RYA SPRING 2021


22


Destination Focus: Caribbean H


CRUISING ABROAD


ow do you imagine paradise? Katie Bingham, founder of Bequia-based Sail Grenadines,


thinks it’s the islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Although it could be anywhere in the entire Caribbean region, a swathe of 700-plus islands sprinkled across the sea south-east of the Gulf of Mexico, where you’re welcomed by steady winds, vibrant blue waters and sun-soaked beaches. But in these challenging times, is it feasible to make this dream a reality, and revel in a sailing trip of a lifetime? ‘If we remain responsible and


follow the rules,’ says Marin Susac, UK country manager for Globesailor, ‘we can have our holidays on the water – different, but still holidays.’


Spoilt for choice


Popular sailing hotspots include the British Virgin Islands, which, says Marin, have ‘sheltered harbours, pirate bars and delicious French-Caribbean cuisine. The famous Soggy Dollar Bar at White Bay on the island of Jost Van Dyke serves an excellent Painkiller cocktail.’ Or you could try Tortala, known as ‘the yacht charter capital of the Caribbean’. The crowd-free, wildlife-rich St Vincent and Grenadines ‘maintains a “real Caribbean” atmosphere, with rainforest walks, excellent diving and snorkelling,’


“the crowd-free, wildlife-rich


st vincent and the grenadines maintains a ‘real caribbean’ atmosphere, with excellent divinG”


says Katie, while Tommy Tognarelli, founder of Plain Sailing, adds that the Tobago Cays archipelago is a series of wild, uninhabited islets and reefs that ‘customers rave about as being the ultimate place to sail’. When the pandemic rippled across the globe, business in this idyllic part of the world was affected as much as anywhere. ‘The charter industry changed


overnight,’ says Tommy. ‘We postponed and re-booked charters to later in the 2020 season or 2021, and bookings we did take tended to be pretty last-minute, to avoid government changes.’ Lynn Ferrell of LateSail adds that the ongoing situation is still a concern: ‘Clients are still hesitant to commit with so much uncertainty.’


As the pandemic continues to affect travel plans, we look at how popular sailing regions are adjusting to life under Covid-19. This issue, the Caribbean…


Charter companies developed plans quickly to reassure and compensate customers. ‘We gave options to postpone, free, to future dates and offered refunds,’ says Katie. ‘It has started to ease recently but we’re still postponing charters for a second or third time as people delay holidays to 2022.’ ‘We implemented a flexible cancellation policy with partner charter companies,’ says Marin, ‘and include information in promotional materials with destination-specific entry requirements.’ What are the current requirements


for visitors, charter staff and island life? Quarantining rules vary from island to island, and to get to most islands you need proof of a negative PCR test result. For visitors to St Vincent and the Grenadines, Katie says: ‘Holidaymakers can travel in transit via Barbados or St Lucia without quarantining and retesting, provided they have a PCR test in date. They are categorised as medium or high risk on arrival in St Vincent depending on the countries they’ve visited or transited through in the past 21 days.’


Lynn emphasises that ‘steps have


been taken to make sailing in the Caribbean accessible but there are more restrictions on people coming from high-risk countries.’


safety on land and sea


Safety measures on charters have been ramped up too. ‘There’s face masks, extra-deep cleaning on boats, handover meetings are outdoors (and only with the skipper), hand sanitisers are everywhere, and it’s card payments only,’ says Tommy.


The white sands and blue seas of the Bahamas are typical of the Caribbean’s beautiful sailing locations.


‘And bedlinen and disinfected tableware is supplied in protective wrappings,’ adds Marin. Clearly, considerable efforts are being made to boost the confidence of potential holidaymakers. Mask-wearing and social distancing on land also varies by location, and training facilities are quiet


Photo: David Piraino / Getty Images


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