St. Vincent & the Grenadines - Facts
- ALERT: The island nations of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada were the worst affected by Hurricane Beryl at the start of July 2024. The Grenadines, Carriacou and Petit Martinique were particularly hard hit. Read this update from Doyles Guides on how the islands are recovering and what to expect if visiting this season (November 2024).
- Boasting pristine beaches and turquoise waters, the 32 islands and cays that comprise St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the southern Caribbean are popular destinations for sailing vessels of all shapes and sizes.
- Visit one of the nine inhabited islands – St. Vincent, Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island or Petit St. Vincent.
- Cruise to the uninhabited remote Tobago Cays, a protected marine park made up of five islets bordered by a giant horseshoe reef.
- The Northern Grenadines are administered by St. Vincent, while the smaller southern group belongs to Grenada.
- On Bequia, Port Elizabeth in Admiralty Bay is one of the most famous watering holes on the international cruising scene, however, the range of repair facilities is more limited than St. Vincent.
- Ottley Hall Marina and Shipyard near Kingstown, St. Vincent, provides a complete range of repair and service facilities; there are also good repair facilities at Young Island and Blue Lagoon.
- A new marina development opened in April 2017 on the south-west side of Canouan, offering some services. On the other Grenadines, facilities are very basic.
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In Clifton you can Check in/out ta the bougainvilla
Custom and immigration are here every day
Note there is no atm in clifton !!
In Bequia, there is a sign posted in customs which states thatbonly the master of the vessel is to present themselves for clearance. We checked in ay Chateaubelair and both my wife and I cleared customs; no mention maid if that was necessary. We checked out in Bequia, however, and the above mentioned sign was on display. June, 2024
Here’s a quick synopsis of our travels in the Grenadines. We visited Bequia, Canouan, Tobago Cays, Mayreau, Union, Petit St. Vincent – all beautiful Grenadine Islands – all worth visiting – each with its own special culture. We did not visit Palm Island, Mustique, Baliceaux, Battowia, Isle a Quatre, Petit Mustique, Little Canouan or Savan Island.
Bequia – We anchored in front of the rocks between Princess Margaret Beach and Lower Beach. You can pull very close to the rocks and have good sandy holding, plus be able to swim to the rocks or beach for snorkeling. They say Provisions and Dawns are good restaurants, although we did not make it to them. Doris’s has awesome provisions but a little expensive. Still, worth it if you want something good. Take a dinghy ride over to the Moon Hole houses if you can. It’s cool to see. We also loved Cocktail Lab which is on a marina/yacht club. Wednesday is good with jazz. Plenty of other things to do in Bequia which I am sure you can find out.
Canouan Island – We anchored in Glossy Bay and loved it. It’s just outside of the Sandy Lane Marina. Or you can take a slip for $3US/foot. Either way a restaurant reservation will get you in the Beach Club with awesome pool and food. Worth your time to spend a half a day or more. The other end of the beach has Scruffies Beach Bar. Also fun to go to, beach swim if you like, good food, nice establishment. We went into Charlestown and walked the town. Don’t bother. Island ghetto.
Tobago Cays – A bit crowded but a must-visit. Many like to anchor on the reef in front of Petite Bateau, but if it’s super windy it can be rough. Biggest issue would be launching the dinghy here, because the waves can get rough. We moored on the east side of Petite Rameau just outside of the channel. It’s also close to the BBQ beach on Petit Bateau and out of the busy channel (our friends anchored there and were hit twice with damage). The beach BBQ is fun. You’ll get a boat boy there when you moor up and he’ll help you during your stay including pick you up and take you to the BBQ, beach etc. We took our dinghy to Petit Tabac (Sparrow’s Island). It was cool but a bit of a trip to get there. We did it – but then we have a 30hp on our dinghy.
Mayreau Island – We liked all of it, but indeed it’s a place to be on your own. Nothing special on shore but nice anchorages. Our favorite was Saline Bay because it had a beautiful, very big beach, and no one was there. Unless the cruise ship stops in. And that can be fun to watch. Salt Whistle was nice. Local beach bars, low end.
Union Island – We loved all of it and stayed in all the anchorages. Frigate Island was a nice anchorage, and we went ashore and hiked up to the top of Mt. Taboi (there’s (2) peaks and we did just one). It was a fun hike and a beautiful view. We could tell by the trail not many go there. You can find the trailhead on All Trails. There’s an old, never completed marina at Frigate that’s fun to view in the dinghy. It goes to a bridge you can go out of and come back in the other end.
Clifton Bay was a favorite. Take a mooring ball right on the reef and it’s beautiful with a nice sleeping breeze. Just in front of you will be Happy Island which you’ll want to go to for happy hour. Definitely worth going ashore and walk or get the Sparrow’s Taxi (free) to Sparrow’s beach. Plan for lunch or dinner and spend the day or half day. Beautiful beach, swimming and good food and drinks. They have beach lounge chairs for you. Stephen saw bonefish there too, but didn’t have his fly rod with him.
Chatham Bay was another great anchorage. Some nice “local” beach bars but don’t miss Tenuti Resort. Great food restaurant and bar/pool. Very cool setting with just a handful of cottages. Make a dinner reservation and you’ll be glad you did. Unusually the night we went there was no wind, so bug spray was necessary, however that is supposedly rare.
Petit St. Vincent – Marooned with only one beer! Beautiful place, but a private island that doesn’t want you there.
See our blog for articles and videos and reach out if you have questions.
https://bluedotvoyages.com/grenadine-islands-eastern-caribbean/
The only places in St. Vincent we felt safe staying were
Petit Byahaut
Blue Lagoon Marina
Young Island
We did drive bys on others and they just did not feel safe. Read our full article and see pics/video here. https://bluedotvoyages.com/blue-lagoon-spiny-lobsters-225-steps-in-st-vincent/
Checked out in clifton. Both customs amd immigration are at the harbor. They want sailclear completed – unlike in Bequia where we checked in. Bequia operates on paper only.
Good day to you!
We are planning a sailing cruise from Martinique to SVG including Tobago Cays with a catamaran 424. We will be 8 on board. Clearance in the SVG can be done using Sailclear. Arrival in Bequia. As far as I understand, once the departure process done, we will have only 24 hours to leave the SVG waters… That’s quite short! Let’s imagine we do our departure process in Union, we have to be in St Lucia 24 hours later…. This doesn’t make sense…🤔
Am I wrong? Many thanks for advice on how to proceed!
Stephane Begon from Switzerland.
Hi Stephane, the information on Noonsite says:
“Yachts are given 24 hours after check-out from which they must depart St. Vincent waters.”
This means you have 24 hours after finishing the checking out process, before you have to be on your way to the next country.
The port of entry in Bequia is Port Elizabeth – see https://www.noonsite.com/place/st-vincent-the-grenadines/bequia/port-elizabeth-bequia/view/clearance/
Read the notes on Noonsite re. security in this port – https://www.noonsite.com/place/st-vincent-the-grenadines/bequia/port-elizabeth-bequia/view/general-info/ – it’s recommended to always leave someone on board the boat while you are there.
Clearance in Clifton.
Anchor near the airport and leave your dinghy on the beach nearby.
In the airport the clearance can be done for customs and immigration. No need to go in town for customs as suggested.
Cleared in at Chateaubelair , straight forward , Kieth was professional and friendly. Sadly we were constantly approached by children and adults alike some wanting handouts others selling fruit and fish at ridiculously inflated prices. Moved to Cumberland Bay to escape the Carnaval , much better , Cas is you guy here to get stern tied . Very polite and helpful.
St Vincent and the Grenadines is paradise. I have spent a few months cruising around and I think it’s one of my favorite spots in the Caribbean.
