Hotelier and sailor Kelly Glass has suggested that there be a 10 p.m. “curfew” amidst complaints by sailors about loud noise late at night in Bequia.
Glass said this was the only complaint he had as he outlined the advantages of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a sailing destination.
“The only complaint that I get from sailors and yachties here is music and which turns to become noise late at night,” Glass said.
He was speaking during a panel discussion to launch SVG Sailing Week to be held April 13 to 21, as Easer Regatta returns to the sailing regatta for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister of Tourism Carlos James was also a panellist and Opposition Leader Godwin Friday, who is MP For the Northern Grenadines, where Bequia is located, was among the audience when Glass made the comment.
“And minister and Leader of the Opposition, I firmly believe there should be a curfew of 10 p.m. because sound moves across the water,” Glass said.
“You have somebody in Hamilton pounding music. And 10 o’clock, at 11 o’clock at night, it’s travelling all the way to Lower Bay, and it’s going into Princess Margaret.”
He said that especially during a regatta, sailors are trying to get up at 6 a.m. to get their boats ready.
“They don’t need music slamming them all night. So that’s my only gripe,” Glass said.
Glass said SVG has six advantages, the first of which is its location.
They say, ‘Location. Location. Location.’ … you will hear ‘Barbados and the Grenadines’. You will hear ‘St. Lucia and the Grenadines.’ You hear ‘Martinique in the Grenadines’. We will let Grenada say ‘Grenada and the Grenadines’,” Glass said.
“But the Grenadines is an internationally famous destination, and to an enthusiast in sailing, the Grenadines is on par with Lords, to an enthusiast that supports cricket.”
He said the time of year of the regatta is also a huge advantage.
“Easter, it’s the best destiny. We’ve got wind; we’ve got the end of the tourism season. I just wish it was this late every year because April is very late for Easter.”
Glass also spoke of the ease of entry into SVG, adding, “Ease of entry with Sail Clear, with people that fly — we spoke of these big boats.”
He said that there are five types of boats — youth sailing, traditional, racers, cruisers and the traditional boats — adding that they all have to be included in the regatta.
“St Vincent’s airport at Argyle is the best; paperless, the easiest country to come into in the Caribbean by a country mile. And I travel a lot, and I take my hats off to you guys.”
Glass said he believes that the airport staff has had some customer appreciation training recently.
“Because just a smile; smile. Your first impact on a country is customs and immigration,” he said adding that they might request an email address or telephone number before allowing a visitor into the country.
He said the other advantage is onshore activities.
“To me, Bequia has it all. It’s quite a destination … I compare it to St. Barts… a few years back. We’ve got excellent anchorage. We’ve got brilliant water taxis. We’ve got a great ferry service from St. Vincent and the other Grenadine islands.
“The hospital here is spotless. I went up there, took somebody up and actually, they checked out my foot a week ago. I was really, really impressed. I must say.”
He said Bequia has restaurants and bars.
“And one thing that nobody ever talks about. Bequia has an island of people that understand sailing and yachts and yachties more so than anywhere in the Caribbean. I mean, they live it, they eat it. So that’s a huge advantage.”
Glass said that another advantage is that Bequia has sailmakers. “… when you’re sailing and racing out in this wind, you will rip your sails.”
The final advantage he saw was that the island has a great chandlery.
“We have mechanical and electrical guys on island and on the mainland that can come and fix your boat. You’ve got rigging specialists, and you’ve got woodworkers and varnishes, which will be required in the future when the big boats come,” Glass said.
“If you race the boat hard, you will break it, and they need to be repaired, and we have this,” he said.
The people of SVG and the Goverment should have long time put curfews and restrictions on Kelly Glass and his acquisitions of large properties and mineral resources of St. Vincent. This “noise” he and fellow yatch owners are disturbed by, merely reflects their perceived privileged positions. Before Kelly Glass Vincentians practiced their cultural heritage, “noise” included. Someone give Kelly and all asking for a curfew, a good edible and send their arses to bed.
Where is this guy from that want to impose a “curfew” or further infringe in the rights of the slaves? Can he do that in New Zealand? What was the reason he was terminated from vinlec?
Who goes on cruise/vacation to sleep?.
You will learn many things by their behavior. Maybe you don’t understand. It is them who have the right to all that is good in the world. That is way they came and said they discovered a place even though there we already people there. Once upon a time everything from China was bad now they are buying from China and rebranding it as their own.
These responses are rather disappointing, if I may say so. Can Kelly’s nationality/background be removed from this? The point he raised is a valid one.
Your argument is the equivalent of you saying athletes in the athlete village of a sporting meet, for instance the Olympics or the World Championships, should be understanding and accept noise late at night even when they have races/events very early the following morning. That’s unreasonable.
Noise pollution is a big problem in the island, which is bad enough outside of a time when people need to rest before a big competition day.
In total disregard of the boost of revenue being generated by the “noisy” business for the often underprivileged locals, on a whim of this elite minority there’s this audacious suggestion of a policy change to a tradition that existed long before this colonizer appeared. Why don’t he come to the mainland and curfew carnival as well, don’t the people at the hospital need rest as well? Where in the world can one travel to and want to be involved in any aspect of policy change that their background and nationality not be called into question. As per the Honorable St Clair, seems you’re one of the Vincentians that will give it away for “Shirley biscuits”