Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I wanted to rescue my stranded sailboat in New Caledonia. Falling victim to a COVID-19 visa scam I circumnavigated the globe in 3 expensive days on the fake promises of the New Caledonia government, the airline AirCalin, a greedy official quarantine Hotel Godwana, and my sailboat is still inaccessible. I have not been permitted to get back to my Island Packet sailing yacht since January 2020 because of COVID-19 border restrictions. I have been sailing around the world part-time since 2016 when I left my home port of New Orleans.
I wrote this to the "quarantine hotel", Godwana in Noumea, which I never stepped foot in but they have $4,200 of my money:
"Dear Marie-Françoise, Yellena et Kika:
Thank you for your response on the Google review of the Godwana Hotel. It raises the suspicion that you are part of a quarantine visa fraud ring in Noumea, New Caledonia. I am reporting this to the US State Department and New Caledonia Government. An honest hotel would automatically refund all XFP 420,000 of my booking.
You clearly are acting in a predatory manner, and had everything to gain from me not actually coming to your hotel. Indeed, AirCalin which denied my boarding gets to keep my plane ticket without actually flying me anywhere. I was lured to Tokyo Narita airport to AirCalin SB801 on May 7, 2021, with written permission by the New Caledonia government to enter and have a COVID-19 quarantine at my own expense. I was denied boarding by AirCalin for made up reasons and stranded in Tokyo after $3,600 of plane tickets and two days of flying and $4,200 of a pre-paid (COVID-19 jail) hotel stay. My PCR within 72-hours was negative, I was fully vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and I had no exposure or COVID-19 symptoms. I promptly notified you of my misfortune. You only responded after I wrote a Google review of your hotel. You said that that you refused to refund the XFP 420,000 which I pre-paid. Godwana’s official response is below and attached.
You wrote on the Google Review on May 9, 2021 (USA time):
“Notre prestation de quatorzaine n'est pas remboursable le jour j car la chambre est bloquée pour vous pour 15 jours. Nous comprenons votre désarroi mais vos propos diffamatoires ne nous incitent pas à vous venir en aide. Nous ne savons même pas pourquoi la police aux frontières françaises vous aurait bloqué en chemin ?”
Which is translated:
“Our fortnight service is not refundable on the day because the room is blocked for you for 15 days. We understand your distress, but your defamatory words do not encourage us to help you. We don't even know why the French border police would have blocked you on the way?”
Your predatory billing practices should be investigated and your hotel should be expelled from any COVID-19 quarantine program. A hotel not involved in visa fraud would just refund my money. Unfortunately, the Godwana Hotel has very much resisted that. I think a criminal fraud and conspiracy probe should be opened by the New Caledonia police.
Sincerely,
Dr Linus Wilson
Vermilion Advisory Services LLC
Capitaine OUPV, USCG"
Captain Linus Wilson is the author of How to Sail Around the World Part-Time which is available in eBook and softcover on Amazon and in audiobook for all patrons of Slow Boat Sailing at patreon.com/slowboatsailing
On the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast Linus Wilson has interviewed the crew of Sailing SV Delos, WhiteSpotPirates (Untie the Lines), Chase the Story Sailing, Gone with the Wynns, MJ Sailing, Sailing Doodles, SV Prism, Sailing Zatara, Adventures of an Old Seadog and many others.
Get Linus Wilson’s bestselling sailing books:
Slow Boat to the Bahamas at
amazon.com/dp/B018OUI1Q2
on Audible at
audible.com/pd/B07N7QFNJR/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-141382&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_141382_rh_us
Slow Boat to Cuba
amazon.com/dp/B01MFFX9AG
gumroad.com/l/cubabook
and How to Sail Around the World-Part Time
amazon.com/dp/B01B0OFYNW
gumroad.com/l/sailing
have been #1 sailing ebook bestsellers on Amazon.
You can get the full audiobook of Sailing to Treasure Island by Captain John C. Voss. at
Patreon.com/slowboatsailing
Sign up for our free newsletter for access to free books and other promotions at slowboatsailing.com
Support the videos at
Patreon.com/slowboatsailing
Associate Producers
Ben Dahle, THOMAS J PEKARNA, Kevin Yager, and Rick Moore (SSL).
Sign up for our free newsletter for access to free books and other promotions at slowboatsailing.com
Thumbnail picture by Linus Wilson and free to use picture by Dedan Dicky Ramdhani from Pexels.
Copyright Linus Wilson, Oxriver Publishing, Vermilion Advisory Services, LLC, 2021
I wanted to rescue my stranded sailboat in New Caledonia. Falling victim to a COVID-19 visa scam I circumnavigated the globe in 3 expensive days on the fake promises of the New Caledonia government, the airline AirCalin, a greedy official quarantine Hotel Godwana, and my sailboat is still inaccessible. I have not been permitted to get back to my Island Packet sailing yacht since January 2020 because of COVID-19 border restrictions. I have been sailing around the world part-time since 2016 when I left my home port of New Orleans.
I wrote this to the "quarantine hotel", Godwana in Noumea, which I never stepped foot in but they have $4,200 of my money:
"Dear Marie-Françoise, Yellena et Kika:
Thank you for your response on the Google review of the Godwana Hotel. It raises the suspicion that you are part of a quarantine visa fraud ring in Noumea, New Caledonia. I am reporting this to the US State Department and New Caledonia Government. An honest hotel would automatically refund all XFP 420,000 of my booking.
You clearly are acting in a predatory manner, and had everything to gain from me not actually coming to your hotel. Indeed, AirCalin which denied my boarding gets to keep my plane ticket without actually flying me anywhere. I was lured to Tokyo Narita airport to AirCalin SB801 on May 7, 2021, with written permission by the New Caledonia government to enter and have a COVID-19 quarantine at my own expense. I was denied boarding by AirCalin for made up reasons and stranded in Tokyo after $3,600 of plane tickets and two days of flying and $4,200 of a pre-paid (COVID-19 jail) hotel stay. My PCR within 72-hours was negative, I was fully vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and I had no exposure or COVID-19 symptoms. I promptly notified you of my misfortune. You only responded after I wrote a Google review of your hotel. You said that that you refused to refund the XFP 420,000 which I pre-paid. Godwana’s official response is below and attached.
You wrote on the Google Review on May 9, 2021 (USA time):
“Notre prestation de quatorzaine n'est pas remboursable le jour j car la chambre est bloquée pour vous pour 15 jours. Nous comprenons votre désarroi mais vos propos diffamatoires ne nous incitent pas à vous venir en aide. Nous ne savons même pas pourquoi la police aux frontières françaises vous aurait bloqué en chemin ?”
Which is translated:
“Our fortnight service is not refundable on the day because the room is blocked for you for 15 days. We understand your distress, but your defamatory words do not encourage us to help you. We don't even know why the French border police would have blocked you on the way?”
Your predatory billing practices should be investigated and your hotel should be expelled from any COVID-19 quarantine program. A hotel not involved in visa fraud would just refund my money. Unfortunately, the Godwana Hotel has very much resisted that. I think a criminal fraud and conspiracy probe should be opened by the New Caledonia police.
Sincerely,
Dr Linus Wilson
Vermilion Advisory Services LLC
Capitaine OUPV, USCG"
Captain Linus Wilson is the author of How to Sail Around the World Part-Time which is available in eBook and softcover on Amazon and in audiobook for all patrons of Slow Boat Sailing at patreon.com/slowboatsailing
On the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast Linus Wilson has interviewed the crew of Sailing SV Delos, WhiteSpotPirates (Untie the Lines), Chase the Story Sailing, Gone with the Wynns, MJ Sailing, Sailing Doodles, SV Prism, Sailing Zatara, Adventures of an Old Seadog and many others.
Get Linus Wilson’s bestselling sailing books:
Slow Boat to the Bahamas at
amazon.com/dp/B018OUI1Q2
on Audible at
audible.com/pd/B07N7QFNJR/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-141382&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_141382_rh_us
Slow Boat to Cuba
amazon.com/dp/B01MFFX9AG
gumroad.com/l/cubabook
and How to Sail Around the World-Part Time
amazon.com/dp/B01B0OFYNW
gumroad.com/l/sailing
have been #1 sailing ebook bestsellers on Amazon.
You can get the full audiobook of Sailing to Treasure Island by Captain John C. Voss. at
Patreon.com/slowboatsailing
Sign up for our free newsletter for access to free books and other promotions at slowboatsailing.com
Support the videos at
Patreon.com/slowboatsailing
Associate Producers
Ben Dahle, THOMAS J PEKARNA, Kevin Yager, and Rick Moore (SSL).
Sign up for our free newsletter for access to free books and other promotions at slowboatsailing.com
Thumbnail picture by Linus Wilson and free to use picture by Dedan Dicky Ramdhani from Pexels.
Copyright Linus Wilson, Oxriver Publishing, Vermilion Advisory Services, LLC, 2021
