Ships arriving at Bermuda were obliged to stop at Five-Fathom Hole, which had been designated the Examination Anchorage, this body of water lies just within the outer reefline, and ships can travel from it directly into St. George's Harbour. Ships could also follow Hurd's Channel around St. Catherine's Point to reach the Northern Lagoon, enclosed by the barrier reef. From there, they can enter the Great Sound, where the North America and West Indies Station anchorage was located, at Grassy Bay, east of the Royal Naval Dockyard on Ireland Island and west of Spanish Point on the Main Island, where the Admiralty House was located.