Explore: St. Vincent & the Grenadines - General Info
Time Zone
UTC (-4)

Yachting Essentials
Electricity
- Voltage: 230 V
- Frequency: 50 Hz
Fuel
Fuel at Port Elizabeth (Bequia), on St Vincent at Blue lagoon, Kingstown and Ottley Hall. On The Grenadines at Canouan.
Repairs
Boatyard at Otley Hall.
Opening Hours
Money
East Caribbean dollar (EC$)
Effective 1 July 2015, the I cent and 2 cents EC coins will be withdrawn from circulation. The coins will no longer be valid either as consumers will not be able to conduct transactions using these coins. Persons can present the coins at any of the commercial banks which operate within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) to receive face value.
A price rounding system will be implemented within the ECCU countries for the settlement of cash transactions only, whereby the total payment, inclusive of duties, fees and taxes, will be rounded symmetrically to the nearest five cents. Non-cash payments using cheques, debit and credit cards will not be impacted and therefore will not be rounded.
Communications
International Dialing Code for St Vincents the Grenadines is +1 784.
Digicel operates here. SVG Digicel no longer has data only plans, but they do offer a combo plan of unlimited phone calls and 3GB data for $90 EC per month. They also have larger combo packages. These are ideal if you want data and phone calls, but not if you just want data only.
SVG sims with data, only roam to St Lucia and Grenada now.
Anyone cruising through the islands using Digicel should be aware that you cannot top up a sim from one island in another as used to be able to. So if for example, you want to use your Grenada sim while cruising north you should either put on a large enough sum to cover your needs or you can set up an account and do it online, but you cannot get it topped up in another island.
You can top-up Digicel at https://online-top-up.digicelgroup.com/
Cruisers report that Digicel connection works fine nearly everywhere (3G) with only Isle de Ronde and Tyrrel Bay, Tobago Cays, Mayreau, Union and Canouan getting 2G.
Remember to follow your Gb usage, or the money runs out quickly.
The 3G internet in SVG is reported by cruisers to be “very expensive”, as data gets used up very quickly, so beware.
Bequia Local Radio Net: VHF Channel 68 every morning at 08:00.
Last updated: May 2017.
Transport
Renting a Car
To rent a car you need to have a local driving permit which you can get from the Revenue Office in Port Elizabeth. You will need to show a valid national or international driving license from your own country. There is a fee of EC$100 (around US$40).
Diplomatic Missions
Events
January 22: St Vincent & the Grenadines Day
Bequia Easter Regatta
Carnival
Sports Fishing Competition
Emergencies
- Fire – Dial 911
- Police – Dial 911 or (784) 457-1211
Advice is to avoid overnighting in Chateaubelair. However, if you decide to stop there anyway useful phone numbers are:
- Police Emergency: 911 / 999
- Coast Guard Operations: Tel: 457 4578 / 457 4554
- Chateaubelair Police: Tel: 458-2229
Mayreau Harbor Patrol (MHP) is a non-governmental organisation and non-profit group, funded partly by Tobago Cays Marine Park and the four constables who work the patrols. MHP’s main mission is to patrol the harbours of Mayreau and make it safe, especially at night. Volunteers and sponsors are always needed. For more information contact MHP on telephone number 17844975322.
For any emergencies between Mayreau and the Tobago Cays telephone 17845302752/17844952380 or 17845278412.
