Bahamas Opens Up!!!

Once again, the requirements for entry into the Bahamas have changed, but this time (FINALLY) for the better.  

First, and most important, is that the Bahamas has waived testing upon arrival for fully vaccinated travelers, and they have eliminated the Bahamas Travel Health Visa for all travelers.  Fully vaccinated travelers will NO longer have to submit to pre-travel testing.  

All you will need upon entry is either proof of vaxing or (for the un-vaxed) a test result.  Full vaccination is consider to be two shots of a two-dose vaccine or one dose of a single shot.  Boosters are good, but not required.  HURRAY!!!!

The CharterSavvy Summer Issue Is Out...And FREE!

You can read the Summer Issue of CharterSavvy online for free!  Just click on the cover to the left, or go to www.CharterSavvy.com.

In this issue, you'll find Barge-Cruising the French Canals (Think Wine!!) and Bareboating the Greek Islands (It's all Greek to us!).  Plus all the great columns and departments, plus a Sea Trial of the Leopard 464.  

Enjoy!!  The CharterSavvy crew.

Bitter End Is Back!!

When Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgins was trashed by Hurricane Irma in 2017, the entire charter world was saddened.  BEYC was always a "must-stop" on the bareboat circuit, but little was spared.  

Aside from the marina and the bar and restaurant, one thing missing was the Reef Sampler, a 34-footer used as a go-fer boat for the club.  She sank at her mooring in the 180mph winds, but she was found, sitting upright and waiting to be rescued.  And so Reef Sampler has become a new beach bar for BEYC.

It has a navigation table with seating for 8 plus bar areas everywhere, and it is shaded by tent fabric.  Put this on your "must do" list again!  

The Moorings Opens In Florida Keys!

The Moorings has opened a bareboat base in Key West, the southernmost point in the continental USA, making it a tropical paradise that you can drive to via the legendary Seven Mile Bridge (left)!  You can provision at a big box store, throw all your duffels in your car, and be snorkeling over the only living coral barrier reef in the U.S.  

Walk palm-lined streets in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway, explore the Dry Tortugas National Park (70 miles west of Key West), and meander through the many islands of the Florida Keys.  

Enjoy island bars, quiet beaches, and great sailing.  The Moorings is offering both power and sail bareboat charters, with a seasonal closing in early Sept.  

For info, (800) 416-0820, www.moorings.com

BVI Ends Quarantine!!

The Minister of Health for the BVIs has announced that fully-vaccinated visitors to the BVI will no longer be subject to quarantine on arrive.  

Fully-vaccinated visitors will be required to provide a PCR or rapid antigen test within five days of arrival as well as provide satisfactory evidence of being fully vaccinated.  This will make it far easier for bareboaters to arrive and take off on their charters without having to wait for a quarantine, even if it was aboard their boat at the dock.  

This also means that bareboaters don't have to take the PCR test on arrival (day zero).  In addition, the Gateway administrative fee has been reduced to $35 from $105 for the vaccinated arrivals.