Okay immigration. Contrary to what the website says, I have never got a response from svgarrivals@gmail.com. I don’t think there is anyone there. Plus from what I gather they just lifted all the COVID restrictions and all you need is proof of vaccination.
To clear in use Sailclear, and then just show up at one of their offices, or use an agent. I recommend checking into Bequia if coming south, and Union Island if going north. I’d skip St Vincent (other than going to the utterly stunning anchorage of Cumberland bay).
If you want to use an agent, I recommend (all Whatsapp):
Union Island: +1 (784) 497-8543
Bequia: +1 784 495 5593
Canouan: +1 (784) 454-1965
They all charge ~100 XCD for their services. I DO NOT recommend using Sam Taxi Tours Limited from St Vincent who charged me more than $500 USD for a check-in.
Highlights of the Grenadines include:
– Mustique: Cotton House Beach Bar
– Mustique: Walking along the beach to the north east of the island
– Bequia: Firefly Estate restaurant
– Union Island: Happy Island
– Canouan: Lunch at Soho House
– Mayreau: Last bay before the jungle at Salt Whistle Bay
– St Vincent: Cumberland Bay (fish at Mojito’s surprisingly good)
And obviously all the normal highlights like Tobago Cays, Salt Whistle Bay etc. I don’t recommend the beach BBQ at Tobago Cays.
We Just returned from a 14 day bareboat charter. The cruise was from Grenada to SVG and return.
The NE trade winds made going north from Grenada a motoring event. Catamarans don’t sail well upwind as we know.
Clearing out and into Grenada was pretty easy ( See post under Grenada ) SVG however was a bit more difficult. Granted I am new to the customs process while cruising. Numerous links on the SVG website are frequently not working. It was challenging getting the info we needed and filling out the forms. Once we feel like we had properly registered with SVG and entered the info in sailclear, we attempted to enter at Union Island.
Trying to reach any govt office via phone, to ask for info, was useless. As a last resort, we used a clearing agent. She explained that some govt people still only use agents and will not see an individual. The fee was $55 US for her assistance, and was worthwhile. She tried to show me how the process works, so we didn’t need to use a company in the future, but the officials at the customs office wouldn’t allow me in and were insistent that i use an agent. Our agent later explained that there is still the good ol’ boy mentality of providing work to locals, despite some ridiculous fees charged by boat boys or unscrupulous agents. The government is trying to change that, but its slow to change. The agent explained that the customs people are very lazy and do not want to have to work any more than the minimum, when an agent comes in, all forms are correctly done and all the info is in an organized fashion, requiring minimal discussion or work by the customs agent.
We talked with other cruisers and some didn’t need to use an agent, and other did. Not sure what happened and how, but that was our experience.
Boat Boys….. We had read extensively about boat boys. They are very helpful, they work hard, but be sure to ask their fee in advance . DO NOT allow them to say, don’t worry about it, just pay me at the end. My wife made that mistake, unbeknownst to me. When we went to cast off, our assistance in hooking up to a ball, a return ride to the dock, 2 bags of ice , banana bread and 1.5 bags of trash, were a whopping $250 EC. ( about 92 US dollars ). I started asking questions about each item and the replies were vague. We had used this guy ( Buda was his name) on clearing in and he didn’t seem to screw us too bad, but decided to charge the moon on our departure from SVG. An arguement ensued and i called our agent, she said gave me fair pricing and i paid him what it was worth, much to his ire.
As a guideline from the locals:
Garbage pick up $5-$10 EC dollars
Fish ( any type ) $10-12/lb EC dollars
Lobster $20/lb EC dollars
Lobster Beach BBQ we received pricing from numerous people all over the board. We settled for $26 us per person
Assistance for helping with a mooring ball ( not the cost of the ball, especially if its a govt mooring ) $10 EC dollars. ($3.70 US) It was helpful having boat boys for this especially with the wind is 20-25kts sustained.
Some notable areas:
Saltwhistle bay is beautiful but it is as crowded as a Los Angeles freeway at rush hour… We Stayed there a 2 nights, so the kids could swim to the beach and play. This was on the way to Tobago Cays.
Tobago Cays – Beautiful pretty crowded on the throughout the entire park. The wind was quite fresh, so it was a short stay because of the kiddos. They wanted to swim and play in the water.
Saline bay – Not too crowded, easy access, calm conditions. We were there during Hero’s Day weekend, a National Holiday. Lolo’s bbq is amazing. normally it is low key and quiet. Not on that weekend…
Bequia- an amazing piece of heaven. It too was crowded. The town is wonderful, everyone is kind and there are many restaurants and drinking spots from local to fancy. The beach was wonderful. We should have stayed there longer ! Boat pick up, laundry service by Miranda was a treat. It was pricey but after 8 days we needed some clean clothes. I think we spent $50.00 on 6 loads of laundry. Having fresh warm laundry delivered was amazing. ( kids generate a lot of dirty laundry ! )
Mathilda also offers laundry service, we got a bad vibe from a boat boy from Mathilda’s. We never called them, but a boat boy came by and said he was here to pick up the laundry. Despite telling him he was mistaken, he was persistent that we did. Finally he left and did the same thing to another boat next to us. Another boat boy who came by offering lobster, said this is how they get more business.
If you haven’t been to SVG, make it a priority. It is truly a slice of heaven. The people are as warm as the weather. ( despite a few goat ropers and profit takers ) ….
We are looking for a clearing agent to get into the Grenadines from Grenada. Do you have contact information so we can line up an agent.
Many thanks!!!
More from Chris Doyle – this time about Frigate Island and Ashton:
See http://doyleguides.com/
I have not visited Frigate Island and Ashton for quite a few years. It used to be a quite little spot away from everyone, until the mid 90s when it became an Italian marina project, and a causeway was built from the island right over to the mangrove area on the far side of the bay, a distance of about two thirds of a mile. They also built numerous docks by the same method, which was to put up sheets of metal on either side of the area and filling it with rubble. When I anchored in those days it all looked like an abandoned project. Though it was kind of cool to be able to walk ashore. On the other hand, the causeway had stopped water flow and the water in some of the bays created by the docks turned a stagnant putrid green.
When I returned a few days ago, I could not believe the transformation. SusGren and nature together had wrought an amazing change, turning it into a fascinating place of great beauty, a perfect anchoring spot. SusGren’s main thrust was to return water circulation by opening the causeway at the inner end and cutting back other docks that were chocking the flow. Nature has converted what was left of the old docks into delightful mangrove islands set in clear shallow water.
When they opened up the channel, Susgren built two great suspension bridges over the gap that allow one to walk from Frigate Island to the mainland. They are good looking, fun and a little scary as they sway as you walk over (absolute limit 5 people on them at one time). The whole area including the large swamp on the mainland side has been turned into a park, and it includes two observation houses. This is a vast improvement over the rich man’s golf course that was planned to replace it.
When I sailed in, I was blown away at how beautiful it had become and what fun dinghy exploration could be with lots of seabirds sitting on the remains of bits of dock. The causeway has made the anchorage more protected, and to be honest, the combination of a failed project and the restoration has made it a far more interesting and lovely than it had been back before the whole thing started.
The park has a bee house, and they harvest dark mangrove honey which you can buy at the honey house if it is open or at the main SusGren office which is in the park closer to the main road. They use the new Australian designed hives where the honey chambers are split, so you can just let the honey pour out down a tube. A lot easier than the old method. The honey is delicious with a distinctive slightly malty flavor.
Orisha Joseph is welcoming and knowledgeable and is often in the Susgren office (orishajoseph2@gmail.com).
Susgren put down the moorings in the anchoring area to encourage people to use them and not mess up the very productive turtle grass beds that cover most of the seabed in the area. They are not charging for them and have neither the means nor the ability to maintain them. So, if you pick one up, snorkel on it, if it looks dodgy, you can put one of your own lines through the mooring. If you anchor, please try to avoid damaging the grass bed.
Ashton is a sweet little town with people who were very welcoming to us. Local restaurants and supermarkets are very much priced to the local market, though during covid is not the best time for a big review. You can take the challenging hike up Big Hill that climbs that towers over Ashton in the south. The path is doable, though it needs maintenance, and is steep and slippery in places. I found a good hiking stick really helpful. The really energetic can continue up to Mount Taboi, Union’s highest peak. A few steps down the road from the hiking trail is the studio of Dennis Coy, a local artist, who would be happy to show you his work if you gave him a call 784 432-2438.
In the anchorage, the Happy Kite cat lies close to the shore. Linda and Nicolas, are fun, teach kite surfing, and have a pizza oven which they usually fire up sometime after noon. The pizza is excellent, very thin crust and delicious. 1 784-593-9822.
We saw many turtles on the surface, and when Anne took a quick snorkel and she saw an eagle ray. There is a fair amount of reef on the Frigate Island side which makes for fair snorkeling.
Frigate has become a wonderful and interesting anchorage; I highly recommend it. I think the people of Ashton could benefit from a little more yacht trade, but to make it ready for more visitors it would be imperative to have some sturdy cleats to secure a dinghy to on the dock. They would be a vast improvement over the improvisations now in place. It would also be very pleasant (but nearly as essential) to have a small dinghy dock (maybe floating) down by the suspension bridge. Orisha Joseph as Susgren is in favor of these projects, we will have to see if we can make them a reality.
Chris Doyle – Doyle guides – reported 01 January, 2021:
In times of covid one has to be flexible, though just how flexible, I am only just finding out.
I decided to sail to Union just before Christmas, so I duly got my covid test on the 21st, cleared out on the 23rd ready for the test report to come in. When it did not arrive by the evening of the 24 th (I made numerous calls) I knew I was skunked. So I had to clear back in when the Christmas holiday was over. When it had not come back a week later on the 28th, I took another test. Nurse Blaire at the L’Esterre medical center was very kind and did not charge for the second test.
Yea! The results came back on 30th so I did the paperwork with SVG arrivals, cleared out of Carriacou and puttered over Sparrow Bay (there was no wind) so I would be set to sail over early today (31 st). Just as I was setting off in a good breeze the message came in the St. Vincent Government had closed Union as a port of entry for pleasure yachts, I would need to clear in St. Vincent. The wind was north east, right on the nose, and single handed I was not sure I could make it to St. Vincent by nightfall. Further the conditions were likely to strengthen and be quite vicious by Friday night and through Saturday. So, after some discussion with SVG arrivals it seems while I cannot clear into Union the quarantine moorings are still valid, so I decided to stop in Union till the Friday/Saturday blow is over and sail up to St. Vincent on Sunday, hopefully get my next test on Monday Morning.
We will see how that all works out! In times of Covid, changing countries is not easy.
The info above dated Dec 14,2020 that says there is a mandatory 14 day quarantine is totally wrong! Arrive St Vincent or Clifton after emailing all required forms with PCR test less than 5 days old, get retested, quarantine then get released when negative results come back in 2 to 5 days.
Here’s the correct document:
http://health.gov.vc/health/index.php/covid-19-protocols-documents
You have to come to Young Island to test. You are required to stay there until your test results come back which is 48 hours, not 24. And they only test on Mondays Wednesday and Thursday.
Check-in and out no longer possible at Union, Canouan and Bequia. See:
http://www.iwnsvg.com/2020/03/27/pm-orders-closure-of-3-grenadine-ports-of-entry/
Union Island have a good system for mooring. A boat boy help you with the bouy, you get their card. When you pay the fee, you give the card to the officials and they pay the boatboy. No hussle with negotiating prices with the boat boys.
