The situation in Canouan has not improved. CSSN has received yet another report of a boarding and theft against a yacht in Charlestown Bay (the 10th reported to us this year), for this rather small and not frequently visited location. Here is a link that summarizes the ytd reported incidents
On July 20 2015, CSSN emailed the SVG Commissioner of Police, Mr. Michael Charles, and copied a variety of other involved SVG officials, including the Ministry of National Security, SVG Maritime Affairs, National Commission on Crime Prevention, and the SVG Office of Tourism outlining the problem, requesting assistance and asking for specific instructions about what victims should do in the case of a boarding/theft. Read that letter here
On Aug 3 the same email was resent, but sent TO all the same officials, and asked additionally for confirmation of receipt. The only response received was from the National Commission on Crime Prevention (NCCP) on August 6th, and that same day CSSN asked NCCP to ensure all the other parties were informed and a response generated. Read that letter here.
On August 25th, CSSN contacted Sally Erdle, the Editor of the Caribbean Compass asking for guidance and assistance. Ms. Erdle then sent an email to various SVG parties, (attaching the above content) including not only Commissioner Charles, but also many governmental as well as business, press and tourism interests. Read that letter here
On September 7th, CSSN contacted Mr. Godfrey Pompey, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of National Security, whose responsibilities include public affairs. Read that letter here
It seems clear that if you choose to visit Canouan, you should expect to be boarded, and that you should not expect any response from officials there or from those in SVG when you are. Whether SVG officials are uninterested or unwilling to respond to this persistent problem in the yachting tourism sector is impossible to know, CSSN advises you plan your travels accordingly.
