, VI 00830. The NPS will issue a new permit upon receipt of the application and verification of the 2016 berth assignment.

A drawing will be held for all open berths on June 3 beginning at 9 a.m. at the pavilion in front of the NPS visitor center in Cruz Bay.

Any vessel owner who was issued a temporary permit last year may contact Ms. Francis if interested in retaining the storm mooring berth for which they were issued the temporary permit, in the event that the original permittee decides to relinquish the berth for another year. Should the original permittee elect to utilize that berth this year, the temporary permit holder would need to participate in the June 3 drawing to compete for open berths.

Note that if a vessel was sold or transferred during the past year, it is the vessel which retains the storm mooring berth and not the past owner.

A permit holder's boat must be present in U.S. or British Virgin Island waters at least 50 percent of the hurricane season (90 days between June 1 and November 30) to be eligible to retain and use a berth. If a berth holder chooses to leave the area, they may notify the park and the berth will be assigned to a vessel from a waiting list; that vessel would then use that location for the rest of the season. If a berth holder does not retain an assigned berth for two subsequent years, he or she will forfeit the berth to the vessel temporarily assigned the berth from the previous year.

For more information, check the Park Service's "Storm Refuge" webpage.