Caribbean Sail Training ( CST ) Vessel Operators Page

Caribbean Sail Training ( CST )

Non-Profit association

Avenue du Lagon 98 Oyster Pond 97150 St.Martin

Antilles Françaises Caribbean

Phone : +590690629955

Web site: www.CaribbeanSailTraining.com

e-mail: info@CaribbeanSailTraining.com and Europe@CaribbeanSailTraining.com

Caribbean Sail Training Membership information for Sail Training Vessels

CST encourages sail training vessels, tall ships and other vessels that can provide sail training to youngsters to become a member of our nonprofit association, Caribbean Sail Training.

Membership requirements

Who can become a Vessel Member?

Each vessel that provides sail training to individuals and youth can become a member of our organization. This means that not only Tall Ships but also smaller sail ships, yachts or other vessels (even motor vessels) can apply for a membership as long as they provide sail training. Please apply with all your information to our CST board so that we can investigate if you and/or your vessel can be recognized by CST.

How can a vessel or organization apply to become a CSTA member?

Please talk to one of our Advisory Board Members when they visit your vessel during a Sail Training event or when you are somewhere in a harbor and they are visiting your ship. Otherwise, please go to www.CaribbeanSailTraining.com and apply on line or e mail us. info@CaribbeanSailTraining.com or/and Europe@CaribbeanSailTraining.com

Can a commercial vessel or charter vessel become a member?

If the vessel is sailing only as a charter or commercial vessel it is not possible to become a member of CST.

If the vessel is a charter or commercial vessel but can provide also sail training to youth and can take trainees from CST on board even without being a full time sail training vessel, it is possible to become a member of CST.

Please contact us for further information.

What are the advantages when a vessel is a member of CST ?

CST provides all kinds of services and advantages to member vessels.

As a CST member vessel you receive free or at least strong reduced rates for docking, mooring, harbor fees and more in many Caribbean Islands, ports and marinas. You will receive free or reduces rates for custom and immigration procedures. On most Caribbean Islands where the yacht and ship agency Yacht Assistance is represented they will provide the CST member vessels with free services for all assistance like clearing in and out, driving around, picking up crew at airport, deliveries, provisioning ( not for the products ), forwarding of goods, spare part ordering etc. As a CST member you will NOT have to pay for those services. As a CST member vessel you are automatically entitled to become also an advisory board member of our nonprofit association. This can be the Captain or someone else from your organization. As advisory board member you will be invited to come to the Caribbean once a year for several days to attend the CST board members meeting. In the near future we hope to offer airline tickets and hotel accommodation in the Caribbean for FREE to all our board members.

What if the vessel is not coming this season, next year or in the near future to the Caribbean?

Even if your vessel is not scheduled to visit the Caribbean Islands in the coming season or year ( s ) we would appreciate if you become a member vessel and advisory board member as we need as much ideas and advise as possible in order to improve our services and cooperation with the Sail Training Vessels, the Captains, crew, trainees etc.

What if our vessel wants to become a member of CST but not an advisory board member?

No problem at all, there is no obligation to become an advisory board member of CST even when your vessel becomes a member of CST. It would only be good to be also an advisory board member as it will give you additional advantages and no responsibilities, so it will never hurt to be an advisory board member of CST.

What are the membership fees to become a member vessel of CST ?

The CST membership is FREE for all recognized Sail Training Vessels. Please apply by e-mail to info@CaribbeanSailTraining.com if possible prior to your sail trip to the Caribbean.

How can we show to port authorities and others that we are a member vessel of CST? When we receive your application and information and you are accepted as member we will send a credit card style membership card to your office or, if there is not enough time left prior to the vessel's arrival in the Caribbean, we will send it to one of the Yacht Assistance agents on the Island where you will be able to pick it up.

Which Islands are cooperating with CST and giving free or reduced rates to members of CST?

There are several Islands that are cooperating like St.Martin, St.Barth's, Union Island and the Grenadines, Antigua, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante, Les Saintes and others and our board members are visiting almost all the other Caribbean Islands this summer in order to have meetings and invite the authorities to cooperate.

Will a member vessel have to pay the regular fees where an agreement has not been reached as yet with the authorities?

Not necessarily, if we know in advance where you would like to go and you give us your schedule we have probably the possibility to sponsor the amounts that you normally have to pay to the authorities.

Will a member vessel receive paid bookings from CST for trainees that will sail?

CST is not a booking agency but we do enroll trainees on vessels. Many Caribbean youngsters are asking our foundation to sponsor a sail training trip and depending on the budgets that we have, we provide the ships with those trainees and we pay for their transport, flights, hotel accommodation etc. to and back from the ship and for the training.

We've had hundreds of youngsters on board the sail training vessels in the past.

What is required from a member vessel in return for all the advantages and services that they receive for free from the CSTA?

The only favor that we ask the vessels is to give our organization reduced rates for the trainees that we have and which are from the Caribbean, and to take into consideration the possibility of holding an open ship day for the general public while in a Caribbean Harbor. In addition, we will discuss the possibility with the vessel to do a Maritime Experience Day sail with youngsters from the Island where the vessel is visiting.

Is a member sail training vessel allowed to do promotions, sell souvenirs etc. on board to make some extra money while in the Caribbean?

Depending on local authorities and laws a CST member vessel is allowed to do that, as long as it is coordinated by CST. All profits from sales on board will go to your ship.

Can a vessel sell soft drinks, beer and alcohol while doing an open ship day?

Again, we don't have a problem with that as long as the local Island authorities are fine with it, we will always verify the rules and regulations in advance with the authorities.

PLEASE CONTACT US BY E-MAIL IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS