Several of The Moorings’ charter yacht vessels were detained last week for non-compliance with government regulations, while fines above $300,000 were handed down to the company.

Speaking at a joint press conference late last week, Cochran said: “There’s been some challenges, I mean the pipeline to parts and supplies in terms of the post COVID situation with supplies has been challenging.”

Moorings has been complying

Cochran stated, however, that The Moorings is now in a position where it has been complying with requirements for its safety equipment and inventory after having successfully surveyed more than 200 of the vessels in its fleet.

Commenting on some of the other challenges faced by The Moorings, Cochran said: “The paperwork element of compliance has been challenging. We have a fleet of owners that obviously have to supply documentation and that’s been more time consuming itself.”

Further compounding the issue was a very quiet economic period over the past two years. Cochran explained that this lull result in some finance elements which he said added to the lack of compliance.

According to the VP, the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus also ‘took out’ a high degree of The Moorings staff even as it was preparing to go back into a high season.

Efforts accelerated

Meanwhile, Cochran explained that the Virgin Island Shipping Registry (VISR) has also been assisting the company with getting compliance certificates and exemption certificates and said efforts have intensified to achieve compliance.

“In terms of the Customs element and the work that has to be done there, I would say over the course of the last week or so we’ve accelerated that element of producing permits on almost a daily basis,” Cochran told reporters.

He added that the process is now smoother and said the company is working towards becoming compliant.

Hundreds of charter guests affected

Cochran disclosed that hundreds of guests of The Moorings were affected by the disruption, but said a global team was working as best as it could to accommodate customers that have been affected.

He said some postponements and changes were necessary to accommodate the affected customers and said the industry has rallied around and helped with the process as well.

“On an hour-by-hour, day-by-day basis that is being reduced and we do hope to find some degree of completion with the assistance of both Customs and the Shipping Registry in the course of the next week or two,” Cochran expressed.

The Vice President said The Moorings has experienced a high degree of bookings that exceeded expectations for the month of March and onwards and said this is been a necessity for the company to comply very quickly.