Health & Safety
Want to Speak to A Team Member?
Health & Safety at Sail Caribbean Teen Sailing and Scuba Programs
Your Teen Is inExpert Hands
For over 46 years, families have trusted Sail Caribbean to take their teens on the adventure of a lifetime. Safety is not a policy we follow. It is the foundation on which everything is built.
- 3:1 student-to-staff ratio across all programs
- 100% of the Sail Caribbean field staff have First Aid/CPR
- Every program includes a dedicated EMT or Wilderness First Responder
- 12-day onsite staff training with live emergency drills before every season
- Over 46 years of safe live-aboard teen programs in the British Virgin Islands
Certified, Trained, and Ready for Anything
Every adult your teen spends time with on a Sail Caribbean program meets rigorous medical and safety certification standards. This is not a checkbox. It is a culture.
Dedicated Staff: EMT or WFR Level
Each program includes a dedicated staff member certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or holding the advanced Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification, an 80-hour course.
12-Day Onsite Staff Training
Before every season, staff complete a comprehensive 12-day onsite training covering safety procedures specific to the Caribbean marine environment, including live simulated emergency medical drills.
Daily Leadership Check-Ins
Every evening, the captain and crew of every boat check in with program leadership. The student-to-staff ratio across all programs is 3:1, and each boat has at least two adults on board while underway.
How the Fleet Model Keeps Every Studentsafer
Sail Caribbean never sails alone. Our fleet model means your teen is always surrounded by a support network on the water, not just a single boat far from help.
Programs sail in fleets of 2 to 7 boats, always including a dedicated staff support boat. That support boat is where the Program Director, Fleet Captain, and Provisions Manager are based. It carries all essential medical supplies and serves as the command center for daily staff meetings.
The entire fleet stays in constant VHF radio contact with each other and maintains daily contact with the base on Tortola by cell phone. Caribbean weather is monitored daily, and a full hurricane plan is in place, including swift relocation to an inland shelter.
High-Speed Emergency Response
- If emergency medical attention is required, Sail Caribbean’s high-speed motorboats ensure rapid transfer to land. Long-term relationships with qualified doctors and BVI clinics and hospitals mean students receive trusted, established care when they need it.
VISAR Partnership
- Sail Caribbean has a close professional relationship with Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR) and practices emergency response procedures with them during annual staff training. VISAR provides 24-hour coverage every day of the year.
Our rules areOur Promise to You
Every Sail Caribbean guideline exists for a specific protective reason. Here is what each one means for your teen’s safety on the water.
Life jackets under sail and in watersports
- Life jackets are worn at all times while the boat is underway, during all watersports activities, and on small boats. Harnesses are worn during all night sails.
Buddy system and regular check-ins
- Students travel in buddy groups ashore at all times and check in with staff on a regular basis. Staff members in identifiable shirts provide active area supervision at all points of interest.
Clear boundaries ashore
- At every port stop, students receive clear, defined boundaries along with highlights and attractions within them. Evenings ashore, students and staff are together at all times, with venues specifically chosen for safety.
Phones managed responsibly
- Cell phones are collected upon arrival and made available at specific, supervised times. This keeps students present, focused on the experience, and engaged with their crew rather than isolated by screens.
Active sun safety monitoring
- Staff continuously remind students to reapply sunscreen. If a student shows early signs of sunburn, the captain places them on “shirt duty,” requiring sun-protective clothing until the concern passes. All boats have a bimini providing shade over the cockpit.
Hydration culture
- Staff emphasize hydration throughout the day and use games to encourage water intake in hot weather. One student is designated each day to actively check that the crew is drinking enough water.
World-Class Medical Support minutes away
Sail Caribbean has spent decades building relationships with the best medical providers in the British Virgin Islands. If your teen needs care, we know exactly where to go and how to get there fast.
Peebles Hospital, Road Town
- Conveniently located in Road Town and reachable by fast boat from all BVI fleets. Peebles maintains 24-hour emergency and ambulance services with laboratory and x-ray facilities. Medical specialists and trained nurses are on duty at all times.
B & F Medical Complex
- A complete professional medical center serving the BVI community 7 days a week. Staffed with general and specialist doctors providing family and child care, a full-service dental clinic, and a well-stocked pharmacy.
Virgin Gorda Emergency Services
- Virgin Gorda has a dedicated ambulance service staffed by personnel with EMT training, providing coverage across the eastern BVI where Sail Caribbean operates.
VISAR (Search and Rescue)
- 24-hour coverage every day of the year, in cooperation with the Royal British Virgin Islands police, fire, and ambulance services. Sail Caribbean practices emergency procedures with VISAR during annual staff training.
