Introduction

To all yacht captains, crew – owners and guests,

20th Year Special Edition

This Guide of RECOMMENDED SERVICES will help support you in your role as Captain or senior crew, as owner or charter guest, or cruisers on your own yacht, as you make decisions about regions, seasons, services & supplies – to ensure everyone onboard makes the most of every Caribbean Island visited!

Before arriving in any new port or anchorage, you are probably looking for recommendations, ‘services’ for a job list, maybe a customs or provisioning agent, a dependable discrete driver to pick the owner and guests up – a florist… a reliable engineering firm, a good restaurant for an owner’s dinner ashore. So who should you

use / where should you go?

We often quiz fellow Captains & Crew, to find out who they recommend? With plenty of online search engines & social media groups, there’s no end to accessing information, we are often spoilt for choice! But now more than ever, who is reputable and good, WHO DO

WE TRUST?

Over time, Captains and crew slowly acquire a database of reliable service contacts: these quality contacts represent part of our ability to perform roles on board. We all know where the ‘buck stops’ as Captain on a charter or owner’s cruise, when the generator goes down... or when the guest’s specially requested provisions don’t arrive in time! This need for a ‘database’ of reliable service contacts is something that stays with us. This was the very ‘raison d’être’ for Andrew starting the Superyacht Services Guides back in 2002... to collate an ‘Inside Guide’ of ‘Recommended Services’ , for others to be able to access, in order to share the benefits of each other’s collective experience. We interview and receive feedback (usually good, though negative on occasions also!) & recommendations from Captains & crew throughout the year. These comments really do get listened to and ‘actioned’ accordingly by us... for in just the same way that we have researched / followed up new recommendations, we have also dropped services from last year, after receiving consistently poor feedback for them.

Recommended Services…

As a ‘Captain’s Recommended Service’ they receive a free basic listing in the Guide and are offered the opportunity to advertise/ promote their service further, both in our printed Guides and online. It is important to understand the concept behind the advertising; for without it, there simply would be no book! As this is a relatively niche market, book sales alone could never support the cost of researching and publishing such a Guide.

They are simply ‘your inside’ Guides... Over the past 20 years our regional Guides, in PRINT, DIGITAL and ONLINE, have really proved themselves as incredibly useful points of reference, most often on the Bridge or in the crew mess, full of ‘stickies’ and folds, marking certain pages and services! Our website, www.superyachtservices.com, lists over 10,000 Captains Recommended Services worldwide – a unique SEARCHABLE global database. This special 20th Edition, The 2022

Caribbean Guide from The Bahamas to Trinidad & Tobago, including The ABC

Islands, offers a useful summary introductory page about each Caribbean destination, with a country specific category index to help you find the specific service you are looking for. During this unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic, we have tried to update services as best we can. However please check individual websites to see if they are open and working as normal.

Scan here for the latest up to date COVID-19 protocols and travel requirements by air and sea for each Caribbean Island. You may meet some of the Superyacht Services Guide team researching or distributing Guides at Boat Shows and Regattas worldwide, once they resume. Our Guides are available in marinas & shipyards, some chandleries and yacht agents, as well as for sale through our website, at Bluewater Books in Fort Lauderdale and Stanfords in London.

Scan here for the DIGITAL

FLIP BOOK versions of our

Guides, making for easy reading & searching. Finally, a very special ‘thank you’ to our hard working adventurous SSG team, Mark, Clare, Bobbi and of course Jane, who have still managed to produce a Guide despite the challenges this year brought; our designer Simon Udal for his diligent commitment and superb graphic design skills and to our Admin team who do a lot of work behind the scenes. You are all very appreciated, thank you, and I know Andrew would be so proud of the legacy he left us, 20 years on. Keep well, stay safe and fair winds to you all. Respect this precious world of ours, ‘Leave only footprints in the sand’ .

CarolineBlatter Publisher & Director Superyacht Publications Email: caroline@superyachtpublications.com Website: www.superyachtservicesguide.com

We say farewell to Andrew Blatter, founder of The Superyacht Services Guides…

We are sad to share with you that Andrew passed away surrounded by his family, on 6th May 2021, aged 58.

