Sailseer

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors

18 harbours

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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 18 harbours, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.

Formalities

outside the EU customs unionCurrency: East Caribbean dollar

Clearing in: Independent state, outside the EU and Schengen. Head straight for a port of entry, before any other anchorage: Kingstown, Campden Park, Blue Lagoon (Ratho Mill), Wallilabou and Chateaubelair on Saint Vincent, plus Port Elizabeth (Bequia), Mustique, Canouan and Clifton (Union Island). Bring: three crew lists, clearance from the last port, passports, ship's papers. Once cleared in, the whole chain down to Petit St. Vincent counts as one country, no clearance between the islands (according to sailors). In the south, Clifton is the only customs office for clearing out. Advance notice via SailClear.

Ausreise: Clear out at a port of entry before departure (port clearance): the next state asks for the certificate on clearing in.

Documents: Passport valid for six months; Germans need no visa for up to six months. Boat papers, insurance, crew lists. Weapons, including replicas, blank-firing and flare pistols, only with a prior import permit.

Fees: Cruise tax EC$ 35 per person per month for everyone over 12; charter yachts need their own cruising licence. Tobago Cays Marine Park: entry EC$ 15 per person, a mooring or anchoring in the park EC$ 60 per 24 hours each; the same EC$ 60 on the moorings in Clifton Harbour and in Salt Whistle Bay (Mayreau). Pay online (TCMP PAY) or to the rangers.

Fairway: Buoyage follows IALA system B: red to starboard when entering from seaward, the reverse of Europe. Between Union Island and Carriacou (Grenada) there are only 7 nm, but a national border. In the Tobago Cays Marine Park 5 knots at most.

Nature: Tobago Cays Marine Park: do not anchor on coral or seagrass, use moorings or sand; no fishing, take no coral or animals, buy no lobster in the closed season (1 May to 31 August), discharge no bilge water or sewage, no pets in the park, diving only with a local dive operator. Spearfishing is prohibited.

Tropical storm season: 1 June to 30 November, peak August to October; hardly any shelters or boatyards in the country. Insurers usually restrict cover during the season: check your policy.

Emergency: SVG Coast Guard Service (Calliaqua) +1 784 457 4578, around the clock on VHF channel 16 and 2182 kHz, DSC; which higher-level rescue coordination centre is responsible (Trinidad and Tobago or Fort-de-France) is contradictory.

Sources: Ministry of Tourism SVG: Yachting, Ministry of National Security SVG: Ports and Duties, Tobago Cays Marine Park: Regulations and Fees, Noonsite: St. Vincent and the Grenadines, SARcontacts: St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Auswärtiges Amt: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, travel and safety advice (as of 2026-10-20)

Harbours by cruising area

Bequia and Mustique (Admiralty Bay, Britannia Bay)

Grenadines: Canouan, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Union Island

St. Vincent (Kingstown, Blue Lagoon, Wallilabou)

Frequently asked questions

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Do I need to clear in?

Independent state, outside the EU and Schengen. Head straight for a port of entry, before any other anchorage: Kingstown, Campden Park, Blue Lagoon (Ratho Mill), Wallilabou and Chateaubelair on Saint Vincent, plus Port Elizabeth (Bequia), Mustique, Canouan and Clifton (Union Island). Bring: three crew lists, clearance from the last port, passports, ship's papers. Once cleared in, the whole chain down to Petit St. Vincent counts as one country, no clearance between the islands (according to sailors). In the south, Clifton is the only customs office for clearing out. Advance notice via SailClear.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Which documents do I need on board?

Passport valid for six months; Germans need no visa for up to six months. Boat papers, insurance, crew lists. Weapons, including replicas, blank-firing and flare pistols, only with a prior import permit.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: What fees apply?

Cruise tax EC$ 35 per person per month for everyone over 12; charter yachts need their own cruising licence. Tobago Cays Marine Park: entry EC$ 15 per person, a mooring or anchoring in the park EC$ 60 per 24 hours each; the same EC$ 60 on the moorings in Clifton Harbour and in Salt Whistle Bay (Mayreau). Pay online (TCMP PAY) or to the rangers.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: What is the emergency number at sea?

SVG Coast Guard Service (Calliaqua) +1 784 457 4578, around the clock on VHF channel 16 and 2182 kHz, DSC; which higher-level rescue coordination centre is responsible (Trinidad and Tobago or Fort-de-France) is contradictory.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?

Sailseer covers 18 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning.