Jost Customs closed to arriving private yachts due to H1N1

[Pia]

See link below...........

http://www.bvinews.com/main.asp?Section ... cleID=3116

[cruiserkcs]

Does this affect day sails from STJ to Jost?

[Pia]

My understanding is yes - all private charters

[cruiserkcs]

That is sad. We have a daysail planned during the week of 5/16. I don't know if the restrictions will still be in place by then, but I imagine so. We were so looking forward to the conch fritters and a painkiller at Soggy Dollar. Hopefully, we can still go, even though we would have to go through customs at a different place. I don't know what time allows on a sailboat. Truthfully, right now, I'm just hoping that no bans are placed on travel & we miss our STJ trip all together!

[Fowst]

Whoa, whoa. Let's keep this in perspective. Isn't this simply a matter of checking in at a different port, then traveling on to Jost? That's how I read the following from the article:

"Yachters wishing to dock on Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, or any other sister island are advised that they must clear customs at one of the designated locations."

Maybe we and the sail charters should be thinking of things to do while waiting to clear customs in the different location.

[Pia]

Yes you just have to clear on Tortola but if you are doing a day sail not a day powerboat it won't be possible due to distance and time

Pia

[Fowst]

I don't have any grasp of the timing, so please clarify: Are you saying for a day sail it takes too long to get from West End to Jost on a sailboat?

[Gromit]

I see what Pia is saying... but what about the ferry to Jost? Looks like that should be fine...

Here's the excerpt Fowst was referring to:

The advisory states that all customs clearance procedures for yachters or other non-commercial vessels will only be processed through three designated ports of entry. They are the Road Town and West End Ferry Terminals in Tortola and the Spanish Town Ferry Dock in Virgin Gorda.

[Pia]

No, it takes too long to sail to Tortola from STJ and then sail to Jost (again sailing not powerboat) - at least that was what I was told by a very well known day sail captain

Pia

[Lovermont]

Looks like those added days on the ferry schedule could be very handy.

[Fowst]

Thanks for the clarification, Pia. That does indeed bode poorly for day sailors hoping to hit JVD.

[designbyroe]

So I am guessing instead of checking in at Great Harbour on Jost, you would just check in on W. End in Tortola and then get back on the ferry to Jost?

[brenda]

So I am guessing instead of checking in at Great Harbour on Jost, you would just check in on W. End in Tortola and then get back on the ferry to Jost?

That's how I interpreted it. No biggie if you take the ferry. We have on occasion had to clear in West End anyway. I think it may depend on how many vessels they have running in the above instance.

[cruiserkcs]

Has the restriction on going thru customs at Jost been lifted? I thought I read somewhere that private boats were going to once again be able to go thru customs at Jost, but I can't find the website I read it on now. Can someone confirm that the restrictions have been lifted?

[Captain John]

Has the restriction on going thru customs at Jost been lifted? I thought I read somewhere that private boats were going to once again be able to go thru customs at Jost, but I can't find the website I read it on now. Can someone confirm that the restrictions have been lifted?

Yes.