Moorings reports sharp decline in local boat captains

The Moorings has reported losing a significant number of local boat captains in recent years, even as concerns mount that Virgin Islanders are not getting enough opportunities in the territory’s lucrative marine sector.

Peter Cochran, Senior Vice President of Global Operations at The Moorings BVI, made the disclosure at a recent marine forum where local captains, elected leaders and other stakeholders raised concerns about employment opportunities for BVIslanders.

“Essentially, we have lost, unfortunately, an awful lot of local captains recently,” Cochran said. “We’ve been working with them for decades, and they’ve moved on.”

He did not say why the captains left or how many departed.

However, Cochran maintained that The Moorings – with the largest sailing fleet in the BVI – is prioritising locals when recruiting and said the company currently has vacancies.

“We are very specifically making sure that we are looking at the local population in terms of employment, first and foremost,” he said, adding that its roster is not currently full. The disclosure comes amid complaints from local captains that charter companies sometimes favour expatriates for available work.

At the same forum, Junior Minister for Tourism and Culture Luce Hodge-Smith acknowledged those concerns, saying the government receives complaints that local captains are overlooked. In contrast, overseas captains receive a larger share of charters. She also noted complaints that locals are sometimes required to train expatriate captains who end up replacing them.

However, Cochran told the forum that The Moorings values local captains because of their knowledge of BVI culture and waters.

He also disclosed that the company is exploring a global mobility programme that could allow captains to work at its bases in destinations such as Greece, Turkey and Croatia during slower periods in the BVI. The initiative could begin as early as next year.