From Your Front Door to Our Dock: How Travel Works
One of the most common parent concerns is the journey itself, especially for first-time travelers. Here is exactly what happens from the moment your teen boards their flight to when they are safely in our care.
About 50% of Our Teens Fly as Unaccompanied Minors. We Handle This Routinely.
All major airlines offer Unaccompanied Minor (UM) programs that provide full monitoring, escort, and supervision by airline customer service employees for the entire travel day, including all connections within the same airline.
Our staff personally meets the airline employee responsible for your teen at the arrival airport, verifies identification, and signs them out before escorting them to our group. We will email you the name and contact details of the specific staff member meeting your teen at least 48 hours before the program starts.
If your teen is traveling as a UM, please provide our office with a copy of your UM service receipt. Contact your airline for specific UM rules and fees. For setup, airlines require a contact name, which you can use as a placeholder when booking:
- Mike Liese
- 256 Main St., Northport, NY 11768
- +1 (284)-499-1759
- mike@sailcaribbean.com
Option 1: Fly into St. Thomas (STT) Preferred Route
- Staff personally meets all students at STT baggage claim after they leave the plane.
- Staff escorts the group together by taxi to the ferry (10-minute ride).
- 55-minute ferry ride up the island chain to Road Town, Tortola. Staff chaperone students through customs and immigration.
- Arrival window: no earlier than 10 am and no later than 4:30 pm to catch the last ferry. Contact us for anything outside this window.
- A $175 fee covers the round-trip ferry, taxi, and departure taxes.
Option 2: Fly into Beef Island, Tortola (EIS) Also Accepted
- Staff personally meet all students at Tortola (EIS) airport upon arrival.
- The group rides together to our marina base, The Moorings, 20 to 30 minutes away.
- Flights connect through either Miami (American Airlines direct) or San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- All arrival and departure times are accepted for this route.
International travelers:
Fly into St. Maarten (SXM) or Antigua (ANT), then connect to Beef Island (EIS) via LIAT or WinAir.
Your teen will call home on arrival.
Staff ensures students call home once they have arrived at the airport and again at our docks. During the programs, there are 1-2 instances where students will be able to call home again. These times and dates will be communicated to parents at the beginning of the program. We encourage parents to discuss expectations with their teen before travel.
Traveling with your student? Drop-off at the dock is welcome.
Families are welcome to drop off and pick up directly at our home base at The Moorings Marina in Tortola, or at St. Thomas airport on arrival and departure days. Please contact us directly so we can assist with coordination and logistics.
Questions Every Parent Asks About Sail Caribbean
Life jackets are worn for all watersports, small boat activities, and on our program boats while underway. Harnesses are worn during all night sails. This is a non-negotiable policy on every Sail Caribbean program.
On land, students are given clear boundaries. Staff in identifiable shirts provide active supervision throughout designated areas. Students travel in buddy groups and check in regularly. During evenings ashore, students and staff are together at all times, at venues specifically chosen for safety. On the boat, there is always at least one staff member on board when students are on board, and while underway, there are multiple staff members present. The overall student-to-staff ratio across all Sail Caribbean programs is 3:1.
Sail Caribbean staff ensure students call home once they have arrived at the destination airport and again at our docks. There will also be regular opportunities for students to call home as the fleet travels from port to port. We encourage parents to discuss communication expectations with their teen before departure so both parties are aligned.
Every Sail Caribbean field staff member holds First Aid/CPR certification. Each program also has a dedicated staff member who holds either an EMT certification or a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification, which is an 80-hour advanced course. Staff complete simulated emergency drills during Sail Caribbean’s 12-day pre-season training every year.
Sail Caribbean staff continuously remind students to reapply sunscreen throughout the day. If a student shows early signs of sunburn, the captain places them on “shirt duty,” requiring sun-protective clothing until the issue resolves. We encourage packing a hat, lightweight long-sleeved shirts, sunglasses, and a rashguard. All Sail Caribbean boats have a bimini canopy over the cockpit, providing consistent shade. Students themselves also share responsibility, with one crew member designated each day to check on the crew’s health and sun safety.
Since students depart from all over the United States and internationally, it is not feasible for Sail Caribbean to be at every departure airport. However, a staff member will personally meet your teen at St. Thomas airport (STT) and accompany them on the ferry to Tortola. If your teen flies into Beef Island (EIS), Sail Caribbean staff will meet them at the airport and bring them directly to base.
Sail Caribbean’s high-speed motorboats ensure rapid transfer to land when needed. We have long-term relationships with qualified doctors and trusted BVI clinics, including Peebles Hospital in Road Town (open 24 hours with emergency and ambulance services) and the B & F Medical Complex. The Sail Caribbean fleet is always in VHF radio contact and maintains a close working relationship with Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR), which provides 24-hour emergency coverage.