Please check out my article on Yacht Bunkering and Infrastructure in the Caribbean, published in the Petrospot magazine. Looking forward to your comments or questions.

1. www.bunkerspot.com Volume 13 Number 4 August/September 2016
INSIDE:
MASS FLOW METERS
LNG
YACHT REFUELLING
LUBRICANTS
GOING GLOBAL
THE BIGGER PICTURE
FOR MARINE FUELS

2. Island-hopping
The Caribbean is a prime
destination for the world’s
superyachts and mega
yachts, but their journeys and
adventures are underpinned
by an extensive bunkering
infrastructure. Lana Piterova
of Arte Bunkering offers a
comprehensive look at the
key refuelling locations in this
vacation hotspot
S
econd only to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean is one of the world’s primary yacht-
ing destinations. With more than 7,000 islands, an incredible diversity in terms of its
geography and culture, and, of course, its balmy weather, the Caribbean attracts
large numbers of superyachts, mega yachts and sailing boats every year. While the main
Caribbean sailing season runs from November through to July, due to the lower monthly
rainfall, the high season is only from mid-December to March.
When choosing a sailing destination, yacht captains must consider multiple issues,
ranging from what type of entertainment and adventure is being offered to the passen-
gers, to where a yacht can dock, conduct necessary repairs, receive supplies and refuel.
With so many yachts arriving every year in the Caribbean, the question of fuelling be-
comes a critical one. A boat over 71 metres (m) long burns about 500 litres of diesel an
hour, and that’s only if the engine is running but the boat isn’t moving. There are plenty
yacht fuelling
44 www.bunkerspot.com Bunkerspot August/September 2016

3. of marinas in the Caribbean, offering ser-
vices from dry dock and boat repair, to
luxury restaurants, shopping and fuel docks.
Fuel docks may be convenient for smaller
boats, but once superyachts come into play,
they are not the most efficient solution for
speed of operation, fuel availability or price.
Shifting to a commercial port to receive diesel
by truck or ex-pipe can often offer signifi-
cant savings both financially and time-wise.
Many marinas are complete commer-
cial, marine and residential centres. They
provide access to recreational activities,
such as restaurants, spas, shops, etc., and
are often part of a resort and provide ac-
commodation. However, as a general rule,
they offer only duty paid fuel and have in-
sufficient stocks of fuel available on site.
For larger vessels, commercial ports offer
better bunkering facilities. Mega yachts do not
have LOA and draft restrictions when docked
at ports. Ports offer a real advantage on quan-
tities above 20,000 gallons, due to better
prices and superior pumping speed. Yachts al-
most always can get duty free fuel in port. The
drawback is having to shift from a marina to
a commercial berth and paying calling costs.
As a fuel trader, my main goal is to weigh
up all the pros and cons and suggest to my
clients the best location for bunkering where
they can not only save on fuel costs, but also
find the best accommodation for the pas-
sengers. In this feature, I will briefly review
available infrastructure on different Carib-
bean islands, accommodation for super and
mega yachts and possible bunkering options.
St Maarten
When one thinks of a yachting adventure in
the Caribbean, St Martin/St Maarten is prob-
ably the first place to come to mind. The dual
nation island is one of the Caribbean’s most
scenic pleasure boating and cruising loca-
tions and, unsurprisingly, is well equipped to
house some 2,000 boats in its 10 marinas.
The main ports are Philipsburg on the
Dutch side with a truck fuel supply and Galis-
bay on the French side with pipeline deliveries.
The two largest marinas are located on
the Dutch side and are managed by IGY. One
is Yacht Club at Isle del Sol, which is spe-
cially designed for superyachts and has 40
mega yacht berths. Vessels up to 97 m in
length and 5 m in draft can be accommo-
dated and bunkered at the fuel dock available
on site. The other is Simpson Bay Marina with
its 20 mega yacht berths and 122 slips for
boats up to 60 m in length and 4 m in draft.
St Martin marinas are smaller. The big-
gest ones are Marina Fort Louis (150
berths, up to 3.5 m draft), Anse Marcel Ma-
rina (150 berths for ships under 35 m LOA
and 3 m draft), Captain Oliver’s marina
(150 slips, 2.5 m draft). All of these ma-
rinas have a fuel dock on the premises.
Antigua
Antigua is located at the crossroads for boats
heading up and down the archipelago of the
Greater and Lesser Antilles. It also has some
of the best weather conditions: its annual rain-
fall averaging only 45 inches makes Antigua
the sunniest of the Eastern Caribbean islands.
Its location and pleasant climate make Anti-
gua one of the biggest hubs for yacht activity
in the Caribbean.
