Barefoot Yacht Charters operates the premiere bareboat yacht charter company in The Grenadines. They specialize in first-rate personalized service and expert yacht management.  For these reasons, The Usual Suspects was placed in charter with this company.

Owned and managed by Mary Barnard, Barefoot Yacht Charters, and its predecessor Bimini Yachts, has operated from Blue Lagoon, St Vincent since 1984. Barefoot is a St. Vincent and the Grenadines Corporation.  A new charter base facility was opened in the northwest corner of the Blue Lagoon in May, 2000.

This excellent facility, which they designed, built, and own themselves - is a full-service operation with docks and secure moorings, offices and workshops, showers and bathrooms, a laundromat, an Internet café, provisioning services, and the best restaurant and bar in St. Vincent.  They also have a number of apartments on site.

The base is set in lush, tropical landscaping inside a well-protected lagoon that is frequented by visiting cruising yachtsmen.  It is located just 10 minutes from St. Vincent’s airport and 20 minutes from the capital of Kingstown. Bequia, northernmost of the Grenadines, is only 6 miles across the water and the premises offers stunning views directly across the Bequia Channel.

Originally from Europe and with a degree in education from McGill University in Montreal, Mary came to St. Vincent in 1960, and married Martin Barnard, whose family were British plantation estate owners.  For many years, Mary and Martin owned and managed the largest privately-owned coconut estate in the western hemisphere, on the slopes of St. Vincent’s active volcano “Soufriere”.

In addition to being Managing Director of Barefoot Yacht Charters, Mary is a Director of Barefoot Holidays and of SVG Air, Barefoot’s own charter airline.

Mary and Martin have also been intimately involved in the administration and development of the island of Mustique. Martin, who has served as President of the St. Vincent & the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce, is currently the Chairman of SVG Air.  Both keen sailors and yacht owners, Mary and Martin have owned and operated Barefoot Yacht Charters since its inception.

Part-owner and Director of Sales and Marketing is Narendra Sethia (Seth), a former Royal Navy submarine officer who has nearly 20 years experience in the Caribbean yacht charter industry.  He joined the Barnard family in 1996, having previously managed and part-owned Trade Wind Yachts.

For over a year, Seth worked patiently with me, explaining the advantages and risks of owning a charter boat.  When it came time to buy, I had developed such a level of trust that the boat was purchased over the Internet, with Seth acting as my on-site agent.

Barefoot employs a full-time staff of mechanics, electricians, carpenters, fiberglass technicians, cleaners, and dock workers.

Gabriel “Vergil” Joseph is Chief Engineer.  A native of St. Lucia, he was Chief Engineer for The Moorings in St Lucia for 17 years.  After that, he worked with Sunsail for 2 years.  He has worked throughout the Caribbean, from The Bahamas in the north, to Venezuela in the south. He is affectionately called “The Chief”  by his peers.

Dock master Glendon Grant, a six-year veteran of Barefoot, is assisted by Garfield “Chalkie” Richards.  Gideon “Monty” Stapleton (left, with the Prime Suspect) heads up the Outside Engineering team.  Aaron and Rondell handle fiberglass repair, while “Ozzie” Osborne Phillips handles woodworking and carpentry.  The entire maintenance team is thoroughly professional and take excellent care of the fleet.

The outdoor dining area and bar Surfside is set on the veranda overlooking the Blue Lagoon, with the island of Bequia off on the horizon.  The view by day is quite spectacular, and the cozy wicker furniture and soft lighting by night make it an enchanting place to hang out and meet other sailors.  The food prepared by Head Chef Sandra Phillips is excellent and the service friendly.  The home-made pizzas are made to perfection.