SEPTEMBER 2013 CARIBBEAN COMPASS
PAGE 8
FREE CRUISING GUIDES Dominican Republic Cayman Islands Haiti Cuba Jamaica Trinidad ABC Islands Puerto Rico Lesser Antilles in 3 volumes
www.freecruisingguide.com Compliments of:
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Boca Chica, Dominican Republic www.marinazarpar.com
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—Continued from previous page “Colombia offers a variety of water access points and promising infrastructure for a growing marine industry and our collaborative efforts with ProExport Colombia will allow us to share our expertise and knowledge as we work together to develop the market,� says NMMA president Thom Dammrich. The NMMA is hosting the first USA Pavilion at the second Cartagena Boat Show, which will run from March 22nd through 24th, 2014 in Cartagena, Colombia. Charlie Irons Joins Yacht Haven Grande St. Thomas IGY Marinas announces the recent hiring of Charlie Irons as the Director of Operations for its flagship marina, Yacht Haven Grande St. Thomas, USVI. Charlie comes to IGY with key international luxury destination management experience, bringing a range of skill sets to chart the next steps for the property including tenant services, cruise ship customer growth and hotel development. For more information visit www.yachthavengrande.com. New Sailing School in Tortola Tortola Sailing School has launched its new sail-training centre in the BVI. The school specializes in professional and recreational sailing courses for visitors and local residents alike. Steve Varrow, the school’s chief instructor, explains, �We feel there is a need for a broadbased stand-alone training facility in the BVI to enable students from the BVI and other countries to get professional training to qualify themselves for a career in the maritime industry. The BVI has one of the most stable maritime economic platforms in the whole Caribbean and the cruising grounds are some of the best in the world. “Whether you go on to become a sailboat captain, chef, engineer or business owner in the marine industry, you need to have a basic understanding of boats and sailing. At Tortola Sailing School we run courses from Introduction to sailing right up to Yachtmaster Offshore 200GRT.� Recently appointed as an International Yacht Training Worldwide partner school, Tortola Sailing School can offer the complete range of recreational courses in the IYT Worldwide training scheme. Courses currently on offer include Introduction to Boating & International Crew (Power or Sail), International Flotilla Skipper (Power or Sail), International Bareboat Skipper (Power or Sail), International Certificate of Competency, Power Boat Master, Navigation Master, Weather Master, VHF Radio Operator’s Certificate, Yachtmaster Coastal (Power or Sail), and Yachtmaster Offshore (Power or Sail). The IYT Worldwide training scheme is accepted in more countries and recognized by more government bodies than any other training scheme in the world. The professional yachting courses are recognized by 24 different governments worldwide for commercial use including the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency. For more information visit tortolasailingschool.com. New Director at Horizon Charters St. Maarten Base Elisabetta el-Karimy is the new Base Operations Director at Horizon Yacht Charters’ St. Maarten base. Born in Florence, Italy, Eli speaks five languages and lived in numerous countries before settling in St. Maarten. She has sailed the Mediterranean and crossed the Atlantic. She is an RYA Yachtmaster and, outside of sailing, her other interests include being a passionate cook and medical anthropologist. With an expanding fleet and full support team in place, Eli is looking forward to the future. “I am so happy to be a part of the Horizon team. We have an experienced team and an expanding charter fleet, so it promises to be an exciting season ahead!� For more information visit www.horizonyachtcharters.com. New Location for Tobago’s Store Bay Marine Store Bay Marine Services in Tobago has recently opened its new premises just 200 yards up the road from its existing location on Pigeon Point Road. The new premises are larger and feature brand new laundry facilities for customers. The company will continue to provide services for visiting and domestic yachts, including a team of service engineers for repairs to diesel engines, outboard engines (two and four stroke), marine electrics and electronics, refrigeration and air conditioning, marine woodwork, metalwork and GRP and plumbing. SBMS can also undertake marine canvas work, commercial diving, long-term in-water boat storage, mail order chandlery, water provision and internet facilities, including WiFi by the hour. For more information visit www.sbms.co.tt. Naturalist Launches Unique New Wildlife Guide The fascinating fauna of one tiny Caribbean island can now be explored by people around the globe, thanks to naturalist, author and wildlife photographer Mark Yokoyama. Yokoyama officially released the second edition of his book The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of Saint Martin, showcasing an astounding array of animals from St. Martin/St. Maarten. The guide features more than 500 stunning color photographs and profiles hundreds of species, from mammals and birds to insects and spiders, some of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world. This unique work also features special sections on local ecology and the history of biology on the island — a “who’s who� of Caribbean researchers, explorers, and naturalists reaching back to the mid-1600s. The publication of the book is just the beginning for Yokoyama, whose mission is to make knowledge about wildlife and natural heritage freely accessible to everyone. He recently launched a wildlife education program to teach students on the island about local fauna and promote wildlife awareness among locals and tourists. He is also working on a French-language edition of the book. To learn more about Yokoyama’s work and download a free electronic version of the guide, visit www.sxmwildlife.com. The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of Saint Martin is available on amazon.com.