Staying afloat in Grenada during the Hurricane Season.

auditdata

auditdata

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We are currently in St Lucia and now want to go south for the next few months.
Our insurance defines the season as between July 1st and November 15th, inclusive, in the area between the Latitudes 10°N and 30.5°N. A number of boats are planning to stay afloat in Rodney Bay and Marigot Bay St Lucia as both have “Hurricane Plans” which seem to be accepted by insurance companies. Does anyone know if there are similar places in Grenada. We need to stay afloat as we live on the boat and have cats on board and I don’t fancy climbing up and down a ladder with them on the hard!
Any information gratefully received.
 
From memory, no chart handy, I think Grenada is about 13°N. so the insurance company probably wants you in Trinidad

However we spent 2 hurricane seasons afloat in Carriacou which had a very good hurricane hole attached to the anchorage -2005 hurricane Emily and there are similar places on Grenada itself, have a look at the Chris Doyles guide for details.

We were able to convince our insurance company that we could be insured during the hurricane season BUT were not covered for named Storm damage

In the NW Caribbean we were able to get cover all year round
 
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If your insurance Co doesn't cover you for Grenada then off hire them ASAP and get a new one in!!

Grenada has had a few hurricanes pass through over the last 10 years or so. You can stay afloat in Prickly Bay, Secret Harbour, Hog Island, Clarkes Court Bay all year round no problem. Just be aware that a hurricane could pass through. But, in fairness you'll have plenty of warning to head south to Trinidad!

Trinidad hasn't had a hurricane pass through in living memory, you can anchor or take a buoy in Chaguaramas, 4 small marinas if that is what you want, plenty of places to anchor. Cheaper than Grenada for just about everything and the locals are a lot nicer. Just as good a social scene but on a smaller and less organised scale.
 
...you'll have plenty of warning...

This to me is the biggest difference in the risk factor nowadays.

Provided that you're checking daily via a VHF/SSB Net and or the internet, you'll know that there's potentially 'something' out there with 3 - 4 days notice. Our insurance cover, whilst remaining valid throughout the Caribbean, imposed a much increased Excess for any named storm, our 'Plan' therefore was to get within 24-hours sailing of perceived safety, then keep on cruising - The Grenadines are fantastic once the hordes have departed - with the intention of running south to Grenada, Trinidad or even further south should anything scary appear out in the Atlantic.

Whether our 'Plan' worked I honestly can't say as it was a very quiet Hurricane Season last summer, so it was never tested; we did visit the Hurricane Hole in Carriacou and it looks as good as you'll find anywhere, though in conversation with several locals, it's only really good if you're shallow drafted, so able to get well in, away from the commercial vessels which quickly arrive to hide there. Similarly, whilst Grenada has a selection of hurricane holes, the sheer number of boats likely to be sharing them with you would be my biggest concern - your ground tackle/mooring lines might be OK, but what about everyone else's? Particularly those boats that are just left unattended there (we'd similar concerns regarding La Marin at the south of Martinique).

By seasons end, we'd decided that if anything looked to be coming our way, we'd sail south to the SW corner Trini (not Chaguaramas - again, too many other boats) and if if not happy, then just keep heading south toward the Guianas.

But there's certainly no 'right' answer; you pays your money and takes your choice.
 
We used to go to Trini for hurricane season but then changed to heading to Bonaire and then hurricane season in Spanish Waters Curacao. Both really nice places with good diving. I wouldn't stay in Grenada.
 
KellysEye said:
We used to go to Trini for hurricane season but then changed to heading to Bonaire and then hurricane season in Spanish Waters Curacao. Both really nice places with good diving. I wouldn't stay in Grenada.
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Why would you not stay in Grenada?

Trini I can understand if you don't swim much but Bonaire and Curacao require a tedious beat back up wind to the Windwards and Leewards.
 
