What is going on in the BVIs?

[Rocinante33]

Hi all

Anybody else see this? I thought this would be all over the forums but I can’t find anything. Pardon me if something is already going about this.

Fair winds!

https://bvinews.com/customs-detains-...0hkNMh8mKyZF-w

[Saleen411]

Yea.....this is strange.

Maybe Contrail will chime in with "the rest of the story"

[ohdrinkboy]

Moorings was fined in the mid 6 figures and a small charter firm was fined in the mid 5 figures. For the small charter firm, that is a really tough fine to pay. Sad to see it had to come to this for everyone involved.

[Emoyeni]

I just got the following email from Navigare:


UPDATE FROM NAVIGARE YACHTING IN BVI

You may have heard of some disruption of activity for a few charter operators in the British Virgin Islands over the past few days. We wish to inform all our clients and industry partners that Navigare Yachting in BVI remains open for business and ready to deliver what we do best – sailing vacations of a lifetime!

If you’re already booked with Navigare, please rest assured that your vessel will be ready to depart from our base in Nanny Cay as planned.

If you find yourself in need of a boat in the near future don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-800-807-1562 or chat with our charter specialists online: www.navigare-yachting.com. While we are already very well booked, we will do our best to accommodate your request.

With kind regards,

The Navigare Team
charter@navigare-yachting.com
www.navigare-yachting.com

[Montanan]

Will be interesting to see if Moorings and the smaller charter company make good as to the expenses incurred by their charter party clients who were not able to have the contracts fulfilled.

The cost of a disrupted charter could well exceed the cost of any fines, since one would be seeking recoupment of all travel expenses and also for ancillary losses and of course full rebate of the payment for the charter.

Big time screw up by the charter companies and a lot of rightfully angry clients whose planned voyages have been disrupted. Good to see the BVI becoming diligent as to the rule of law and of safety compliance. It sounds like the BVI was foolish for the last six months in not falling their legal procedures.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Rocinante33

Hi all

Anybody else see this? I thought this would be all over the forums but I can’t find anything. Pardon me if something is already going about this.

Fair winds!

https://bvinews.com/customs-detains-...0hkNMh8mKyZF-w

Started this thread yesterday but didn't draw any comment. Figured no one had a charter booked in the near future.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ts-262270.html

[johnnyH]

I love the BVI and have spent a great deal of time there but it is a place where you will be relentlessly nickeled and dimed with excess charges that are coupled with exorbitant prices. It has even grown worse since Hurricane Irma beat up the area just a couple of years ago. Shutting down the Moorings and other charters should come as no surprise to anyone that has spent a few months there. Government, white collar professionals, business owners, and even the taxi drivers take advantage of visitors, cruisers and other boaters that keep belongers prosperous. Its now almost impossible to go on the hook anywhere in the BVI because all of the good anchorages are now full of $30 per day mooring balls owned by the Pitt family (you got it -more belongers). There are other places to go where the locals will treat you much better

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I'm a part owner of a Moorings boat, and Moorings apparently did screw this up. And not just in the BVI. We had to chase down USCG documentation plus evidence of insurance at the last minute before using the boat in Grenada. I am left wondering if Moorings "deferred" some things like insurance and documentation to save money when revenue was close to zero during the worst of COVID.

[PaulCrawhorn]

That is their territory, and their prerogative.

The interests of the short stay fly-in visitors are being well served it seems to me, and that is the BVI's true bread and butter customers.

Their economy is well used to major drops, and if that happens now again, so be it.

More likely the big operators will come up with the means to be in compliance in coming months.

And I bet with all the BVI has to offer, long term they will be just fine, hurricanes permitting.

[Stewie12]

The government of the BVI has always ripped off tourists to their islands believing that, not matter what they charge, the tourists will still come. I hope they have a day of reckoning whereby they will understand that without tourists they have nothing¡. Boycott the BVI until the prices come down.

[Elie]

What is surprising is the fact that this is exactly what happens all the time in Florida where you have to pay all sort of taxes when you possess a boat, and this state and many other in USA apply also strickly those taxation rules . Why would you expect that a little country like BVI should be exempted of applying its own rules ? For ever?

[glenn.225]

And how is this any different than any other corporation? Charge what the market will bear.
They have to support themselves somehow.

[billgewater]

Keeping things afloat applies not only to your boat, but seemingly the economy of some states as well.

[PaulCrawhorn]

My impression was that compliance with safety requirements was the larger issue than just taxes and fees.

I would hope the BVI is stricter in that regard for commercial charter operations, than Florida is for the average boat owner there.

[DEAN2140]

We are chartering next week with "Nightmare" Yacht Charters in St. Thomas. Although I've had my problems with this company, nothing compares to this fiasco in BVI.