April 12th, 2022

THE NEW MUSTIQUE SECURITY BOAT

Mustico II, an 11m glass fibre vessel, was delivered to Mustique in early 2021. The boat has all the necessary navigation equipment required to support both day and night operations. In addition to radar and chart plotters, it has an infra-red night vision camera and a top speed of 40 knots. It forms part of the island’s Security team’s continued efforts to keep the island safe and to protect all who live, work on or visit Mustique.

Over the course of the last year, Mustico II has been invaluable. Whether performing Search and Rescue, being involved in transport and delivery, Medical Evacuation (Medivac) or Incident Response, it has been an invaluable resource for the island. Below are a few highlights from the past year:

  • During the COVID-19 virus a vast number of voyages were made to deliver PCR tests to mainland Saint Vincent for test results.

  • When the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano happened, Mustico II was one of the first vessels to respond with fresh water. A team from Mustique carried out a patrol of the Leeward side of the island and during the course of the month-long eruptions made many voyages to the mainland.

  • Fifteen search and rescues

  • Twelve Medivacs

The boat continues to be used on a daily basis to patrol the shores of Mustique, providing a highly visible, fast response for any issues.

Just this past week the boat was deployed to head off a whaling vessel that had entered Mustique’s exclusion zone (the 1000m zone around the island that prevents fishing, whaling, etc).