The Frederiksted Pier (officially named: Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility) is the 1,526-foot (0.465 km or 0.29 mile), deep water, cruise ship

pier Seaside pleasure pier in England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out ...

located in Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands. It is located at the west end of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and accommodate two Eagle-class vessels, of a maximum of 142,000 gross tons each with drafts up to 29 feet and two mini-cruise vessels with drafts of 18 feet. Anchorage is also available in the outer harbor for larger ships. The platform of the pier is equipped with a fendering system that is designed for submarines. A shopping area is located within walking distance to the pier. Additionally, ground transportation, public restrooms and other services are available. While the pier is the gateway to shopping in Frederiksted, taxis and tour buses take visitors to Christiansted for shopping, sightseeing, and on round-the-island tours. Elevation is 10 feet (3 meters) above sea level at the outermost point, with 3 foot (1 meter) high access platforms for entry onto scuba diving boats and sailing charters. The original pier was destroyed in 1989 by Hurricane Hugo and again ravaged in 1995 by

Hurricane Marilyn Hurricane Marilyn was the most powerful hurricane to strike the Virgin Islands since Hurricane Hugo of 1989, and the third such tropical cyclone in roughly a two-week time span to strike or impact the Leeward Islands, the others being Hurrica ...

. Remains of the old pier are still there with decades of coral growth and sponges. Some of the old pier was used as landfill for the current pier platform, while the vast majority was removed and sunk two miles north in 110 foot deep water at a dive site known as Armageddon.

Uses, features, special events

The pier is a popular destination for

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chri ...

enthusiasts, snorkeling, sport fishermen, swimming competitions, and internationally recognized stand-up paddleboarding competition the Coconut Cup. There is a large public beach directly off the pier, used by locals and tourists for strolls and scenic views, as well as many restaurants and bars. Scuba on the Frederiksted Pier is a shallow dive, ideal for trying scuba the first time course resort diving, for extended shore diving, night diving, and especially for

underwater photography Underwater photography is the process of taking photographs while under water. It is usually done while scuba diving, but can be done while diving on surface supply, snorkeling, swimming, from a submersible or remotely operated underwater ve ...

—rated one of the best dives in the territory. Dive shops in Frederiksted include Ne2une Scuba, St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures (SCUBA) and Adventures in Diving STX.

References

External links

The Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility
{{Recreational dive sites, reesit Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Piers in the United States Coastal construction Marine architecture Underwater diving sites in the Caribbean 1994 establishments in the United States Virgin Islands Infrastructure in the United States Virgin Islands Transport infrastructure completed in 1994