Crew Wanted: St. Thomas to Ft. Lauderdale

[Tropiclvr]

Looking for someone (or a couple) to help crew our Lagoon 450 from St. Thomas next week. Plan on taking a couple of weeks, stopping where we can on the way up to Ft. Lauderdale. Must have sailing experience, valid passport, and flexible schedule. Crew pay their own expenses.

[Phisher]

Originally Posted by Tropiclvr

Looking for someone (or a couple) to help crew our Lagoon 450 from St. Thomas next week. Plan on taking a couple of weeks, stopping where we can on the way up to Ft. Lauderdale. Must have sailing experience, valid passport, and flexible schedule. Crew pay their own expenses.

You will not cover expenses for food while underway?

[Tropiclvr]

Sorry. Yes, we are covering provisioning, but not airfare. I wasn’t clear. I’m not good at posting this stuff - my husband is the captain. This is kind of a quickly planned trip, so I’m helping, lol

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Tropiclvr

Looking for someone (or a couple) to help crew our Lagoon 450 from St. Thomas next week. Plan on taking a couple of weeks, stopping where we can on the way up to Ft. Lauderdale. Must have sailing experience, valid passport, and flexible schedule. Crew pay their own expenses.

Hi Tropiclvr. Curious where and why you expect to stop. Turks and Caicos? That isn't very far from your start? Bahamas? That's expensive and borders are closed. It's well under 1,000 nm from St Thomas to Ft Lauderdale. Easy in eight days and with some weather luck and attention to sail trim faster than that.

I suggest you plan for a non-stop trip. You'll burn a lot of time trying to stop in places where you can't. I've made that trip a number of times, twice on Lagoon 450s. You'll want to provision for delays, manage fuel, pay attention to sail trim, ... all the regular things. A well-maintained Lagoon 450 is a solid boat. I hope you have a dodger fitted. It can be wet up there.

[Tropiclvr]

From what I’ve been reading, Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas are both open to cruisers beginning June 1. We’re not stopping because we have to - we’re stopping because we want to. Both places offer beautiful anchorages where we can relax a bit and enjoy life in these crazy times. Thanks for the input, though.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Tropiclvr

From what I’ve been reading, Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas are both open to cruisers beginning June 1. We’re not stopping because we have to - we’re stopping because we want to. Both places offer beautiful anchorages where we can relax a bit and enjoy life in these crazy times. Thanks for the input, though.

I agree about beauty.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis is targeting 1 July for reopening borders with continuing restrictions on inter-island transit (including us). See https://opm.gov.bs/national-address-17-may-2020

T&Cs are harder to find official data. I'm seeing phased reopening between 1 and 30 June. Nothing about private vessels and where we fit in.

I would still recommend provisioning for your entire trip before you leave.

[flyingfin]

So you are expecting crew to fly to STT on their dime and hope you and vessel are ready to go and your plans dont change?? Is an account in a Nigerian bank also involved in this proposal?

[tjandoverguy]

I think that great trip I wasn't going back to the States I'd be sure happy to do that flights Lauderdale to Saint Thomas are like 75 bucks you you don't want somebody on your boat that can afford 75 bucks

[Nani Kai]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I agree about beauty.

Prime Minister Hubert Minnis is targeting 1 July for reopening borders with continuing restrictions on inter-island transit (including us). See https://opm.gov.bs/national-address-17-may-2020

I would still recommend provisioning for your entire trip before you leave.

We left the Bahamas (Cat Island, Eleuthera, Exumas) in mid March just as the Corona virus was starting to shut things down. The "inter-island transit restrictions" created a number of problems as we moved North. The restrictions prevented any person or vessel from transiting between islands unless they were delivering cargo:food, fuel, etc. Cruisers were in a grey area not clearly defined by the government. This meant each island on the way out had their own interpretation of the rules. On one island we were allowed to get fuel but not come on shore. Another island would not allow us to even come in for fuel. On three different islands we were not allowed to leave the boat to come ashore for provisions. Finally, at Bimini, we anchored out late in the evening and left early the next morning but two other cruisers we were in contact with were prevented from leaving Bimini for 3 days. They had opted to stay in the marina, were not allowed to provision and also not allowed to leave, enforced by a Bahamian Defense Force vessel patrolling offshore 24/7. Keep in mind that if you stop at any foreign port you are now entering the USA with a quarantine requirement. You may have restrictions upon re-entering the US that might include self quarantine onboard for 2 weeks. Whereas if you are re-entering directly from USVI the restrictions may not be as strict. Were it not for the pandemic, my wife and I would be tempted to join you. We own a Leopard 39 and are looking to take her to the USVI/BVI next season so the trip up from there would be informative. We wouldn't however be interested in repeating the tense exit from the Bahamas again anytime soon. We certainly wish you the best however on your northbound journey. Aloha and be safe.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Nani Kai

Keep in mind that if you stop at any foreign port you are now entering the USA with a quarantine requirement. You may have restrictions upon re-entering the US that might include self quarantine onboard for 2 weeks. Whereas if you are re-entering directly from USVI the restrictions may not be as strict.

