Cruisers Welcome in the BVI?

We have chartered many times in the BVI, before we bit the bullet and purchased our own vessel.

This year (well technically early next year) we are hoping to enter the BVI, of course once their borders open to marine traffic. However I do have the impression that BVI isn't really all that welcoming to cruising yachts.

Thoughts and/or experiences from cruisers, belongers or anyone in general?

Hi Debbie, good to see you are finally going to get to start the cruising life. You are right. In the past the BVI didn't really welcome long term cruisers and insisted you attend every 30 days to extend your visa. Of course their attitude may change once vaccines are readily available and they are desperate for visitors. I wouldn't guarantee that happening though.

For liveaboard cruisers St Martin/Sint Maarten are much more welcoming, as is my personal favourite, Grenada. In both places you'll find more welcoming authorities, a large cruiser community and far easier availability of spares.

Right now they have a problem like every US community is dealing with. The politicians want to keep their population as safe as possible until there is a vaccine while at the same time not starving. There is no easy way to accomplish that. Unfortunately they didn’t give “the rest of the story”, when they announced reopening. That has resulted in lots of disappointment and anger. In support of their position, opening the doors to tourism now with simply a test prior to travel would most likely result in a big increase in the virus among the local population. They have 7 ventilators. In our relatively small county one of the two hospitals have 16 currently on ventilators and have many others in a facility for long term critical care patients. A politician is in a tough position if their decision possibly contributes to lots of suffering and deaths relatively late in the pandemic.

They have vaccine spoken for from one of the companies, not sure which. Until then they are not going to be “user friendly” for tourists or sailors. It’s really not personal or without some good reasons. I am certain they are more eager to get this behind us and welcome tourists after the pandemic is under control than those wanting to travel.

If you think about the number of people often involved in making up a charter crew or villa renters, the odds of not bringing Covid with many of them are poor. Different states, students Etc. with their own diverse set of contacts prior to travel. Heck it’s not safe to go to another’s house in much of the country today. It is unlikely to go well until the numbers in US and Europe go down.

After this is over you will likely be welcomed with as open arms as ever..visiting vessels it is dependent on what officer you get at C&I but it’s not bad. After having a charter boat there for about ten years we purchased another private Boat and had it in the BVI on a temporary import permit until selling it this fall. That’s 200 $ annually.

I would look for fees and taxes to go up. I suspect charter boats from outside the territory will pay higher daily fees. Private vessels might undergo more scrutiny after the recent large scale drug trade intercepts. . You will be of course very welcome at all businesses following this disaster.

Edit, I see my friend Mike that knows much more about the various island regs than I do gave you a rundown. In our case we had a part time residence in the bvi and just paid the temporary import fee and of course the fees where we kept it and never heard anything else from them. One thing everyone agrees with is that they are sticklers on having the boat at the customs port when you check in.

Hi Will Good to see that you are still around. Long time since we first met at TMM. Must be coming up to 18 years!!!

On the subject of vaccines, Boris the P.M. has just in the last hour said "the U.K. has 350 million doses on order in total, enough for the British Isles, the Dependant Territories (whatever they are) and the British Overseas Territories". So the BVI should be getting supplied fairly quickly.

Who did they buy the vaccines from?

40 million pre-ordered from Phizer, 100m from Astra Zeneca. Don't know about the rest.

Certainly some good news..for a change! Keep us informed Mike...and love to Jean and happy holidays..

aZ only 70 % Pflizer 95%

There is another trial that strangely gave a half dose of the AZ followed a month later by a full dose. That is being quoted as being 90% effective. No one appears sure why the discrepancy.

Yes, finally Mal. We are in 14 days quarantine here as we had the temerity to go to Spain ( a region with much lower rates than most of the UK) so are not allowed out until we are deemed safe.

OK, not sure why this thread went to this point, as it really has very little to do with the original post.

Please try to stick to the original topic, guys..