"He lives on in spirit... In the waves, the gusts of wind and in the rising and setting of the sun...Giving us strength and filling us with energy and inspiration. We feel his spirit and zest for life with us and in us, in all we are and do. Life is so very precious and boy did Dad live meaningfully, love deeply and seek adventure in all life holds. He taught so many of us to grab life by both hands, to look for opportunity in every hitch and hold on for the ride, that way living your dreams even if you’re not quite sure what they are yet!" By Jessica Blatter

Born and brought up in Hertfordshire, England, Andrew had a bright mind and a strong spirit. He left school at 16 to complete an engineering apprenticeship, before joining his father running a Ford Main Dealership in North London. He quickly earned the respect of the staff, through his mechanical knowledge and innate business acumen. When not playing Club Rugby and Captaining the 1st XV on weekends, he was by the sea, enjoying watersports from a young age. In 1988 aged 26, after watching a powerful documentary on how Dennis Connor ‘Won the Cup’ , he realized that dreams were there to be had. With only a backpack, he headed to Palma to walk the docks, and soon picked up a ride on a family cruising boat as deckie, all the way to the Caribbean. Though he found himself Captain after the hired delivery skipper hastily departed in Gibraltar! With very little experience, Andrew immersed himself in learning chart work and thankfully celestial navigation – embarking on this young family’s dream in the 1988 ARC to Barbados –a 26 day crossing where every challenge possible befell them, including losing all power and fresh water, he navigated the entire way by sextant, the last of the fleet to arrive!

From Antigua he found a passage on the Swan 61 ‘Windfall’ , sailing trans-Pacific to Hong Kong, making lifelong friends along the way, including his now brother in law! During an interruption to his sailing in 1991, Andrew met Caroline again, his sister’s old school friend and a Physiotherapist working in a London Hospital. On October 10th 1992 they were married, making Mallorca their first home – chartering ‘Windfall’ throughout the MED for a couple of years until a sale and delivery to St. Lucia in the 1994 ARC.

Backpacking round India and trekking the Himalaya in Nepal followed for 5 months, before the new Southampton built 85ft Spirit of Tradition ‘Zanna’ beckoned, with another round of trans-Atlantics, wonderful cruising in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Azores with her owners over two years.

Andrew’s continued zest for learning saw him complete his STCW '95 MCA Class IV Master for yachts up to 3000 tons and become an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor.

They were blessed with arrival of children, Tristan in 1997 and Jessica in 1999, basing themselves in Palma once again, on a 37ft cruising boat ‘Tatopani’ as their first home, with Andrew Captaining a tug yacht, and even modelling for Burberry’s on a classic yacht! The West Indies beckoned, with Andrew, Caroline and their two little ones under 3, along with brother in law Chris and his 7 year old son Finn (now of NZ AC fame!) completing ARC 2000 on ‘Tatopani’ , in 23 days. Antigua became their base, living onboard ‘Tatopani’ and cruising the islands south every summer, with the addition of young Miles to the Blatter crew in 2002. Andrew picked up delivery work and became a roving World Correspondent for Boat International after meeting and learning from the charismatic Roger Lean Vercoe. Writing sparked his entrepreneurial spirit and by 2002 The Superyacht Services Guide was born. The Guide’s Recommendation concept was a huge success from the first edition, building a strong committed team and expanding to cover five main regions over the last 18 years. Under the careful guidance of Caroline in the last seven years, SSG continues to be the most respected and trusted ‘go to’ Directory for the yachting industry today. The family lost their adored boat ‘Tatopani’ in the 2004 Hurricane Ivan that devastated Grenada, and soon found themselves ashore in Antigua, with the 3 children settling into this special island community and school at Island Academy. In 2009 they were blessed with the arrival of their fourth child, Emily. Antigua and the Caribbean were very dear to the family’s heart. Andrew immersed himself supporting the yachting industry both locally & internationally, racing in the many regattas on both sides of the Atlantic, the J Class ‘Velsheda’ & SY ‘Rebecca’ being his all time favourites - as was meeting his hero Jimmy Buffett in St. Barth’s!

Andrew was a force of nature, with a big heart and voice, he loved to sing and where he started, others followed. His joie de vivre and bonhomie dragged everyone along for the ride, whether they were ready or not. continued...

In contrast, he was also a good listener, with time for everyone, he was able to give sage advice to all who seeked it, whether a corporation or a one-man band. 2011 saw the family move to England, a critical time in the children’s education.

Andrew was at the helm of SSG until deteriorating health due to a challenging diagnosis of a Rare Dementia meant he retired in 2016.

