Leeward Cut Inlet

About

Local Notices to Mariners:

See our “Local Notices to Mariners” blog for updates on the latest conditions and advisories for this area.

Introduction:

Leeward Cut and Leeward Going Through are actually two distinct pieces of water. Leeward Cut is the passage from the Atlantic Ocean that leads to the inland “harbor” known as Leeward Going Through.

Leeward Going Through is a popular anchorage area and home to Leeward Marina, a facility with condos and a resort-style atmosphere. While Leeward Going Through actually passes all the way south to Crist Point, the water on the south side of Providenciales is far too shallow for most boats.

Leeward Cut (the offshore passage inland to the right of the inlet above), allows boats access to Leeward Going Through from the ocean. Although depths in Leeward Cut and leeward Going Through range from 7 to 12 feet, Leeward Cut is constantly shifting, which makes the passage to Leeward Going Through from the Atlantic challenging. Local knowledge is required to safely navigate Leeward Cut.

Little Water Cay is visible in the image above to the left (north), while Providenciales is located to the south of Little Water Cay and forms the south shore of Leeward Going Through.

Navigating the Water:

Leeward Cut is constantly shifting, and if you plan on making the passage, we recommend radioing ahead to the Leeward Marina for advance local knowledge. Once you have safely navigated Leeward Cut, you enter Leeward Going Through where you can drop the hook right off the Leeward Marina in 7- to 10-foot depths.

In addition to a well-protected harbor with good holding, Leeward Going Through is home to the Leeward Marina, which has gas and diesel fuel, a ships store, laundry (no dryer), drinking water and ice.

Sources report that Leeward Marina is undergoing a major rehab, and with the addition of condominiums and an expansion of the slips, dredging of Leeward Cut is planned in order to allow the deepest draft yachts to pass into Leeward Going Through with ease.