Grenada is a popular place to spend the hurricane season .Many cruisers are there with an active radio net and organized activities .What happens if a hurricane strikes I don't know . There are safe spots in the mangroves but then a lot of boats trying to get into them .I suspect panic would break out . Whether it is practical to avoid a hurricane by sailing away again I don't know. It depends on how decisive you are and whether or not you are prepared for sea.
Trinidad is as already said historically safer and has always been my choice Guiana is another possibility
 
auditdata said:
We are currently in St Lucia and now want to go south for the next few months.
Our insurance defines the season as between July 1st and November 15th, inclusive, in the area between the Latitudes 10°N and 30.5°N. A number of boats are planning to stay afloat in Rodney Bay and Marigot Bay St Lucia as both have “Hurricane Plans” which seem to be accepted by insurance companies. Does anyone know if there are similar places in Grenada. We need to stay afloat as we live on the boat and have cats on board and I don’t fancy climbing up and down a ladder with them on the hard!
Any information gratefully received.
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Just for Reference, St George, Grenada is 12 03N; Chaguaramas is 10 40N Clearly the insurance company does not want your business. Above advice seems pretty sound to me.
 
>Why would you not stay in Grenada?

Everyone says you get advanced warning of a Hurricane and indeed you do. So why were around 100 boats damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ivan?

>Trini I can understand if you don't swim much but Bonaire and Curacao require a tedious beat back up wind to the Windwards and Leewards.

What's wrong with beating it only takes three and half to four days. It's manly sailing rather than girly downwind sailing that you do on your way to the ABCs ;-)
 
KellysEye said:
>Why would you not stay in Grenada?

Everyone says you get advanced warning of a Hurricane and indeed you do. So why were around 100 boats damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ivan?

>Trini I can understand if you don't swim much but Bonaire and Curacao require a tedious beat back up wind to the Windwards and Leewards.

What's wrong with beating it only takes three and half to four days. It's manly sailing rather than girly downwind sailing that you do on your way to the ABCs ;-)
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Haven't seen many boats sailing to windward in the Caribbean . A one meter swell and 18knts is considered extreme
 
>Haven't seen many boats sailing to windward in the Caribbean . A one meter swell and 18knts is considered extreme

We generally had 20to 25 knots and about 8 foot waves, the second time we did there was a five foot swell that wasn't forecasted, there is also a one knot current on the nose. The boat was a heavy displacement long keel, with cutaway forefoot, ketch so she's quite happy in those conditions. Not easy to sleep though but you get used to it. We knew a number of boats that did that trip every year but there aren't many that do. Many cruiser are missing what are lovely islands.
 
Hmm 4 days bashing to windward. Let me think about that Naaaaah not going to it unless I have to.

All my sailing in the last 2 or 3 years has been girlie beam reaching with the odd close reach.

I will be staying in Grenada with the boat ready to go at 6 hrs Notice. Trini is 15 hours away.
 
Ariadne said:
But a named Tropical Storm is anything with a sustained windspeed of 35Kts +, pretty **** really for those of us from Europe!!

Plenty of good swimming anchorages in Trinidad if you know where to go! It's also quite a bit cheaper than Grenada for just about everything, and very little if any petty boat crime.
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Murder rate is running at better than one a day so far this year.
 
>They tend to shoot each other and not yachties

Drug wars. You can see pirogues with no fishing gear leaving at night then back in the morning unloading drugs, the Police and Coastguard are bribed to do nothing, except a very occasional bust. The Trini pirogues pick up from Venezuelan pirogues coming down the Paria Peninsular. There are no roads so they stop in bay which is why cruisers who saw them were shot. It's a no go area now. But it has been known that if nobody has been shot there for many years a yacht skipper thinks it must be safe, it happened when we were there and the crew were killed.

Also when we were there a bomb was planted in a rubbish bin Port of Spain. It was the first and only bomb in the Caribbean chain and nobody claimed responsibility.
 
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KellysEye said:
>They tend to shoot each other and not yachties

Drug wars. You can see pirogues with no fishing gear leaving at night then back in the morning unloading drugs, the Police and Coastguard are bribed to do nothing, except a very occasional bust. The Trini pirogues pick up from Venezuelan pirogues coming down the Paria Peninsular. There are no roads so they stop in bay which is why cruisers who saw them were shot. It's a no go area now. But it has been known that if nobody has been shot there for many years a yacht skipper thinks it must be safe, it happened when we were there and the crew were killed.

Also when we were there a bomb was planted in a rubbish bin Port of Spain. It was the first and only bomb in the Caribbean chain and nobody claimed responsibility.
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Was that Ensenado San Francisco? We anchored there in '95 (as did loads of others westbound). Used by fishermen - there was a camp there I think. Shame, it was a nice spot.
 
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