Travel Information

• Address & Map
• Arrival & Departure
• Sailing Information
• Banks & Money Exchange
• General Information
• Electrical, Phones & Music
• Activities
• Provisioning
• Health & Safety

Address & Map

Base Address

Sunsail
Rodney Bay Marina
Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
West Indies

Base Open Hours

Base office hours are from 8:00am to 4:30pm, 7 days a week.

Base/Shore Facilities

Facilities: A fully serviced marina including a hotel, restaurant, post office and bank

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Arrival & Departure

Start and End Times

• Charters start at 6:00pm
• Charters end end at 11:00am

Late Arrival – After Office Hours

If arriving after office hours, a welcome letter and the keys for the yacht will be left with security. A welcome board on the yacht will indicate the Skipper's name.

Boat & Chart Briefing will be conducted the following morning. 

Flight Information

Servicing Airlines
Air France
Air Canada
American Eagle 
British Airways
BWIA
Caribbean Star
Delta
LIAT
US Airways
Virgin Atlantic

Transfers

From George Charles (Vigie) airport - (30 minutes). Approximate cost: 1-3 pax $25: extra passengers $10 per person, each way.

From Hewanorra International airport - (85 minutes) Approximate cost: 1-3 pax $90: extra passengers $25 per person, each way.

Passport and Visas

Customs and Immigration

The base has custom facilities which are open daily from 9:00am to 4:00pm, and closed for lunch from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. 

Passports

A valid passport (for each passenger) and crew list is compulsory for clearance. Expiration date must be no earlier than 6 months after your planned return. A customs declaration form must be completed at the port of entry. 

Visas

Please note country entry/exit requirements are subject to change. Please check http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country.html for the latest information before you leave. Sunsail is not accountable for any requirement changes.

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Sailing Information

St. Lucia is a Level 3 Sailing Area.
Experience levels are based on sailing conditions and the length of passages within your chosen sailing area. Follow the link for more information on the sailing conditions. This rating scale is designed as a guide based on the prevailing conditions during the most popular season.

Level 3 - Equates to 20 days sailing, 400 miles on an equivalent yacht or RYA Day Skipper qualification with experience to a higher level.
ICC qualification with experience to a higher level
Wind/Weather – 10-25 knots
Navigation - Understand tidal flow, ability to navigate in open waters, cope with strong currents and be able to make a passage plan
Anchor/Mooring - Primarily anchoring, some slightly more exposed anchorages with poor anchor holding ground.

Sailing Licences

Although no sailing licences are required for cruising in St. Lucia, we strongly advise that you take any sailing certification on vacation with you. This may be useful should you be contacted by Customs or Port Police. If you have not already done so then Skipper and 1st Mate will be required to fill in a Sailing CV to confirm that you have the necessary skills to sailing in this region.

Cruising Permits & Taxes

Night Time Sailing

You are not permitted to sail at night unless it has been agreed with the base manager prior to departure.

Cruising Area Limits

All the British Virgin Islands, including Anegada.
Outside our cruising grounds would be US Virgin Islands and Spanish Virgin Islands
Rest of Caribbean: No further than 20 miles out from Puerto Rico to Grenada,
excluding Saba, Montserrat, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago
There are some other restrictions throughout the whole Caribbean, which are detailed in the Caribbean Introduction section.

Mooring Fees and Taxes

Payable when clearing at customs.

The Windward Islands are actually 4 separate countries
1. Martinique (part of France)
2. St. Lucia (south of Martinique)
3. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (south of PSV)
4. Grenada (including Carriacou & Petit Martinique)
Mooring facilities are provided in some areas for overnight stays These are managed by local restaurants & bars or marinas. Charges are variable but start at US $15 a night.
A marine park fee for Tobago Cays is 10$ EC per day per person. This can be purchased in advance at the Sunsail Base.

Charts & Pilot Book

All the charts and pilot books you will need for the sailing area are on board the yacht. Charts and pilot books can be purchased by mail order from Cruising Guides.

Fuel

We would highly recommend that all clients’ pre-pay fuel. Fuel is available at the base.
Mobile
The base will give each of the yachts a mobile phone.

Coolers

Coolers are available at the base on a first come first served basis at no additional charge. Please sign these out and return them clean and undamaged otherwise you will be charged for replacement. Only one per boat.

Skippered Charter Information

The skipper’s time is booked from 12:00pm to 12:00pm in 24-hour periods. If you have reserved him for the first day of your charter and have a 6:00pm start, he will use this time to ensure he is happy with all aspects of the yacht and will be at the base to meet you upon your arrival. If you have reserved him for a later date on your charter he will start at 12:00pm on that day.