Clem, with a boat with the text “Fair deal”, is a nice guy.
For lobster on Tobago Cays I can recommend Free Willy. His boat has the text “Arrival”. Bets, who cook for him, makes everything much more tasty than the other I tried
Today I was speaking to a Customs & Immigration Officer in Bequia and he said that St. Vincent and the Grenadines no longer require all Crew to accompany the Captain/Owner. He’s said that everything is back to how it was, the Captain goes to the Customs & Immigration Office to Check In/Out while all Crew stays on board until the process is finished.
Was informed by the friendly immigration officer at the Canouan Revenue Office in Charleston that as of 24th May 2019 the requirements for check-in / out at all ports of entry in St Vincent & Grenadines will now require the presentation of all crew to immigration on vessels with 13 or less people on board (in contrast to previously only requiring the skipper with all the passports).
S/V Serenity First
I wanted to inform you that dogs are permitted in StVincents according to DrToney, Chief veterinarian. The 6 month quarantine is not required. We had to provide a official health certificate, FAVN blood test, Lymes blood test, heart worm test, treatment for ticks, fleas and parasites and identification chip. DrToney wants cruisers to know dogs are welcome on the island and will meet you at BlueLagoon Marina to inspect your dog. This is the only location to clear in a dog.
She would like online information updated.
Her contact information is;
Dr Natalie Toney
784-456-1111
Animalhealthsvg@hotmail.com
Kingston, StVincents
Shelly Stork
SV Aria
A lot of thanks to Kerry Marine Services in Bequia for solving our ONAN generator problem! We can recommend you for mechanical problems which can not be solved elsewhere!
SALOME III
Maria’s comment is about Cumberland Bay.
Kenny (a Rasta) helped us an anchor and took our line ashore. He’s based out of Mojito restaurant on the left side but will moor you where ever you like. In front of Mojito, it seems easier to land your dinghy.
There is a cafe right in the middle of the bay, called Bay Central, which has toilets you can use for 2EC, showers 5EC and a laundry. The WiFi was not working when we were there.
We bought fruit from Wesley. Davis came over with jewellery. We couldn’t see a dinghy pontoon and there is no water available. There is a large pontoon that has seen better days, but you need long legs to get onto it and there are no cleats to tie onto. The people here were very friendly.
Joseph has a restaurant here and tried to sell us everything – the other locals have told us that he is very wealthy, even though he looks like he doesn’t have an EC in his pocket!
There are no rubbish bins, but the locals will take it for you and it goes into their bins and then to landfill (or so we are told).
Mojito restaurant looks a bit unloved compared to the others, but we had a lovely dinner here and great cocktails. Look out for Rattie who lives in the house next door and works at the restaurant.
You can walk up to Coulls Hill to the left – 20 mins. To the right is Spring (although we didn’t walk as far as the village). There is a small shop half way up the hill.
Maurice organised a taxi trip to take us to the waterfalls.
Kenny took my husband in his dinghy to clear out on a Saturday. He went to Chateaubelair and there is a customs office there, but immigration was closed (Saturday morning) so they went to Barrouallie.
Sargassum Weed Update from Sally Erdle (Caribbean Compass):
The Sargasso influx has definitely hit Bequia, too. Drove past Spring Bay on the way to a wedding on Friday, and Spring Bay REEKS. The next bay up the windward side of the Island, Industry Bay, wasn’t so bad because the hotelier there (Sugar Reef) has had men raking up the Sargasso every day.
I know there are different schools of thought on how to deal with the beached weed, but the wedding reception was at Sugar Reef, and if the beach hadn’t been raked it would have been untenable. The Sugar Reef crew piles it inland to dry.
Fortunately, the Sargasso is affecting only the windward-side bays in Bequia, the beaches on the lee side of the island are clear. But in Spring Bay especially the situation is awful. I should imagine the windward sides of Mystique and Barbados are also affected.
