American Tourists Detained for Accidently Sailing Into BVI Waters

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Someone in this group isn’t too smart, or the whole story isn’t being told. It is not illegal nor does it require quarantine to transit another countries waters, otherwise it would be impossible to get through old Bahama Channel between Cuba and the Bahamas. You’re going to enter one or the others territorial waters.
 
My guess is that they made port illegally and got busted.
 
Someone in this group isn’t too smart, or the whole story isn’t being told. It is not illegal nor does it require quarantine to transit another countries waters, otherwise it would be impossible to get through old Bahama Channel between Cuba and the Bahamas. You’re going to enter one or the others territorial waters.

My guess is that they made port illegally and got busted.

The BVI Government issued a statement about the incident:

4 US citizens held for illegal entry being 'cared for with - British Virgin Islands
 
Someone in this group isn’t too smart, or the whole story isn’t being told. It is not illegal nor does it require quarantine to transit another countries waters, otherwise it would be impossible to get through old Bahama Channel between Cuba and the Bahamas. You’re going to enter one or the others territorial waters.

I guess it sounds like all stories are in agreement. The Captain can’t navigate and all of his pax are paying for it.

Terrible articles, but unless I'm missing something they didn't land, but did enter the territorial waters.

Boarding, fines and detention seems a bit excessive. Don't those coastal interdiction vessels tend to have big bullhorns? Maybe "Dude, wrong turn. Get off our lawn!" would have been a more balanced response. And, by the way, one which would not have actually caused potential exposure situations.

Either more is really going on ($$$) or BVI is shooting for the Ms. World Karen crown.
 
"Ms. World Karen crown" LOL

Seriously....

"We are concerned about you bringing COVID to our island, therefore we will pull you off your boat where we are safe from you, and bring you to land where we will need to quarantine you because we are no longer safe from you"....morons. Sounds like a Monty Python skit.
 
At best the skipper did not do his homework or cannot navigate, at worst it was an attitude of the law does not apply to me, or worse.

30 seconds spent on google brought up the following

Coronavirus - British Virgin Islands (British Overseas Territory) travel advice

BVI territorial waters are open to all traffic from 5am to 6pm, intra-island ferries may operate from 5am to 8pm. Movement across maritime borders is prohibited except where authorised by the Governor in consultation with the Minister of Health. ( bolding is mine)

Sounds to me like everyone is in quarantine,
 
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