Grenada Update December 2004

Created by doina. Last modified on 2005-01-29 21:42:03
Countries: Grenada

By Lilly Vedana and Thomas Müller, Yacht MIZ MAE

Returning to Grenada from Trinidad by the beginning of December 2004, we found St.Georges and our friends there being well under way to recovery after Hurricane Ivan. Anchored outside the GYC (Grenada Yacht Club) with a bunch of a dozen other boats, we looked around and found a lot of roofs still damaged, but traffic was buzzing, the fuel stations open (7,5 EC/Gallon = 71 US cent/ltr for gasoline) and a lot of construction work going on everywhere. Though there are still stranded boats visible in the lagoon, the old marina almost completely vanished and the lush vegetation just growing back, things are going into the right direction.

Marylin, the manageress of Grenada Yacht Club confirmed that there are mooring possibilities just like before at the dock. Fuel and water is fully available, most dock places have electricity (110 and 220 Volts). LPG bottles come back filled after approx. 4 days. The club's restaurant and bar is open, though it still looks a bit sad in places. The office is fully operational but uses mobile phones only. The laundry machines at the club work and the taxi's, including our favourite operator, Ken's Taxi, are serving the yachts again as before.

Customs and Immigrations are working full time again clearing yachts at the Grenada Yacht Club premises.

Public telephone landlines are only working down in the old Carenage harbour at Cable and Wireless, where also Email is available in a number of neighbouring email cafes. The supermarket "Food Fair" downtown is fully stocked and so is the cooperative selling farmer's product direct to customers. The commercial port is busy importing goods, FedEx, DHL and UPS are fully operational.

The Supermarket "Foodland" is just finishing off their new dinghy jetty in the lagoon, opposite GYC, and will be open again before Christmas. Island Water World's chandlery is fully stocked again and busy serving all sailors. The fast going catamaran "Osprey Ferry" to Carriacou runs their tours as usual twice a day with only one daily service on Saturdays. ATM money machines are fully operational; the closest to the GYC is in the carenage next to the FedEx office, easily reached by dinghy.

Security for the sailors in the lagoon is back to where it was before the hurricane. In other words, one is as safe as you can be in the Caribbean, but it is better to pull the dinghy and outboard up at night, maybe even lock the companionway doors and be cautious when going out at night. We personally use Ken's Taxi (Tel mob 535-2614 and 406 2614) when going to restaurants in the evening, especially as only parts of St.Georges have got electricity to illuminate the roads after dark. Docking at the GYC instead of anchoring gives you the added security of the boat being watched by 24 hr security run by the club.

All in all, we certainly can recommend sailors to come back. Also charter boats will find full service, including airlines like Condor, Excelair, American Eagle, LIAT and many others to connect you into your holidays. A good number of restaurants and hotels are in full swing with people working hard to get ready for this years season.

After interviewing a large number of local people, yachties, taxi drivers and shop owners, we find the situation around the countryside being the following:

The agriculture side got the worst hit and it will take a number of years to be the same as before the storm. Some plants and trees need years to grow back. However, there is a lot of alternative food which can be produced much quicker and if people and farmers are inventive enough, food will not mean a major problem. With a laugh we met a resident who had lost 12 pounds in the 8 weeks after IVAN and called it the "IVAN-diet". He liked his new looks and so did many others who were feeling they were overweight before the storm.

Tourism is getting back to its feet, cruise liners are to be seen almost daily and the new dock for them is of great help. The taxis are taking people on tours again around the countryside, but one would be well advised to take food and drinks along for the time being. The Grenadians are very much aware of the help they got from other countries, especially from the US, Canada, Europe and certainly Trinidad, which ran to help its neighbour in the most generous and fastest way ever seen. Hotels are reopening everywhere if they are not open already for the season. There are flights available even for this Christmas and the airlines are running on schedule; the airport is in full swing. There are rental cars available and public transport is working.

In many places though there is still no electricity, unless the place has its own generator. And telephone calls are mostly to be made with mobile phones as the landlines are still very limited in numbers and connections. On the positive side one must notice that "Cable and wireless" and "Digicell" both run mobile phone nets which leave very little to wish for and provide very affordable rates.

Apart from some places in the very countryside, fresh water is readily available everywhere. There has been almost too much rain in the past weeks so the reservoirs are full and the vegetation has grown back very quickly.

Grenada Marine, St.Davids

We left our own boat there for the hurricane and suffered almost no damage at all. But a good 30 boats fell over even here in the yard so well protected by the forest. In the meantime, many of the "survivors" have left and a large number of damaged boats have been hauled out for repair instead. The "Barking Barracuda" Bar is reopened and a most popular hang out for sailors even from other anchorages and yards. Water and electricity fully available. Transport to/from the airport and the town is organised by "Cuttty" and his taxi colleagues as usual.

Clarks Court Marina

Some slips now open, see http://clarkescourtbaymarina.com for the latest update.

True Blue Marine

The limited facilities are now open again.

Hog Island/Hog Harbour

The bay is just the same again, even Rogers Bar is open and sailors flock there again. Security has not had any problems to report.

Prickly Bay

Customs and Immigrations are open in their old location. The Tiki Bar is not open, but taxis are available and "Budget Marine" and "Turbulence Sails" are fully open at the new Spice Island location, a short dinghy ride away from the anchorage.

Medical attention is still harder to find than in other islands. Even the main hospital is not fully repaired. But all in all it is safe to say that the marinas, yards, banks, authorities, supermarkets, hotels and restaurants can cater for visiting yachts again. Security is back to normal.

Make sure though, for the next hurricane season, to check with your insurance if the area is still covered. Rumours have it that some large marine insurance companies will declare the area from 9 degrees north (Guyana) to 35 degrees north (North Carolina) as unsafe during the hurricane season. The results of that decision would have major effects on the marine industry in the area and many boats will be uninsured as a result.

Lilly Vedana, Thomas Müller

Yacht MIZ MAE