Yachts Act to Preserve Beef Island
There’s a big hullabaloo going on in the British Virgin Islands, specifically in regard to Beef Island. The short synopsis is that a developer wants to put up a resort with 600 villas and a golf course in the Hans Creek area of Beef Island, while the Virgin Islands Environmental Council says the development would damage a protected fisheries area, thus making the proposed new construction illegal. All parties are headed to court on May 14. (Learn more about the case here.)
One of the groups that is staunchly on the side of preserving Beef Island as it exists today is the BWI Charter Yacht Society, as charter yacht owners want to keep the islands as beautiful as possible for guests wishing to cruise there on vacation.
Close to a dozen charter yachts that regularly cruise in the area have donated to the cause, including Promenade, Swish, Serendipity, Viking Dream, Sandcastle, Fantasy Island, Shellete, Free Ingwe, Aldebaran, Jet Stream, Endless Summer, Best Revenge 5, and Caribbean Dream.
These are often significant contributions. The folks on Promenade told me they donated $3,000 off a charter they’re doing this coming weekend because they felt it important to try to preserve the cruising area from which all Virgin Island charter yachts benefit. This is a 65-foot trimaran, not a 150-foot motoryacht. When the weekly rate for the yacht is $18,000, giving away $3,000 of it is no small percentage.
I congratulate the aforementioned yachts for their leadership efforts on this issue, and I encourage any of you readers who have enjoyed cruises in the Virgin Islands–or who intend to visit the islands in the future–to support the cause these yachts are spearheading. Click on over to the website of the BVI Heritage Conservation Group and get involved today.
And of course, if you’re environmentally minded, keep these specific charter yachts in mind when you decide where to book your next cruising vacation. One way to support the cause is by supporting those charter yachts that are taking a leadership role on green issues. Contact any reputable charter broker to book a week onboard.