The main port is St John’s. Duty free
fuel is easily obtainable if the yacht is in
transit. There are no marinas in the port vi-
cinity; the ones located on the island do
not allow bunkering on their facilities,
other than via their own fuelling stations.
Antigua marinas are numerous and attract
a lot of traffic, especially during the high sea-
son. Falmouth Harbour marina is specifically
built to cater to mega yachts; it offers a fuel
dock and berths yachts up to 330 ft in length
and 20 ft draft (both stern-to and alongside).
Nelson’s Dockyard marina was once a base
for Admiral Horatio Nelson’s fleet in the 18th
century and now represents a busy desti-
nation for superyachts and cruisers. While
extremely popular, this location does not offer
refuelling services. If a yacht is looking to get
repairs done, she can go to Antigua Slipway,
a full service marina and a haul-out facil-
ity up to 200 tons. It is equipped with a fuel
dock and chandlery. Jolly Harbour Marina is
a port of entry, and its facilities include a 140-
slip marina, a super-yacht dock for vessels
up to 260 ft, a boatyard for over 200 boats
and a fuel dock with duty free diesel fuel.
British Virgin Islands
Tortola is the largest of the British Virgin Is-
lands (BVI) and has become the centre of the
sailing world in this territory. Virgin Gorda is
the second most popular destination in the
BVI, located slightly north-east of Tortola.
The main commercial port is Port Pur-
cell, which offers deliveries by truck. There
is also an ex-pipe facility at Baugher’s Bay.
Both options offer duty free fuel, while mari-
nas only provide duty paid fuel (some of the
marinas are truck accessible, especially if
more than 10,000 gallons of fuel are required).
Duty free prices apply for all yachts leav-
ing the islands within 24 hours after bunkering.
Tortola is known for some of the lowest call-
ing costs for yachts. Port Purcell normally
charges around $1 per ft, while no calling cost
applies at the Baugher’s Bay ex-pipe facility.
Marinas on Tortola and Virgin Gorda have
facilities to accommodate long-term regulars,
transients, mega yachts and live-aboards. An-
egada does not have any marinas, however
there are designated anchorage sites and
moorings around most of the other islands.
The marinas have water and fuel stations, and
several include full boat yards, haul-out facili-
ties, chandleries, and support businesses for
the industry. Nanny Cay Resort & Marine in
Tortola, for example, is a fully equipped marina
and boat repair facility and can accommo-
date 180 motor cruisers and yachts. Leverick
Bay Marina is the largest yacht facility in Virgin
Gorda with its full service dock and 30 slips for
yacht fuelling
45www.bunkerspot.comBunkerspot August/September 2016

4. boats up to 105 m long and 5.5 m deep. Peter
Island Resort & Yacht Harbour on Peter Island
is a brand new facility that offers dockage for
yachts up to 53 m in length and 3.5 m draft.
US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands (USVI) are less frequented
by yacht charters than BVI, however they offer
great cruising areas and tranquil anchorages.
While there are no marinas in St John and
Water Island, specially designated anchorage
sites and moorings can be found everywhere
around all four islands.
St Thomas has some of the most ef-
ficient bunkering facilities in the USVI. The
main commercial port is called Charlotte
Amalie. It has several marinas in the vicin-
ity, but as they have their own fuel docks,
they do not allow trucks on their facilities.
To lift by truck, vessels are asked to shift to
Cruise ship dock in Crown Bay or the Home-
port Dock. Duty free approval for yachts in
not an issue in St Thomas. Truck capaci-
ties vary and are up to 12,000 gallons with
pumping rates up to 300 gallons per minute.
Out of eight marinas in St Thomas, the
largest one is Yacht Haven, it has a fuel
dock and houses boats up to 120 m on
its 160 slips. Crown Bay Marina is smaller
and can fit vessels only up to 60 m long,
however it is the only location outside
Charlotte Amalie offering a truck supply.
The largest St Croix marinas are Green
Cay (150 slips, up to 60 m LOA) and St
Croix Marina (60 slips, up to 60 m LOA).
Both offer fuel services from a pump station.
The Bahamas
The Bahamas, with their 700 islands and
2,400 cays, are very popular among yacht
aficionados. The main ports are Freeport and
Nassau. Both ports offer low sulphur diesel
deliveries by truck, however there is a sig-
nificant price difference between the two.
Freeport is the only duty free location in the
Bahamas. Boats docked in Nassau and other
islands are subject to duties, even if the boat’s
next destination is a foreign port, unless the
Bahamas Government approves a special
duty free concession.
