The Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville (ERIC, a registered not-for-profit organization) operates 15 mooring locations beside the famous Pirates Bay Beach in the beautiful Man-o-War Bay, Charlotteville Tobago. Sheltered in the most secure harbor and only port of entry in the North-East Tobago UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve, you’ll be surrounded by verdant green forests, underscored by the crystal turquoise waters of the southern Caribbean, and hosted by the friendly people of Charlotteville. Caribbean Compass (January 2023) reports:

The Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville (ERIC), Tobago, is launching “The Buoys of Man-o-War Bay” in the North-East Tobago UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve. Working in conjunction with the Department of Marine Resources and Fisheries of the Tobago House of Assembly, and with funding from Shell Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, ERIC has installed 15 moorings in the beautiful Pirate’s Bay area of Man-o-War Bay. Unlike many other Caribbean islands, Tobago has not traditionally catered to sailing yachts and these buoys are the first of their kind on the island. They establish a designated area for yachts to tie onto secure, well-maintained moorings fastened with helix screw anchors. ERIC hopes that this combination of a sailing tourism product with environmental protection and social benefits to the community will become a template and role model for other such projects in the wider Caribbean region.

All fees raised from the buoys will feed directly into ERIC’s conservation activities, providing income for programmes including reef health monitoring, capacity building, sustainable livelihoods, and the protection of endangered marine species. ERIC also provides support to the elderly, assists with youth development programs, and keeps the cultural heritage of the Tobago community alive through a partnership with a local stakeholder in the project, the Charlotteville Police Youth Club. Finally, income from mooring fees will be used for the regular assessment and maintenance of the mooring lines by ERIC’s staff and community-based field technicians. For more information on the moorings’ design and construction, their specific locations, where and how to book stays, as well as additional services provided by the CPYC, visit www.tobago-moorings.com.

For more information, see https://www.tobago-moorings.com/ and https://www.caribbeancompass.com/online/Janaury-2023-Issue-322.pdf