Exclusion Zone for "Dummies"

Greetings all

I have seen and read the information on the exclusion zone. I have also seen that you need to get permission to sail through that area.

Our normal route usually takes us from JVD/CGB around West End and we usually spend our last night on either Norman or Peter (depending on how we feel, lol). We will be down in February and would like to take our normal route.

Can we sail around West End?
Do we need to get permission?
Or do we have to go up around Scrub / Trellis Bay and down the channel?

Thanks much!

Will

Yes, you can sail around West End with approval. Your charter company will help coordinate this for you. I've not heard of anyone being denied.

If you have not cleared into the BVI and the 4 day quarantine stay west of a line between the west end of JVD and the point of West End, Tortola then south of a line between Nanny Cay and the west end of Norman Island. If you have cleared and completed quarantine you are free to sail anywhere except to make landfall in the USVI.
https://bvi.org.uk/boaters-advised-not-to-sail-in-exclusion-zone/

I don't understand where you are getting this interpretation of the exclusion zone. Even if you have cleared quarantine you need permission to round West End.

Agree with Mr EZgoin...

Where are you seeing that? I have looked everywhere and find no restriction like that.

It's part of all the curfew orders. See the latest order here.

"within the navigational limits East of 64.38300’W on the south side of Tortola and an area East of the dividing line between the Western most tip of Jost Van Dyke and Western most tip of Tortola (This area will be further confined by navigational limits to the North, East and South)."

That is about the most confusing statement I have seen on the subject. First off, 64.383W is East of Virginia Gorda. Almost outside of the BVI territorial limits. Taken literally that eliminates all BVI waters. Second, assuming you can sail on the north side of the Narrows it makes no since that you can't round West End. This looks like a call to someone in authority for clarification (assuming there is someone).

You cannot enter BVI waters at all unless you have cleared in via EIS.

The exclusion zone is not the territorial waters but a no sail without permission zone, you cannot sail to JVD or Sopers from Nanny Cay without permission unless you take the long way round.

This is the problem that USVI is having they think the exclusion zone is meant to keep them out , it was meant to keep BVI sailors in.

Minor correction: you can't sail to Soper's Hole at all without permission.

I just noticed a source of confusion. The order (link) says " 64.38300’W ", which is an odd notation. Glenn is (reasonably) interpreting that as 64.383 degrees. But another web page (link) refers to " 64*38.300’W ", which makes more sense as it's about the longitude of Nanny Cay.

Dan

The link to the government press release from early last summer (Thursday, 11 June 2020 - 6:56pm):

https://bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/boaters-advised-not-sail-exclusion-zone

It states, in part:

"Licenced or approved fisherfolk can contact 311 in advance of departure for their approval if they wish to traverse the exclusion zone. Boaters that enter the exclusion zone without prior permission will be in violation of Curfew (No. 21) Order, 2020 and can be penalised."

and

"The exclusion zone is an area west of 64*38.300’W on the south side of Tortola. This area is loosely described as a line between the westernmost tip of Norman Island and Nanny Cay and remains clear of USVI territorial waters and west of a dividing line formed between the westernmost tip of Jost Van Dyke and the westernmost tip of Tortola. The exclusion zone around the BVI encompasses the western tip of Jost Van Dyke and western tip of Anegada."