For bunkering at the ports, yachts will
need to appoint an agent, who will take care
of the Customs clearance and berthing ar-
rangements. There are several marinas near
commercial ports, however usually they do not
allow bunker trucks into their facilities, espe-
cially if there is a fuelling station on the marina
premises. The exception could be in the case
of superyachts if not enough fuel is available
on site. It must be noted that truck deliver-
ies are only available on Grand Bahama and
New Providence islands. Other islands have
only an ex-marinas option. There is a small
barge circulating between the islands, but it
normally requires up to 14 day’s lead time.
There are over 60 marinas with boat slips,
yacht slips and mega yacht slips in the Baha-
mas. Most of them have a fuel dock available
for diesel supply. Some of the largest are Nas-
sau Yacht Haven in New Providence (docks
vessels up to 18 ft draft on its 120 slips), Port
Lucaya Marina in Grand Bahama (100 slips,
up to 12 ft vessels but no fuel dock), Great
Harbour Yacht Club & Marina on Berry Islands
(85 slips, 10 ft draft), Boat Harbour Marina
at Abacos Island (180 slips with 9 ft draft).
Bermuda
There are three commercial ports in Bermuda
where yachts can receive duty free fuel: St
George’s, Hamilton and Royal Naval Dock-
yard. Out of the three, St George’s is the
only port of entry in Bermuda for yachts. All
yachts must clear Customs and Bermuda im-
migration at the Ordnance Island located in St
George’s Harbour.
Currently, St George’s and Hamilton offer
truck deliveries, while Royal Naval Dockyard
(another name is Ireland Island) administer de-
liveries by pipeline, with a pumping rate of 250
cubic metres (cbm) per minute. Calling costs
for berthing at the Dockyard are $4.25 per
metre per day, however, if a yacht bunkers
and departs the same day, the fee is waived.
All visiting vessels are advised to secure a
local agent to arrange for access to berths.
There are several marinas located on the
island. The largest one is Bermuda Yacht Ser-
vices, which offers facilities for mega yachts
of over 90 m and is the only marina offering
duty free fuel. Another marina, Royal Ber-
muda Yacht Club, is quite famous thanks
to number of international yachting events
hosted on its premises. At the same time, it
hosts only smaller vessels up to 25 m long.
With the exception of Bermuda Yacht
Services, all yachts berthed at the marinas in
Bermuda will need to relocate to the nearest
commercial ports to receive duty-free fuel. To
qualify for duty free fuel, a vessel is required
to bunker within 24 hours of its intended day
of departure. Exceptions to this requirement
are extended to vessels owned by sover-
eign nations and in cases of adverse weather
conditions, primary equipment malfunc-
tion, or any other emergency that may arise.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has a large commercial port,
San Juan, and several marinas and outstand-
ing maintenance facilities to accommodate
yachts. There are a number of marinas next to
San Juan and it is very easy for them to shift to
yacht fuelling
46 www.bunkerspot.com Bunkerspot August/September 2016

5. a commercial pier and take bunkers by truck.
The yachts qualify for duty free fuel if they will
be burning fuel outside of Puerto Rico. Deliv-
eries to yachts are normally done by 10,000
gallon trucks, which can be pumped out in 30
minutes. Docking fees at the commercial pier
are about $2 per ft of length.
Puerto Rico domiciles the largest full-ser-
vice marina in the Caribbean, Marina Puerto
del Rey, positioned on the eastern side of the
island in Fajardo. It offers over 1,000 deep-
water slips up to 300 ft long and has a fuel
dock for convenient refueling. San Juan Bay
marina is also equipped to host mega yachts
(four at a time). Superyachts can find a safe
haven in Ponce Yacht & Fishing club (168
slips, up to 200 ft in length) and the Yacht Club
Palmas del Mar (full service marina with 162
slips for boats up to 175 ft). All of these loca-
tions have in-house fuel docks. Many smaller
marinas are available as well, such as Inver-
siones Isleta, a great launching spot for sailing
to Culebra, Vieques and the Virgin Islands.
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an overseas region of France.
The French regulations on the island de-
termine the procedures, and currently only
commercial yachts qualify for partial duty free
clearance. All pleasure yachts have to pay full
duties. To clarify the difference between the
two, commercial yachts carry passengers
who have paid as individuals or groups for the
purpose of pleasure travel, and these vessels
require an occasional licence, determined by
overall length, to cruise. Private or pleasure
yachts, including bare-boat charters, do not
engage in carrying passengers on hire and
are not required to pay the license fee.