The skipper is responsible for the safety of the yacht at all times. He is not permitted to dive with you, nor leave the vessel overnight. He must conduct a safety brief with you before leaving the dock regardless of the duration of his contract with you.

For “check out charters” (anything less than the full duration of the charter) the check out skipper’s time is booked from 6:00pm to 6:00pm to allow for a meet and greet in the evening and go over basic systems, then a full day with you the next day. This skipper is required to give you a thorough briefing on all aspects of the yacht and dinghy in addition to assisting you with planning an itinerary for the trip and advising you how to contact the base, the return to base procedures and the emergency assistance procedures. It is suggested that you attend the scheduled chart brief that will be supplemented by the skipper during his time with you on the yacht. It is also suggested that you make it clear exactly what you want to cover…anchoring, docking, etc.

The skipper will be required to give you as much information as you require concerning the yacht and its systems, sailing skills and navigation in general.

The skipper fee does not include food or beverages for the skipper and are your responsibility. It is suggested that you discuss this on the first day with the skipper and establish whether you will give the skipper cash for meals, whether you have included him in your provisioning or whether you will accommodate him as part of the group for meals ashore.

The skipper must have his own cabin. We prefer not to put the skipper in the bow due to the shared heads and size of the cabin. If you expect him to stay in the bow, please let us know well in advance so that we can choose the appropriate (small) skipper.

For one-day check out skipper’s it is your responsibility to get the skipper back to the base. If you prefer not to come back to the base you must pay for his expenses (ferry, taxi, etc.) to get him back to the base.
The average tip for a skipper is 15 to 20% of the skipper’s fee. This is, of course, at your discretion.

There are several different countries represented within the cruising grounds of the Windward Islands and each of them require customs/immigration clearance upon arrival and departure. Fees vary based on the country, yacht, number of passengers, itinerary etc. All charters with a skipper are encouraged to provide the skipper with an initial $500 at the beginning their charter. This money will be used to cover costs for customs fees as well as mooring ball fees for the duration of the charter. The total amount needed may be less or it may be more. At the end of the charter the skipper will return any remaining funds along with receipts for all money spent. ATMs are limited in the cruising grounds so it’s important to plan ahead for these fees.

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Banks & Money Exchange

A 1st National Bank is located in the Marina Village and is open Monday - Friday: 8:00am to 4:00pm, Saturday: 8:00am - 12:00pm and is closed on Sunday. There's also a 24hr ATM machine beside the bank.
There are other banks in Castries with similar opening hours, although they are closed on Saturdays and Sundays

Currency

The local currency in St. Lucia is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar.

US Dollars are accepted throughout the Windwards. Visa and MasterCard are also accepted in most places.

Sunsail cannot exchange any money or traveller checkes at the base.

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General Information

Language

English & French-based patois

Restaurants

Marigot Beach Club
JJ’s Restaurant & Bar
The Shack Bar & Grill

Shopping

Closest supermarket is Super J which is open between 7:30am to 4:30am

Hotels

Harbor Club Hotel
Discovery at Marigot Bay
The Village Inn & Spa
Marigot Beach Club Hotel & Dive Resort

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Electrical, Phones & Music

Electricity

The standard voltage on all yachts is 12 volts. In order to use electronic equipment that is 110v you will need an inverter suitable for use in a cigarette lighter.

Music/Ipods

All boats are fitted with a radio and CD player. If you wish to listen to your IPOD whilst sailing you will need to bring along an I-trip or FM radio transmitter.

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Activities

Watersports

Diving - Scuba diving packages are available. Please contact the base for more information on diving.

Watertoys available

Snorkeling - We have a range of snorkeling gear which you may wish to use. We are limited on children’s sizes so if you have your own you may wish to bring them with you.

Kayaks - Kayak rental is available.

Fishing Gear - A range of fishing gear is available. Please contact the base for more information. Seasonal catches include mackerel, king mackerel, white marlin, barracuda, kingfish and sailfish.

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Provisioning

Provisioning is available in this location. Click here for more information or to order provisioning online.

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Health & Safety

Illness or Injury

If you are taken ill and visit the doctor or hospital during your trip contact a member of Sunsail staff as soon as possible.

Safety

All yachts are equipped with adult life jackets and harnesses, we leave it up to you to decide when personal safety equipment should be worn

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