USVI-On-Line

In Hansen Bay, one beach is privately owned and one is for use by the public, correct? I see two large sandy areas separated by a small rocky point: one at the northern shoreline and one slightly to the east on an angle. Which is which? At which beach is Vie's snack shack?
Is the beach labeled "Limetree Cove" anything?

Hope this helps with a couple of questions.


Screen Shot 2012-07-24 at 6.07.44 PM by lprof, on Flickr

I kind of always assumed that beach, marked on the map as public, is a private beach.

So sorry for any confusion!
I marked the beaches as I did to clarify where Vie's Snack Shack, the beach for which one pays and the other one are located. Vie's family owns both beaches.

From http://www.seestjohn.com/beaches_hansen.html
"The beautiful sand beach across the road from Vie’s is privately owned by Vie’s family, (the Sewers) and a small admission fee is charged to enter the beach by land. A bit further east is Vie’s Campground.
About a quarter mile east from Vie’s Snack Shop is a small private beach also owned by Vie’s family, which is presently available for use by the public free of charge."


None of the beaches East past the inlet at Haulover are part of the Virgin Islands National Parks.

lprof wrote: Vie's family owns both beaches.

Are you sure about this? I believe all beaches are public, to the tree line. Vie is able to charge admission because you have to cross her property to get to the beach.

Teresa_Rae wrote:

lprof wrote: Vie's family owns both beaches.

Are you sure about this? I believe all beaches are public, to the tree line. Vie is able to charge admission because you have to cross her property to get to the beach.

This is essentially correct. Technically Virgin Island law is 50 feet above the mean low tide line: measure 50 feet from the water at low tide and that is all public land.

As mentioned above, people pay to cross property not to use the beach. Although many call it Vie's beach, it is Hansen Bay beach; among older East Enders it had been called 'White Beach.' There is no need to pay to use the beach. Anyone can access the neighboring 'public' beach and swim over and/or walk along the coast. Then again those who did wouldn't be entitled to Vie's beach chairs. However, people do love wading to the Soggy Dollar. Perhaps I should set up my own bar there.

Teresa_Rae wrote:

lprof wrote: Vie's family owns both beaches.

Are you sure about this? I believe all beaches are public, to the tree line. Vie is able to charge admission because you have to cross her property to get to the beach.

My statement was based on the quote directly from Gerald Singer's website which followed; in my opinion he has done an excellent job of explaining "St John". No I, personally, am not sure about who owns exactly what. I believe, and agree with you, that all USVI beaches are public if approached from the water; whether to the tree line or to the high water line or if they are the same... I do not know. A previous thread contained some discussion on this matter by some local residents.
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... te+beaches

Anyhow, I do hope that BRY1105 has gained something useful here.

Thanks everyone! So without getting too technical, the northern beach is where the snack shack is and you pay to access the beach; the eastern beach is open to the public for free. Is there much if any difference between the two beaches? What are they like?

I think Vies has more sand and you can use her chairs if you pay. It is good for floating. There are trees for shade, and you can pull the chairs right into the shade if you want. There is decent snorkeling to the right (if facing the water)/

The beach that is to the east is pebble more than sand, but has great snorkeling (to the left, if facing the water) and a nice tree for shade as well.

I like Vie's beach. Especially when she is open so we can eat and get refreshments and use her port-a-potty/outhouse if necessary. I am sad that she is rarely open in the off season, when we travel. Just thinking about her garlic chicken and conch fritters is making my mouth water.

Iprof, yes that would make sense regarding the public access at that beach as I am fairly certain that line would lie somewhere on the road! So it makes sense that it is public in a way. I saw Vie working on that land once and felt a little weird (she was a doll as always, so she didn't make me feel that way at all), I just wondered for a second if we should be there without asking or not.

When is it considered off-season? We will be staying in the east end 4-20 - 5-4

Anyone??

Yes, your trip falls in the beginning of off season (it varies a tiny bit depending on where you rent). I have been in May and she has been both open and closed. You really need to call while you are there.