TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Captain's Compass fined $55,000

Captain's Compass, which is a small charter company in the BVI has been fined $55,000 by BVI customs. Since he only has 4-5 yachts, I don't see how he can pay that. I don't know the circumstances of Captains' Compass but I suspect he was hit hard by IRMa and then covid and was trying to survive. I am sure this will be the end.
Sad , I know what it is to have your dreams come to sudden end.

The truth is all of Captain's Compass's boats are fully licensed and out on charters. I know because I own Stargazer, Leopard 45. I was down in the BVI three weeks ago and found myself involved with talks with customs. Brent got all his paperwork approved and fully licensed. with customs so there are no issues with any of his boats and booking are high. If you want to sail the BVI right now, I'd forget the large companies and talk to Brent about availability. This new licensing issue is hitting all the charter companies. Customs merely went after the smaller companies first and are ow addressing the bigger companies. As of last week, all his boats are in full compliance. I assure you Brent is up and running with no issues at all. I'd be more concern with the fines Moorings, Sunsail and Dream have to pay. Captain's Compass is healthy, busy and very much alive.

So, are you implying the Commissioner of Customs lied on camera when stating Captain's Compass was fined $55,000 in the last week for "chartering without licenses, cruising permits, and making false declarations to customs officers"? That seems pretty specific to be wrong. It is described in this video starting at 2:05 from the beginning.

I did not say that. I said as of NOW all the boats are fully licensed and clear to be chartered. All fines have been paid as of three weeks ago. Please don't read wrong information into my statements. You addressed the fines. I addressed the boats are now fully licensed to operate with all BVI requirements.

Got it, thanks for the clarification. I was confused. I thought you were trying to say they were fully compliant 3 weeks ago. Great to hear that bookings are good!

Ahoy Captains,

Paid in full by Mar 7.
SmileMaker and StarGazer out now with Cruising Permits and Licenses.
I paid it out of my pocket. No charge to the Owners.

And with Respect Mr. Cook, if you knew anything about Me, I would probably be one of the last individuals you should count out.
It is amazing what Anyone Can Do with a little extra hard work and perseverance. Cat 5 Irma proved that beyond any reasonable doubt.
Sorry, I have been through much worse and Survived.

Fair Winds,
Brent

Good to hear Brent...just what everyone needed after Irma, Maria and Covid was the heavy fist of Government coming down, punishing businesses ( right or wrong) and stranding the tourists we have been tryling to lure back here. BVI Love indeed!

Ahoy Captains,

And to Pay for it, as I now offer Yachts with AirCon and GenSets, I will be Open in August and October this Year.
And as I operate out of the best Hurricane Hole in the BVI, as proven by Cat 5 Irma, I can bring boats in and have them secured safely within a few hours, so that my Guests can maximize their time at the discounted charter rates I offer.

Fair Winds, Brent

I appreciate that you take the time to post. I am following your company as I will need a place for my boat in a few years. We will probably be talking at that point. It’s a low mileage Leopard 50 driven only by a little old lady on Sundays!
G

Ahoy Capt. George,

I will be here, and I wish we could do business sooner, but based on the the Integrity of your previous posts, I will be patient and look forward to a long and profitable future together.

Fair Winds, Brent

I would say I don't understand how it go to the point where you had to pay $55,000 and I do feel for you as you are a small charter company. I hope you do well and are able to continue serving the charter business.

Another big plus for Brent';s operation is "Gene's Bar and Grill" overlooking the marina..terrific folks (Gene and hubby Robin) and wonderful cuisine..

We chartered two boats from Brent last May. They were both beautifully maintained and totally trouble-free. Brent offers great service at a reasonable price. We'll be back next year to charter from Captain's Compass!

Which Church?

And how fast did she drive...?

It aint no pink 61 Thunderbird with a big 390..that was owned by my lovely late Mother in Law...the original " Little Old Lady from Pasadena".....

"She's the terror of Colorado Boulevard..."

Indeed..she was..Jan Berry confirmed it with me over dinner many years ago!

I had the pleasure of chartering Smile Maker the first week of March. Brent does a fantastic job on making sure his fleet is sea worthy and safe for all aboard. We had a bit too much wind the first day and we took Brents advice to stay on the dock an extra day.
Concern for the boat and making sure we had a good experience sailing the BVI's is his main concern. Thank you Brent and Smile Maker for another great week in the BVI's.

Eric

We chartered Stargazer from Brent the 1st couple weeks of February and Brent was a pleasure to deal with. Had a great time and definitely plan to work with Brent again in the future.

Nice boat jagmansr !

Thanks !

We chartered Moonshadow in January from Brent and had an incredible experience. Brent was awesome. The boat was exactly what we had hoped for and priced incredibly well. Having the Mini Mart and Genes at the Marina is a great plus. I will DEFINITELY be chartering again from CC and look forward to seeing Brent again.

I've also chartered with Brent and can vouch that he's great! If/when I get back down there, I'll be looking to charter with him again!

Glad Brent weathered this ridiculous storm..but its time for the BVI Gov to stop strangling the golden goose. If they are worried about "the safety of our visitors" then put seatbelts in the Safari buses (or ban them altogether) and punish the beach vendors who set up next to establishments that are forced to have hot and cold running water and bathrooms..seems we have many very different sets of rules..and none for the locals who can vote..Rant over.

Right on. Manpot