Clifton Harbour is Union Island’s yacht-entry location in the southern Grenadines. It is particularly relevant when a passage crosses between SVG and Grenada’s islands or continues toward the Tobago Cays. A local partner can coordinate the Clifton clearance stop with the onward itinerary and current authority attendance.
The islands are close together here, but the national boundary still matters. The clearance stop at Clifton and the subsequent anchorage or marine-park visit need to be planned in the right order.
Carriacou and Petite Martinique are part of Grenada, while Union Island is in SVG. A local partner can distinguish the cross-border passage from later island-hopping, so the arrival file and intended Clifton stop reflect the actual country the yacht is leaving.
Union Island Customs lists a weekday seaport schedule and a separate airport schedule. Local assistance can establish the yacht arrangement for the planned arrival, especially when the passage falls outside the normal seaport window or involves separate crew travel.
An itinerary can combine Clifton entry with the Tobago Cays, but the park visit has its own rules and charges. A local partner can help place those requirements in the onward plan without treating a mooring or park payment as permission to enter SVG.
Prepare the applicable records before arrival or departure.
Clifton is the named yacht-entry harbour. Chatham Bay, Ashton and the Tobago Cays are different destinations and should not be substituted for an international entry stop without authority permission.
The previous port identifies whether this is an international arrival or an SVG coastal move. A yacht coming from Carriacou or Petite Martinique crosses from Grenada. The local partner can prepare the Clifton file around that actual route and the clearance record issued by the previous country.
The intended ETA needs to be matched to the yacht’s Customs and Immigration arrangement. Published airport hours do not automatically extend seaport coverage. Where weekend or later attendance is needed, the receiving arrangement should be established before the passage depends on completing formalities that day.
For a first SVG arrival, Clifton’s formalities precede a visit to another island anchorage or the Tobago Cays. The yacht and people aboard remain under the arrival restrictions until cleared. An onward mooring booking should be planned around completion, rather than used to bypass the entry stop.
A Tobago Cays visit involves the park’s entry and mooring or anchoring arrangements as well as its environmental rules. Clifton is also the park administration’s published base. Park-related enquiries can be included in the itinerary planning without confusing the park authority with Customs or Immigration.
Clifton’s airport and ferry connections can bring changes to the yacht’s complement. Union Island is also a published visitor-extension application location. A local partner can identify which personal records need attention during the stay, independently of the boat’s onward mooring or cruising arrangements.
A sailing toward Grenada’s islands needs SVG outward clearance and the receiving country’s entry formalities. The departure file should name the intended foreign destination and actual sailing complement. A short distance from Union Island does not make the border crossing a domestic passage.
Official yacht-entry guidance names Clifton Harbour for Union Island. The island also has anchorages at Chatham Bay and around Ashton, but their existence does not make them interchangeable clearance points. The first international stop should follow the agreed Clifton arrangement or specific authority instructions.
Customs lists Union Island’s seaport hours as Monday to Friday, with airport attendance published separately. That distinction matters for a weekend yacht passage. Any different arrangement needs to be made for the call, with Immigration attendance coordinated as well as the Customs element.
Carriacou and Petite Martinique belong to Grenada. A yacht crossing between those islands and Union Island therefore crosses a national boundary, even on a short leg. The route requires the respective countries’ departure and entry formalities rather than a single clearance covering all the Grenadines.
The marine park administers its own visitor, mooring and anchoring charges, including published categories relevant to Clifton. National cruise tax is a different payment. The itinerary should identify the actual park and mooring use so charges are established for the intended stay rather than treated as one island-wide fee.
Clifton Harbour is the named yacht-entry location. The receiving arrangement should identify the relevant Customs and Immigration attendance for the call rather than rely on airport hours or the location of another anchorage.
An international arrival must complete entry formalities before another anchorage stop, unless the authorities specifically permit otherwise. Plan the Union Island arrival around the recognised clearance location at Clifton.
The Tobago Cays are a marine-park destination, not a listed yacht-entry port. Complete SVG arrival clearance at an appropriate entry location before the park visit; paying park charges does not clear the yacht into the country.
No such guarantee follows from the airport schedule. Customs publishes different seaport and airport arrangements, so weekend yacht attendance needs to be established for the actual call.
Yes. Petite Martinique belongs to Grenada, so that passage leaves SVG. The short distance does not remove the need for outward formalities and the receiving country’s entry process.
No. Government clearance, national cruise tax and local mooring or marine-park charges serve different purposes. Ask for the applicable charges to be identified by service and charging period when the local arrangements are made.
Use this page for Union Island arrival, departure and St. Vincent yacht-paperwork assistance.