It wasn’t the second invasion of a Giant Sea Snail, the critter captured with Rex Harrison’s character ‘Dr. Doolittle’ in the famous 1967 film shot in St. Lucia, that locked-down borders and closed the Marigot Bay Marina in March. It was precautions against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is that the facility, set in a bay novelist James Michener described as ‘the most beautiful in the Caribbean’, reopened as an official Port of Entry for yacht-based visitors on July 15. The welcome re-opening comes on the heels of the marina’s staff working closely with St. Lucia’s Ministry of Health and the Immigration and Customs Department to implement over 100 new operational and hygiene protocols – such as a new port health office with a full time representative and new nursing station ready to receive patients as needed – to safeguard the health of both visitors and island residents alike.
“Providing a safe and clean environment for our boaters and marina staff has always been a top priority for Marigot Bay Marina. Now more than ever, we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of cleanliness and want you to feel at ease when you berth with us,” says Troy Blanchard, marina manager. “As we look forward to the future of yachting and cruising, we have implemented full-scale enhancements to our already stringent quality controls and health and safety measures. We have embarked on our newly activated CASE program (Clean and Sanitize Everything) which provides ongoing, real-time guidance on the safety and well-being of associates and guests in the evolving COVID-19 world and beyond.”
Visiting yachts will still be able to enjoy high speed refueling, boat maintenance and cleaning, and provisioning services with just a few changes in how these services are delivered. For now, restaurants in the bay remain closed, however, yacht-based visitors will be able to take advantage of ‘In Boat’, room service style dining delivered to their yachts when ordered in advance. For full details of Marigot Bay Marina’s new operational protocols, general information and berth bookings, contact Blanchard at: troy.blanchard@marigotbayresort.com
