By Lexi Fisher and Chris Doyle
Mustique, like St. Barths, is a Caribbean island rife with celebrity lore. It was developed by socialite Colin Tennant, who bought the island in 1958 and began selling plots to wealthy friends starting in the 1960s. In the 1970s, a consortium of villa owners led by Venezuelan oil tycoon Hans Neumann bought a controlling stake in the Mustique Company from Tennant to protect the island from further development, and by the mid-1980s had bought out his remaining share. House prices have soared from about a million dollars to over 10 times that much. Ownership has transitioned from celebrities to businesspeople who value their privacy.
Mustique has about 90 large houses, one hotel, a beach bar, a few boutiques, a small local village, and a fishing camp. About half the houses are available for rent when the owners are not in residence. As you would expect for an island of this type, prices are geared to the well-heeled.
Once very open and friendly, Mustique now has some restrictions. Some of these are: Use common courtesy — stick to the roads and do not walk up driveways or onto private property. Use the beach south of the anchorage for beach time. Take scenic photos for your own use, but do not photograph residents.
What is wonderful about Mustique is that much of the island has been left wild. There are lovely trails, and there is not much traffic. As other islands sprout buildings like some invasive weed, much of Mustique remains beautiful and undeveloped. It is one of the best-preserved Grenadine islands, where you can often hike or bike in peace, with fabulous beaches and shady pathways.
Navigation:
Montezuma Shoal is about half to three-quarters of a mile west of Britannia Bay. It presents a real hazard and has damaged the hull of a cruise ship, a large charter yacht, and many a bareboat. It is marked by a red and black buoy. Stay at least a quarter of a mile away. If you come from the south, do not follow the coast too closely, as there is quite a reef extending seaward from the southern point of Britannia Bay.
The only permissible anchorage is in Britannia Bay. If you see a yacht moored in Endeavour Bay, it belongs to a house owner. Britannia Bay has sparkling clear water and is a lovely area for swimming and snorkeling, though it is generally rather rolly. The north side of the harbor has loud music on Wednesday nights.
Regulations:
The Mustique Company controls the coastal waters of Mustique and provides 35 well-maintained moorings for yachts up to 60 feet; legally they cannot take yachts even one inch longer. Yachts over 60 feet must anchor outside the moorings under the direction of the harbormaster (Mustique Moorings, VHF:16/68, 488-8363, 533-0216). The Mustique Moorings crew are around most of the day from 0800-1800, but sometimes away from 1230-1430.
There is a conservation fee that entitles you to stay three consecutive nights. This fee is: up to 70 feet, EC$200; 71-100 feet, EC$450; 101-150 feet, EC$550; over 151 feet, EC$1,000. The harbormaster and their team collect the fees and give you an official receipt. Their hut is at the end of the jetty. The moorings do not lift, so they can be hard to reach. Call the harbormaster and someone will come out and help. Otherwise, put a dinghy in the water or, if you have a stern platform, come stern-to so you are low enough to tie onto the mooring. There is no extra charge for the moorings.
Each buoy has a swivel on top. Attach your lines through the swivel. Use two lines, one to each side of your bow. Allow plenty of line to increase the scope (20 feet minimum, more if your bow is high off the water). Never use a single line from one side of the boat through the mooring to the other side. Yachts of up to 45 feet and 6- to 7-foot draft can use any mooring. Longer and deeper yachts should use the outer moorings, which are more widely spaced over sand. If you are over 60 feet, or if all the moorings are taken, contact the harbormaster for anchoring instructions. Do not anchor without guidance.
Day-charter yachts visiting Mustique pay a landing fee of EC$40 per head or EC$300 per day.
Regulations may be changed by the Mustique Company at any time, so fees and procedures are subject to change. Before you visit, it is well worth calling the moorings office and asking about the current level of restrictions.
Tenders should only be used to drop people ashore in Britannia Bay or to go to the beach in the same bay. They should not be used to visit other parts of the island.
Drones and press photography are banned unless express permission has been given by the Mustique Company.
Because of the island’s priority on privacy, captains are responsible for their crew and guests, and the Mustique Company has the right to permanently ban any captain and yacht whose passengers or crew misbehave.
The designated visitor area is usually open. This includes the local village, the shoreline south to the salt pond, and the salt pond trail. If you wish to go outside this area, please talk to the moorings office so they will know who is wandering about.
Sometimes (normally three weeks over Christmas and the New Year, two weeks in August, and two weeks over Easter), land access is further restricted, and you cannot go outside the visitor area unless you have a confirmed reservation for The Cotton House, in which case you must ask them to send transport for you. If, at these times, you need to visit customs or the clinic, arrange it with the harbormaster’s office. There is some flexibility, and during these times call before you come to discuss what you want to do. You may be able to hike, though you may have to take a local guide.
Beach picnic tables have been set up for the use of residents. People on yachts may sometimes be able to use the ones in the visitor area at no charge; ask the harbormaster for details.
Doyle Guides contain the Eastern Caribbean’s most comprehensive and reliable sailing information, available in hard copy and online through a free mobile app, website, and Facebook group. (www.doyleguides.com)
St Vincent & the Grenadines Entry and Exit Procedures
Ports of Entry
The port of entry for Mustique is Britannia Bay, Lovell. For additional St. Vincent & the Grenadines Ports of Entry (www.noonsite.com/place/st-vincent-the-grenadines/#mainports), click on the blue Explore Country button and select Main Ports. Noonsite members can access the Noonsite: Ports of Entry Map (www.noonsite.com/noonsite-map/?country=st-vincent-the-grenadines).
Advance Paperwork
All visiting yachts should pre-register with SailClear prior to arrival.
For visitors from many countries, a visa is not required. Stays of up to six months can be granted.
Entry Process
Visitors to Mustique are only permitted to use the mooring buoys in Britannia Bay and need to taxi to the airport for formalities, when required. On arrival to St. Vincent & the Grenadines, the captain should proceed to the customs, immigration and port authority offices with their SailClear notification ID number, exit zarpe, crew passports and boat paperwork. A 30-day cruising permit is granted, with additional months possible upon request.
Exit Process
Same as the entry process; clear out at one of the ports of entry for St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
Rates
Private vessels must pay a monthly cruise tax of $35 XCD per person on all crew and passengers over the age of 12. Charter boats must be in possession of a St. Vincent & the Grenadines Cruising License.
Check Noonsite: St. Vincent & the Grenadines for more detailed information and updates. This information is provided by Noonsite.com, specialists in worldwide formalities for yachts, and was accurate at press time.