Andrew was utterly fearless and faced this cruel disease with stoicism, thankfully a lack of insight meant his happy disposition continued, often in song. Cared for by his devoted wife and loving family at home longer than it seemed possible to do so, he sadly had to move into a care home at the end of 2019, the family enduring the brutal challenges and separations COVID brought, heartbreakingly seeing a more rapid decline and deterioration in Andrew.

This devastating disease took all communication, mobility and ability for Andrew to care for himself, yet he still felt the presence of his loved ones in the last precious days the family finally spent together as they moved into his room to be with him. There has been an overwhelming outpouring of love, support and such kind special messages to his family… the impact of Andrew’s great spirit and force of positive energy felt around the world. Andrew’s legacy and love of life continues in Caroline and their four children, Tristan, Jessica, Miles and Emily. Written by Andrew Thompson, a lifelong friend of Andrew.

To get in touch with us, please contact us by email: info@superyachtpublications.com or through www.superyachtservicesguide.com

With their collective professional experience in the marine industry, and their knowledge of this region, Clare, Jane, Mark, Bobbi & Caroline are able to create an authoritative insight into the best services available in the Caribbean region.

Mark Acosta

Mark Acosta is a Professional Yacht Captain, RYA Yachtmaster and holds a Bsc Honours degree in Economics. He has been working in the Superyacht Industry since 1994 - completing 9 Atlantic crossings, and sailing over 90,000 miles in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Europe and east / west coast of America... right up to Alaska. Mark has a well rounded background of professional experience - especially in the Caribbean region - which includes intensive chartering, major refits and an extensive knowledge of the island chain. Outside his professional work, he is a keen sportsman, competing regularly in OECS squash tournaments throughout the islands, and racing regularly on the Caribbean sailing regatta circuit. He now puts all his extensive efforts and experience into researching and writing the annual Superyacht Services Guides to the Caribbean.

Caroline Blatter

Caroline was a physiotherapist working in a London hospital, when her life took a different turn in the early 90’s, meeting Andrew and setting sail on life’s journey together! With a love for the sea and boats, they sailed over 40,000 miles together as professional crew, in the Med and Caribbean: chartering, managing a prominent new build, then living on their own small cruising boat for 6 years with a growing young family. Over the years, home has been Palma, then Antigua for 11 years, and now England. Having set Superyacht Publications up with Andrew in 2002, Caroline now manages the operational & online side of the business, researching/writing & editing for all the Guides with the dynamic SSG Team.

She continues to love the outdoors and the sea, embracing/learning from other cultures and those around her, as well as sharing family life with their four children.

Tristan, Jessica, Miles and Emily have been pillars of strength and love, especially these last few years in helping care for Andrew, as his health deteriorated.

With an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore certification and CordonBleu diploma, Clare found employment in the Superyacht industry at an early age. Crewing aboard both motor and sail boats she gained wide experience in various different roles... as Deckhand aboard a 65' ketch; Mate aboard an 80' classic; Stewardess aboard a 180' motor yacht, and Chef aboard the very first Superyacht to carry a helicopter on her upper deck!

In 2004 she joined the Superyacht Publications team to carry out research for the first edition of the Superyacht Services Guide to the Mediterranean before moving on to the Caribbean Guide. 2022 sees Clare moving on to pastures new. She has brought so much to SSG - in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean as well as in the Pacific, with her expertise, local island knowledge, her passion for sailing, good communication skills and wonderful friendly nature making lifelong friends wherever she travelled.

Our sincere heartfelt thanks Clare, you will be sorely missed.

Bobbi Fawcett

As a former charter skipper and holder of a 100 ton licence, Australian Bobbi enjoyed introducing guests to the pristine waters, the sights and sounds of the Caribbean over the years. Bobbi is now based in the British Virgin Islands, and with good yachting industry knowledge & contacts, she promotes the BVI to a much wider audience as a research author for the Superyacht Services Guides & media sales.

Jane Finch 1955-2021

Jane has been our knowledgeable ‘Research Author’ for The Antigua & Barbuda chapters of this Guide since 2013, and was completing her writings for the 2022 chapter at the time of her tragic death in early October 2021.

Please turn to the Antigua Chapter, p404 for a tribute to Jane, a much loved lady in the sailing and English Harbour communities.