It's tempting to think that countries and borders are opening up and conditions will get better. I'll point out that France opened schools last week and this week closed them again when a spike in infections with contact tracing to primary schools. I tell this story because conditions can change while we are at sea and plans must needs adjust.

[Montanan]

FYI:

The T & Cs have issued and extended their Covid 19 emergency orders repeatedly. The latest advisory #4 extended from May 10th to June 1st. Given that they have to date successfully contained the community spread on their isles under the total lockout and extensive internal lockdown, it would seem that they would continue with the lockout as to closure of their borders and avail an easing of their internal lockdown "Stay At Home" orders and perhaps selectively and controllable avail some essential entries to the country and perhaps allow repatriation of their nationals from outside their country. But to open their country to non-nationals and non-essential entrants [such as a modest number of cruisers] would be to risk the entry of the contagion and losing the advantage of having essentially contained the disease and eliminating the community spread for little to nil gain to their country.

I can't see the T&Cs opening their country any time soon to any travellers unless they undergo testing and quarantine protocols.

IMO, expect that an Advisory #5 will be issued near June 1st extending the lock out albeit with selective and controlled reentry accommodations.

And of course the normal entry protocols will be required such as TIP Declaration / Cruising Permit and Application for Clearance Departure requirements if and when the borders are eased for transit or disembarkations.

All of the Caribbean are presently transitioning their attention and resources and preparation to having to deal with severe storm weather calamities combined with a resurgence of Covid 19, not just dealing with Covid 19. The wet weather season brings the typical seasonal challenges of all the endemic wet weather associated disease issues. This season is predicted to be a very active storm season likely enhancing the propagation of the wet season disease outbreaks. They are facing very challenging worst case scenario preparations under severely distressful financial constraints.


FYI, below is the present Travel Advisory for the Turks and Caicos.


Travel Advisory #4: Extension of Border Closure Emergency Powers (COVID-19)(No. 4) Regulations 2020
Travel Advisory
04 May 2020

The Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Tourism and Tourist Board would like to advise visitors and travel industry partners of the recent changes in regulations that will affect travel to the destination. Please take note of the Emergency Powers (COVID-19)(No. 4) Regulations 2020 which shall come into operation at 6:01 a.m. on 4 May 2020 and shall, except for regulation 8(3), expire at 6:00 a.m. on 1 June 2020.

8 - Closure of Airports and Seaports

1. For the purposes of preventing, controlling and suppressing the spread of Covid-19—

all airports shall remain closed to regional and international flights, whether commercial or private;
all sea ports shall remain closed to regional and international seafaring; and
no person shall be permitted to enter or transit through the Turks and Caicos Islands.

2. The restriction contained in subregulation (1) does not apply to—

outgoing flights or outgoing ships, as the case may be;
cargo flights or cargo ships, as the case may be;
courier flights;
medevac flights;
technical stops (stops by aircraft to refuel and proceed onward to another destination);
emergency flights approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Airports Authority; or
naval vessels, however no person shall be allowed on or off the vessel with the exception of Chief Medical Officer or other public health officials.

3. Cruise ports shall remain closed until 30th June 2020 and no cruise ship shall be permitted to enter the Islands until after 30th June 2020, subject to guidance from the CDC and the cruise industry.

[Montanan]

FYI:

In order to mitigate against Covid 19 infection, all arrivals to the USVI are required to undergo a 14 day self-isolation quarantine before being able to move about the USVI.

So if a crew person is recruited to fly into the USVI, they likely will require lodging / provisioning accommodation for two weeks before availing themselves for on-boarding your vessel.

[jeffatds9]

Can you provide an official VI government source for your statement that incoming travelers must self-quarantine for 14 days?

I see some travel sites making that statement. But I can tell you that no mandatory self-quarantine is being enforced or practiced in St Croix. I doubt St Thomas is any different.

USVI is not Hawaii.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by tjandoverguy

I think that great trip I wasn't going back to the States I'd be sure happy to do that flights Lauderdale to Saint Thomas are like 75 bucks you you don't want somebody on your boat that can afford 75 bucks

Agreed, two weeks sailing a cat sounds like a great deal. No need to sweeten that pie with air fare. I have to agree with Dave(Auspicious) though in provisioning for the whole trip, in view of the current situation, would be prudent - you won't need much fuel with the current and stopping to just buy more food doesn't make much sense.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Montanan

In order to mitigate against Covid 19 infection, all arrivals to the USVI are required to undergo a 14 day self-isolation quarantine before being able to move about the USVI.

We talked about this a bit in another thread. I believe based on substantial bureaucratic experience and NO knowledge of current regulations, that crew could be moved from STT to a boat that immediately dropped lines and departed. Making that work would require substantial perseverance, administrative acumen, and some degree of personality. You might have to promise CBP and Health authorities you'd never tell anyone. *grin*