The main commercial ports are Pointe-
a-Pitre and Basse-Terre, where fuelling is
done via truck. There is a marina in Pointe-
a-Pitre, called Bas-du-Fort, thus boats do
not have to shift to a commercial dock to
receive fuel by truck. Bas-du-Fort is the
most suitable facility for smaller supery-
achts on the island and offers 1,000 spaces
to dock. Marina de Riviere-Sens and Ma-
rina de la Grande Saline, positioned near the
capital Basse-Terre, are much smaller and
provide 300 and 250 berths respectively.
Martinique
As with Guadeloupe, Martinique is an over-
seas region of France and has the same tax
issues for yachts as its sister island.
The main port of Fort de France
(with truck bunkering) is also a marina
with 108 moorings, for vessels with max
LOA of 20 m and maximum draft of 5 m.
The largest marina on the island is Ma-
rin Yacht Harbour Marina in Le Marin in the
Cul de Sac Bay. It offers a fuel dock and 650
slips with 15 moorings specially designed for
superyachts, with maximum length of 200 m
and maximum draft of 15 m. Somatras Ma-
rina in Les Trois-Ilets is ideal for medium-size
boats with its 100 moorings (20 m LOA, 3 m
draft). Even smaller is Marina du Robert with
its 30 berths, up to 12m LOA and 1.5 m draft.
St Lucia
St Lucia is another very popular yachting
destination. Marigot Bay is considered one
of the Caribbean’s most secure anchoring
spots and provides protection to ships dur-
ing rough seas.
Castries is the capital of St
Lucia and the main port. It offers
duty free fuel deliveries by truck.
Marina options include Capella Marigot
Bay and Rodney Bay marinas. Capella Marigot
Bay Marina is located near Port Castries and
is classified as an international port of entry.
It has capacity to berth 42 yachts up to 75 m
long and allows fuel deliveries by truck. Rod-
ney Bay Marina is managed by IGY and has
253 slips total and 32 mega yachts berths. The
maximum length that can be accommodated
is 87 m, and max draft is 4 m. The facility has
a boatyard and a fuel dock with duty free fuel.
Grenada
Grenada is an island country consisting of the
main island of Grenada and six smaller islands
and is one of the most beautiful destinations
in the West Indies.
The capital of Grenada is St Georges,
which is also a commercial port. The port is
quite small and has only one berth. There-
fore most of the marinas in Granada are truck
accessible and yachts are fuelled by truck di-
rectly at their berths at the marinas, unless
there is a depth requirement which requires
the yachts to use the commercial port. Most of
the yachts qualify for duty free fuel (after com-
pleting Customs forms), except for pleasure
yachts, which are subject to a small 2.5% tax.
There are eight marinas in Grenada.
The largest ones are Port Louis Marina,
owned and operated by Camper Nichols,
with 160 berths for yachts up to 48 m; the
Grenada Yacht Club with berthing facilities
for 44 yachts; and Clarks Court Bay Boat-
yard & Marina, featuring a 242 ton boatlift.
yacht fuelling
48 www.bunkerspot.com Bunkerspot August/September 2016

6. Barbados
Barbados is strategically located in the most
Eastern part of the Caribbean and therefore
is the first stop for the yachts crossing the At-
lantic Ocean.
The main commercial port is Bridge-
town, where all bunker deliveries are done
ex-pipe. The ex-pipe facility operates on a
24-hour basis. Out of the six berths in the
port, four are pipeline accessible. Pump-
ing rate is approximately 600 barrels per
hour (bbl/h). Duty free clearance in Bar-
bados is granted to all yachts provided
they submit all the required paperwork.
The largest marina on the island is Port
St Charles Marina. It is an official port of en-
try that has its own immigration, Customs,
coast guard and police departments. This
marina has the ability to accommodate six
mega yachts with individual lengths of up to
75 m. They also have two offshore anchoring
mooring buoys that can accommodate yachts
in excess of 75 m. Depth is 4 m at low tide.
St Kitts
The main bunker port of St Kitts and Nevis,
the smallest sovereign state in the Americas,
is its capital Basseterre. All visiting yachts can
refuel duty free diesel here. Another advan-
tage to bunkering at the commercial port are
very low calling costs: only harbour fees are
charged and the amount, based on the size of
the yacht, is typically less than $100.
Other than easy availability of duty free
fuel, facilities for yachts are very basic in St
Kitts. Christophe Harbour is the only marina
on the island and can accommodate yachts
up to 250 ft. Its in-berth pump out facility is
only suitable for smaller boats. With at most
44,000 gallons of fuel on site, the marina allows
truck bunkering for larger vessels, if the op-
erations cannot be done efficiently via pump.
Lana Piterova
Bunker & Lubricant Trader
Arte Bunkering
Email: usa@artebunkering.com
Web: http://artebunkering.com
yacht fuelling
49www.bunkerspot.comBunkerspot August/September 2016