Keartons Bay, St. Vincent
We phoned the Rock Side Cafe after reading other people’s blogs and thought perhaps we should reserve a table. These are the up to date phone numbers :
+1 ( 784)456 0815
Cell: +1 (784) 431 3776
Email: rosimorgan@vincysurf.com
Orlando said that his boys would meet us and ignore the boat boys on the outside of the bay, wait until we are right inside. Curtis and Skin( wearing a yellow sash ) and were holding a buoy and waving frantically. They were in an inflatable dinghy but the cafe also has a white wooden dinghy and a rather nice launch called Rosi.
There were other boys in boats. We have 2 lines at the bow to tie onto the buoy and they then took one line from the stern and together we turned the boat around and moored the stern to another buoy.
Restaurant dinner booked for that evening. 85 EC PP and includes welcome drink, soup, main, dessert and water. Wine at 60EC a bottle.
Dinghy to and from the boat is included.
Curtis cleaned our hull for 100 EC.
Watch out for the boat vendors, particular a young boy in his red boat as it makes paint marks on your hull. Curtis cleaned them off for us for free.
The next night we just had the Main for dinner and were charged 50 EC each & included the welcome drink
40 EC a night for the mooring if you don’t have dinner.
We used Gary ( Red Eye ) to take us to the nature trail – there is also a good supermarket near the trail.
Mr Smiley came in his boat called Bluebird to sell us jewellery, he said he’s also known as Duncan ( as per Doyle’s guide).
Beautiful place to stop for a night or 2
ST VINCENT CARNIVAL 2017 – June 30th to July 11th
http://www.carnivalsvg.com
Update on SVG 9-19/3/2017
Keyif stayed in Boat Lagoon Marina for three days, on a mooring. The mooring field is a little rolly, but manageable. The marina manager and everyone at the front desk was extremely hard working, always helpful, very friendly. We felt very safe and well cared for, they even managed to arrange a rental car for us at short notice.
The island of Saint Vincent was interesting but very difficult to drive in, we would not advise driving on your own to the mountains or the waterfalls, but to rent a car with a driver and a tour guide costs 250 $ for half a day, not possible for many cruiser’s budgets. The people were very friendly to us, and went out of their way to help us repair a torn tire,
Bequia was much prettier than four years’ ago, the sea was clean, and the anchorage at Princess Margaret beach was safe. There were a lot of charter boats, mostly with European crews.
The number of boats in Tobago Cays has increased considerably over the last four years, moorings have been placed, and anchoring space is unfortunately limited, but it is as beautiful as ever.
The 3G internet in SVG is very expensive, as data gets used up very quickly, so beware.
Update on Moorings by Chris Doyle via St Vincent and the Grenadines Cruisers Facebook Page:
Most guys in Bequia are now charging $60 EC a night for their balls (and whatever may happen to lie underneath them).
Remember they are not regulated, have no legal standing so unless you check them with mask and snorkel there is no guarantee of reliability.
Tobago Cays Marine Park is now running the moorings in Salt Whistle Bay, the same charge. These are new so should be OK but you would be very wise to check for yourself.
We have seen a small Coastguard boat patrolling Port Elizabeth in Bequia several nights a week during our stay late September and early October 2015.
A positive security gesture towards visiting sailors.
Buoys again.
Noonsite is a reference for information, safety and security for a lot of sailors.
Thus I believe I should share what recently happened to fellow sailors in Tobago Cays.
This is documented in the Facebook group St Vincent and the Grenadines Cruisers.
2. September kl. 08:57
“Last night we woke up at 3.30 am by a boat crashing into our bow.
It turned out to be a sailboat that had been tied up to a mooring ball in front of us in Tobago Cays.
He was still attached to the mooring ball, dragging it along his side.
It was lucky that he hit us, as we both woke up from the collision. If not, he would have dragged onto the reef further west.
So: don’t trust the mooring balls in Tobago Cays, or at least inspect them first!
It was not much wind. Perhaps 3-4 m/s.”