Publications
Atlantic, Caribbean: A Thousand Miles From Anywhere
The Claytons cross the Atlantic and sail the Caribbean on the third leg of their voyage. By Sandra Clayton, Published by Adlard Coles Nautical (January 2013), See more details at https://www.noonsite.com/report/a-thousand-miles-from-anywhere/... Read MoreCaribbean, Central and South America: Cruising Guide to the Caribbean: Including the North Coast of South America, Central America and Yucatan
By William T. Stone Publisher: Sheridan House; 2nd Revised edition edition (Aug. 21, 1998) ISBN-13: 978-0924486579... Read MoreCaribbean: A Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles
Available at Kindle as well as all other EPub bookstores (September 2012) The three .pdf files are free to download at: www.freecruisingguide.com See Noonsite further details here Author: Frank Virgintino Published by www.freecruisingguide.com (July 2012)... Read MoreCaribbean: A Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles 2.0 (Volume 1: Virgin Islands)
Available free from www.freecruisingguides.com as well as a Kindle version from Amazon and other EPub bookstores. Author: Frank Virgintino... Read MoreCaribbean: A Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles 2.0 (Volume III: Windward Islands)
Frank Virgintino has spent more than 40 years cruising the entire Caribbean, the Canadian Maritimes and all of the eastern seaboard of the United States and. A Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles is a guide in three volumes to the Virgin Islands, the Leeward Islands, and the Windward Islands. Each... Read MoreCaribbean: A Cruising Guide To The Windward Islands: Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Carriacou, Grenada, Barbados
With 80 sketch charts this is the most comprehensive guide covering The Windward Islands. The Windward Islands Guide contains GPS waypoints, approaches and routes, anchorages, dive sites, an extensive appendix, photos, and a bibliography. By Stephen J. Pavlidis Publisher: Seaworthy Publications Inc. (June 1, 2005) ISBN-13: 978-1892399182... Read MoreCaribbean: Cruising Guide to the Caribbean
By William T. Stone and Anne M. Hayes Publisher Sheridan House. Rev Rep edition (August 21, 1998) ISBN-13: 978-0924486579... Read MoreCaribbean: Cruising Guide to the Windward Islands
Comprehensive Windward Islands guide that covers the stretch of islands from Martinique to Trinidad and Tobago known as the Windward Islands. Now in full-color with many new charts and full-color aerial photos of principal harbors. It contains 370 pages of text with 112 full-color sketch charts including GPS accurate data... Read MoreMartinique, Grenada: Sailors Guide to the Windward Islands: Martinique to Grenada
This guide features detailed sketch charts based on the author's own surveys and aerial photos of most anchorages with clear and concise navigational information. Covers the islands from Martinique to Grenada, with dazzling scenic photography, unsurpassed onshore information, sections on exploring, provisioning, water sports, services, restaurants, and photography. Information is... Read MoreReeds 9-Language Handbook
The pocket dictionary is centered around clear, color, annotated diagrams, such as parts of the rig and engine, in each nautical subject area, and makes it very easy and convenient to translate between nine languages (English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Portuguese and Greek). The diagrams can easily be... Read MoreRoute Planning: The Gentleman’s Guide to Passages South
The Thornless Path to Windward - He has systematically taken the thorns out of the route they used to call the Thorny Path. For example, he exploits the calming effects on wind and sea which result from land cooling on each side of an inter-island passage. Applying his many methods,... Read MoreSailors Guide to the Windward Islands: Martinique to Grenada
Updated for 2011-2012, features detailed sketch charts based on the author's own surveys, and aerial photos of most anchorages. It also includes clear and concise navigational information. Covers the islands from Martinique to Grenada, with dazzling scenic photography, unsurpassed onshore information, sections on exploring provisioning, water sports, services, restaurants, and... Read MoreSailors Guide to the Windward Islands: Martinique to Grenada (2019-2020)
This guide features detailed sketch charts based on the author's own surveys and aerial photos of most anchorages with clear and concise navigational information. Lexi Fisher, a Grenadian and scuba diving instructor as well as cruiser, has worked with Chris on this revised guide adding some perspective from a younger... Read MoreSeven at Sea
Seven at Sea By Erik Orton and Emily Orton Available from Amazon Why a New York city family cast off convention for a life-changing year on a sailboat. You may think this is just another book about how escaping to sea will change your life - and yes it IS one of those. But... Read MoreSouth Africa to the Caribbean
The cruising route from South Africa to the Caribbean has become increasingly popular in recent years, due to concerns over security along the Red Sea route. Author Chris Hamblin has compiled this useful planning guide for the RCCPF Pilotage Foundation.  He has brought together his own research along with cruising information... Read MoreStreet’s Guide Martinique to Trinidad
These guides give the mariner all the information needed to safely cruise the area, not only piloting information but also interesting background information on people, places and history. By D M Street Publisher: iUniverse.com Inc(March 2001) ISBN: 978-0595173563... Read MoreWindward Anchorages
Windward Anchorages graphically, and through spectacular aerial photography, depicts 47 anchorages and harbors throughout the islands of Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenadines and Grenada, from St. Pierre, Martinique to St. David's Harbour, Grenada. Use in conjunction with navigational charts and a companion book of The Sailors Guide to the... Read More
Links
Government website – good for news with a yearly calendar of events
Tourist Board Website – Yachting Information
Doyle’s Guide /St Vincent & The Grenadines
Sailing the Grenadines in the Summer
By Don Street for Cruising World Magazine.