Ahoy Captains,

Look how far we have come.
Great Advances Internationally in the Medical Testing and Treatment and Vaccines the past few months. Some Vaccines only weeks away now.
An Opening Date with a Framework for Testing and Tracking. Multiple entry ports including the airport and ferry terminals.
A Testing system based on +95% accuracy within 90 minutes. The overhead expense of the hardware will quickly simplify that issue. The BVI Gov is already reconsidering the 8th day test.
‘Quarantine’ from 2 weeks at a BVI Gov Hotel to a few days on your Yacht.
Guards at $6000 a person to no guards and no guard costs and a ‘geofence’.
‘Quarantine’ based on a cell phone app. Possibly bracelets, but the overhead expense and reliability of the hardware will quickly simplify that issue.
More constructive Stakeholder Consultations over the next week to consider ‘remote quarantine’. There has never been any written policy or protocol requiring quarantine on the yacht on the dock. This issue has not yet been finalized and most of the conversation has been based on worst case InterWeb rumors.

“Quarantine” – The ‘quarantine’ is a tracking app on your phone. Probably less intrusive then your Google tracking or your Facebook tracking.
‘Geo-fencing’. You are expected to leave your phone on the chart table while you swim and scuba and windsurf and paddle board and then snorkel all your favorite reefs.
Why pay $150 for a BVI Gov Bracelet when you can buy and keep an unlocked cell phone from Walmart for $50?
Log in your body temp. Body temp is 98.7, that is 37 in Celsius. Everyday.
And all the time on the Yacht it is No Mask and No Distancing and No Politics.

Testing – At worst a nasal swab. A lot less intrusive than the Vaccine injections we will all be begging for in a few months. Less than every Diabetic does every day.
We could all use a little Empathy and Honesty these days so Everybody gets tested so Everybody is safe. And it sets a standard a few weeks before to protect the Time and Money you all have invested in the trip. And you come home Healthy. Maybe Healthier?
After 4 days you get retested. Everybody passes and celebrates at the nearest beach bar.
Or celebrate on the Yacht as it is No Mask and No Distancing and No Politics.

Multiple Testing Locations - JVD Great Harbor and then drinks at Foxy’s, Virgin Gorda and then dinner at The Restaurant at Leverick, West End Ferry Terminal and painkillers at Sopher’s Hole Pussers, the Beef Island Airport and cocktails in Trellis at the New Loose Mongoose. All these locations have docks with water/fuel/ice and more.
Not to get all ‘Zen’ and seeing the Forest and the Trees. Has it dawned on anyone that if you have a Negative test on day 4 then you will have that PCR test in hand and Not have to Quarantine when you return to the Real World after a week of relaxing in paradise? Another problem solved.
This is as about as complicated as renting a car for a few days.
Logistically, going in for the tests should be about the same as checking into BVI Customs and Immigration at West End or JVD or VG.
And all the time on the Yacht it is No Mask and No Distancing and No Politics.

After 2020 - You need to leave your Bucket List at home this time.
For the first few days you need to Relax. And enjoy your favorite author and favorite singer and cook your favorite meals and drink your favorite wines and mix your favorite cocktails.
All that food and liquor you had delivered gets BBQd and baked and diced and iced and enjoyed while it is fresh.
With your Family and Friends, hopefully some are both.
And sleep 10 hours a day.
The Protocol for a chase call is ‘Everybody bugger off to the foredeck while I fix this without your advice’. A mechanics dream come true.
There has never been any documented BVI Gov policy or protocol that Guests will be required to quarantine on any yacht at any dock.
In fact, based on the Draft Protocols for Bareboat charter companies, they can’t get you off the dock fast enough.
And all the time on the Yacht it is No Mask and No Distancing and No Politics.

Options - Where else can you go this Winter. Paris? Vegas with some guy with a chin diaper trying to cough up his lung at the blackjack table next to you? The Thunderdome of Florida? Enjoy the 14 day Quarantine in New York? Mexico to use your kids to troll for the Virus in the hotel pool, but don’t worry, all the counterfeit medication you can buy, and a little narco-terrorism to spice things up?
Please, correct me if I am wrong, and this is the InterWebs so correct me if I am right and then quote your favorite alt-reality source and get the thread locked. All the same few posting the same bad attitude based on the same bad rumors. Look at all the past pessimism on the SXM Board and now all the very good reports coming in.
You can spend all Winter in your basement getting lathered up in your Aunt Karens essential oils, or, come on down and get lathered up in sunscreen and rum.
And all the time on the Yacht it is No Mask and No Distancing and No Politics.

Hopefully - We can get a Neutral Territory.
More discussions over the Halloween weekend between the BVI Gov and the Charter businesses. With all the cancellations overshadowing the original Protocols the BVI Gov would be wise to be a little flexible.
Marina Cay is nothing open (deserted).
Peter Island is nothing open (with Perter Island Resort close to all tourism).
Cooper Island has one dock.
Pirates Bight has one dock.
Willy T has one Floating Dock.
Each business with a dock hires a Dockmaster to check Phones and Face Masks for compliance. None of those businesses want to get closed as a ‘Hot Spot’.
IF we can get those 4 Islands as Neutral Territory for Yachts under a ‘Remote Quarantine’ then Everybody Wins.
The BVI Gov makes money off the Cruising and Park permits and Port Taxes.
The BVI People get Employment and Income.
And all the time on the Yacht it is No Mask and No Distancing and No Politics.

On a 2017 Leopard 45 with 4 Doubles and 1 Single and 5 Bathrooms and AirCon and a GenSet from Dec 19 to Jan 2 for 14 Nights for $14k.

Please consider that All these Health and Safety precautions work Both ways to protect You and your Family and Friends.
Please suggest a Better Sunny Vacation this Winter with the same level of Health Security and No Mask and No Distancing and No Politics?

Fair Winds, Brent from The Captains Compass