Tyrell Bay & Hillsborough (Carriacou) - Docking
TYRELL BAY
Anchorages:
This is a good, protected anchorage with a gently shelving sandy/weed bottom that has space for 60 to 100 boats, with depths from 3-5 meters. The anchoring space is, however, being reduced by the installation of mooring fields and yachts get quite tightly packed in here. There is also quite a lot of debris on the seabed.
Moorings:
Moorings tend to be controlled by boat boys, and it’s likely you will be guided to one on your arrival unless you choose to try anchoring. Moorings cost in the region of US$20 a night.
Carriacou Marine has ten (10) moorings (bright orange cones/ round, white with blue reflecting line). Customers are welcome to pick up and pay at the Marina Office.
Dinghy Docks:
There are several dinghy docks in the harbor including one near the Tyrell Bay Marina, one on the main ferry dock and one at Carriacou Marine Ltd. with direct access to the Customs & Immigration and Boatyard & Marina Departments.
Marinas:
A major new marina and boatyard, Tyrell Bay Marina, opened here in 2019 with possibly the largest travelift in the Caribbean, a very large hard standing area, the option to work on your own boat and ample dockage space for all size of vessel.
Carriacou Marine Ltd is a Boatyard, for vessel storage or maintenance, with the option to work on your boat and live aboard. Has some stern-to dock space available with electricity (110 and 230V).
Ashore:
Tyrell Bay has a good selection of restaurants/cafes, most with good WiFi. Provisioning is adequate with local vendors, good produce and a supermarket. Remember duty-free fuel is available on departure.
Hundreds of dogs suffer from poisoning on Carriacou every year. This is a growing problem – see pressure group Irates of the Caribbean website for more details. Always keep your dog on lead when going ashore here and stay vigilant.
Last updated: December 2022
HILLSBOROUGH:
Few yachts visit Hillsbourough anymore due to lack of dinghy dock. Local buses run from Tyrell Bay to Hillsborough.
Anchorages:
Not a particularly sheltered anchorage and subject to swell.
SANDY ISLAND
Located off the west side of Hillsborough bay this is a popular day anchorage with its picture-postcard sand island surrounded by beautiful clear blue sea.
The Sandy Island/Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area (SIOBMPA) encompasses Sandy Island and the mangrove lagoon in Carriacou. SIOBMPA aims to lower the human impacts on the marine environment and provide benefits to both fisheries and conservation by protecting the coral reefs. To this end, no anchoring is permitted here.
Moorings:
Mooring balls are available for visiting yachts. Park rangers collect a $25 EC (US$10.00) per day fee for mooring balls. Remember to take your rubbish away with you!
Yachtsmen are cautioned to check moorings for reliability.
Sandy Island/Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area (SIOBMPA)
Security:
See Security Reports for this port here.
Last updated: March 2022
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Tyrell Bay & Hillsborough (Carriacou) was last updated 10 months ago.
Related to following destinations: Grenada, Tyrell Bay & Hillsborough (Carriacou)
Port Navigation
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An update for Tyrell-Bay from Stephen:
I visited Tyrell Bay in July and in November 2018 with my sailing vessel ‘Infinity’, coming from Trinidad on both occasions. In July, I was met by a boat ‘boy’ (approx. 60 years old), guided to a mooring and charged 20 USD per night.
When I arrived in November, I took a mooring first myself but later-on the boat-boy came and chased me away to one of ‘his’ moorings. I asked in immigration if they could give me more official info, but they just shrugged.
So if somebody wants to avoid this, they need to use their anchor.
Tyrell bay: next to the new marina (northern part of the bay) has Alexis Food Store new opened! Very good for provisioning! Large selection of foods and drinks. You can use the dinghy dock at the unfinished marina.
Good provisioning at Hillsborough. Just flag the #10 bus anywhere on the road. Tyrrel Bay seems to have so many mooring balls that it’s getting harder to anchor close in. Internet at Tyrrel is generally quite poor. The new marina has an excellent dinghy dock to access the new supermarket at that end of the bay.
Tyrell Bay, Carriacou (pronounced Carriacou)
We have visited twice, on the way to Grenada and then again going North. Jan and Feb 2018.
It’s getting more difficult to find a place to anchor here, there are so many buoys. Not sure who they belong to? We anchored! We snorkelled and checked some of the buoys, they looked like they were anchored in sand.
Walked from Tyrell Bay to Paradise Beach, a lovely lunch at “off the Hook” owned and run by Curtis who has had it for 15 years. Great food and friendly staff.
There seemed to be lots of boats here that had arrived months ago and then not left! The Supermarket in Tyrell Bay is well stocked and we also bought produce from the side of the road.
The dinghy docks are not great and there isn’t one at the supermarket. We put our dinghy in the marina and walked. There are other dinghy docks spread around the bay.
We went to Hillsborough by local bus. There are bus stops, but if you just flag them down they will stop for you.
WiFi is available in the bay for a fee, but it is very slow. There are rubbish bins, but only small ones by the side of the road, at the marina and by customs. No recycling!
Sandy Island
Brian – one of the marine park rangers – was telling us that yachtsman still leave their rubbish behind and it gets blown around and out to sea.
He asks that we take our rubbish with us!
Don’t anchor near the buoys. Cost is 25EC a night on a buoy.
Reported on Martinique Cruisers Facebook Page:
Lesterre Bay, Carriacou. A word of caution. Just snorkelled the easternmost mooring off Paradise Beach to which we have secured our boat. The securing post (appears to be a sand screw) for this mooring looks to be loose in the bottom and is lying on its side, diagonally into the sand and can be moved by hand!
Price of fuel in Carriacou in Imperial Gallons – Nov. 15th 2016
Diesel – $8.35
Gas – $9.55
If you find Tyrell Bay to be too crowded, Hillsborough is worth trying (weather permitting, of course). Good holding, no crowds, excellent eateries and provisioning is easy. Customs/Immigration clearance was simple and very friendly.
Travis and Joanne
s/v Calico Jack
Gallery Cafe Tyrell Bay with shared jetty. Open from Monday – Saturday 0800 – 1600 for Breakfasts, Lunches & Snacks. Free WiFi. Budget Marine Agent.
Tel: +1(473) 443 7069
Email: [email protected]
Duty-free fuel (Diesel & Gasoline) plus water available on new fuel dock at Boatyard on S side of Tyrell Bay.
Gas refills at Shell Garage in Hillsborough – takes several days as bottles are sent down to Grenada. A refill facility is planned for the Boatyard.