As I understand, the Tobago Cays are an SVG national park. They collect money from buoy users. I find it very strange that the Rangers do not keep strict quality control with their buoys. They do not seem to be overly busy when they are present at the park. Word may have spread. When we visited recently, no one used the buoys in the sound. Not good for business.
Of course, in a while high season comes, all will be forgotten and new cruisers will come by and use the moorings. But the rangers FB remark that this only happens 2-3 times a year is not comforting. To the ones who drift off towards the reefs while asleep in the darkness, this can mean disaster.
Thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Grenadines. April and May into June of 2015. Stayed a month in Bequia, a couple of nights in Mustique(gotta do Basil’s Bar and The View restaurant), then on to the Tobago Cays which were lovely and crowded even out of season. We are now in Union Island. Don’t let a few bad experiences stop you from visiting. Think of the number of boats vs the number of incidents. May the odds be forever in your favour :-)!
April 2015: we enjoyed our stay in Cumberland: boat boys very helpful – Perry took us in his dinghy to wallilabou & baroualli to get customs & immigration cleared.
We met Mr Emerson Edwards a very experienced Tourist guide and herbalist for Cumberland region: can be contacted on e-mail: mr.emersonedwards@gmail.com and tel 1-784-531-9940
Additionally, in the bay there is an EU-project where they supply fresh water, you can take showers and washing machine/dryer is available (to be paid for)
we will be back next year!
Hey everyone, for yachts entering and departing from the leeward side of St. Vincent, ChateauBelair is a declared port of entry since 2003. The Customs building is along the coastline beside the jetty. The office is always open from 7 AM to 7 PM from Sunday to Sunday and on Public Holidays. Immigration is also available From 6 AM to 10 Pm. The service is much faster and efficient, unlike walliabou whereas Customs is only available from 5 pm to 6 pm and you have to go further round to Barrouille to get to the Immigration( the choice is yours).
Cumberland is not a declared port of entry however it is only for anchorage after checking in with customs and it is illegal hence a charge can be fine. The ChateauBelair office can be contacted on telephone number 17844857907. Security is ok as coastguard does random patrols for the safety of our visitors. There are a Restaurant and Bar at the beachfront, there is a Gas Station and Mimi Supermarket and a bakery. Recreation sites such as the Volcano, Waterfalls and anchorage for snorkelling all are available in ChateauBelair. You are always greeted by friendly people who are always willing to assist you.
For yachts passing on the leeward side of St. Vincent I can recommend Cumberland bay as a safe and hospitable anchorage. The boat boys will come out and meet you guiding you in and taking your stern line to attach to a tree. I found Carlos particularly helpful and he also keeps an eye out for you he can be contacted in advance on 17844551199.
Carlos will also take you round to clear customs and immigration at Chateaubelair in his dingy which speeds the process considerably. The beach bars could do with the support as they are struggling to get back into business after being devastated by the Christmas storm
My parents are just back from a cruise in the Grenadines. They met friends that had been robbed at Chatham Bay, Union after a drink at the famous big new Italian beach bar. When leaving the bar, they all felt sick, like they had been drugged (maybe GHB). All of the group (4 people) were then robbed by men, they took all their money, phones, etc.
They even do not remember how they came back to the boat, they woke up the following morning. This seems an organized crime: drugged in the bar, robbers waiting outside.
Frédéric Dalle
Re. Security: The notes warning about thefts in this part of the Caribbean and the suggestion that if you anchor in Tobago Cays you should be careful about keeping hatches open is so sad to me. My husband and I got married on Mayreau just over 7 years ago.
We were on a 2 week bareboat trip with 7 friends and sailed to Bequia, Mayreau, Mustique, Tobago Cays and Union Island. Our own boat is in Antigua now and we were planning on re-creating the trip on our own boat and re-visiting the great and beautiful places we anchored and experienced…now I don’t think I want to take the chance…
Vikki O’Connor