Argyle (SVU) crew-change guide: airport logistics, transfers and timing

Argyle International (SVU) opened in 2017 and changed Grenadines crew logistics. Direct flights from London (Gatwick), New York (JFK), Miami (MIA) and Toronto (YYZ) mean you can rotate a full crew in a single travel day instead of routing via Barbados. Here's how to run it.

Direct routes into Argyle (SVU)

• London Gatwick — Virgin Atlantic, twice weekly
• New York JFK — American (seasonal) and Caribbean Airlines via Port of Spain; direct and one-stop
• Miami MIA — American, daily
• Toronto YYZ — Air Canada (seasonal), 2–3x weekly
• Barbados BGI — LIAT, Caribbean Airlines, interCaribbean; daily
• Trinidad POS — Caribbean Airlines, daily

Always confirm with the carrier; schedules shift seasonally.

Where Argyle sits relative to the yacht

• Blue Lagoon Marina — 20 min
• Young Island Cut — 25 min
• Kingstown port — 30 min
• Wallilabou Bay — 60 min
• Bequia — 90 min total, via ferry
• Canouan — 60 min total, via inter-island flight (CIW)
• Mustique — 45 min total, via Mustique Airways

The south-coast hub — Blue Lagoon / Young Island Cut — is the natural crew-change base because it's 20 minutes from SVU.

What we coordinate for crew change

• Airside fast-track at SVU on arrival (45 min faster than queueing)
• Luggage handling from carousel to vehicle
• Vehicle from gangway to airport with departing crew, in good time for a 2-hour international check-in
• Vehicle from airport to gangway with arriving crew, immediately after immigration
• Day rooms / hotel if the rotation has an overnight gap
• Inter-island connections to Canouan (CIW) and Mustique by air, or to Bequia/Canouan by fast ferry

What to brief joining crew on

• Visas: most nationalities don't need a visa for SVG, but check 6+ months passport validity
• Onward ticket: Immigration may ask
• Seamen's book: bring it (signing-on entry needed)
• Yellow fever: required if arriving from a yellow-fever country in the last 6 days
• Cash: USD and XCD both work; cards work in town but not on every dock
• WhatsApp: local SIM not necessary; eSIMs work; we WhatsApp the agent number on arrival

Departure timing for crew

International flights need 2 hours at the airport before departure for check-in, security and immigration. Domestic flights to Canouan or Mustique need 60 minutes.

What goes wrong (and how to avoid it)

• Sign-off entry not made before crew leaves — Immigration will flag it at the next port if the crew member is still on the manifest. Make the entry the day before.
• Joining crew arriving without a confirmed onward ticket or letter from the vessel — easy fix, but sort it before they fly.
• Luggage routed or lost via Barbados — it happens. We track it and arrange forward delivery.
• Sunday arrivals, or arrivals at the same time as the large international carriers — allow more time. A pre-arranged greet helps.
• Sign-on entry — crew must be signed onto the vessel before they board. Our agents know how to arrange this easily.

How to brief the agent

Send us: joining and departing crew list (full names, passport numbers, nationalities, ranks, sign-on/off dates), flight numbers and times, yacht location for transfer, and any special requests (wheelchair assist, large equipment, oversized luggage). We'll come back with a confirmed transfer plan, the airside greet, and the named driver for both legs.