Explore: Canouan
General Info
Lying south of Mustique and north of Mayreau, in the middle of the Grenadine archipelago, Canouan is an island of only 5 square miles.
Despite that, Glossy Bay Marina (a multi-million dollar development and the first superyacht marina) opened to yachts in April 2017. Situated next to the airport runway on the SW side of the island, the marina is now open to visitors with the development of phase 2 (resort, yacht club, landscaping etc.) on-going.
The island is “divided” in two. The northern portion is run by a large resort development exclusively for guests. The southern portion, for the locals, is where the new marina is situated.
The island has incredible beaches and great walks and hopefully, Canouan will still manage to retain some of its sleepy, rural charms once the JCB’s move out.
Yacht Security
Cruisers need to be cautious if visiting Canouan. Unfortunately, boardings and thefts are common here.
The Island suffered throughout the summer of 2015 when numerous boats were boarded in Charlestown Bay (18 reports) and the majority of these burgled. Cruising guide author Chris Doyle confirmed that the thief was apprehended and jailed.
Following a winter of no reported incidents, a locked yacht was burgled again here whilst the crew were ashore in June 2016 and night-time boarders and burglaries continued to be reported in 2017. Once again, in 2018, a number of charter yachts that have moored here overnight and left their boats unlocked, have reported being burgled while they slept.
It goes without saying that you should secure all your valuables and lock your boat securely at night and when going ashore (even ventilation hatches).
Last updated May 2018.
Position 12° 42.6’N, 61° 20’W.
Clearance
For full details on clearance, fees and regulations see SVG Formalities.
Customs and Immigration office is the Canouan Revenue Office located at the ferry port at the main harbor in Charleston Bay.
There are also Customs and Immigration offices at the airport, adjacent to the new marina. Open 07:30-19:00 daily.
It is intended that a Customs, Immigration, and Coastguard office will be provided in the Marina Plaza on completion.
Last updated May 2017.
Docking
Charlestown Bay
This is the main anchorage on the west coast of the Island, lying open to the NW. Visiting yachts can anchor anywhere, except close to the Tamarind Beach Hotel which is full of moorings.
It can be uncomfortable here in strong NE winds with a northerly swell. Whilst holding is good in sand, the strong gusts coming off the hills can cause boats to swing all over the place and this can be worrying, especially with the wind howling all night. It can often be quite rough here.
The mooring buoys close to the shore belong to the charter fleet and are not available to visiting yachts.
Other moorings in the bay belong to Marcus and John, both provide a number of services to visiting yachts.
The jetty at the Tamarind Beach Hotel can be used to come ashore in your dinghy, but use an anchor to keep your boat clear of the pier. With a swell running, it can be quite tricky to land on the dinghy dock safely. If landing on the beach, be aware that huge waves can appear from nowhere and somersault the boat.
The hotel welcomes cruisers and has WiFi and will sell you bread. Also, boats will call to sell you fish, lobster, bread, water, ice, and diesel.
If buying diesel be sure to filter it well – it is unlikely to be clean.
Moorings yacht charters have a new big dock here right next to the Hotel and there is also a small wooden dock in the southern part of the bay.
Other Anchorages
Yachts can also anchor in Rameau Bay. With the current and tides yachts tend to swing randomly here, so be sure to leave enough room between boats. Snorkeling is reported to be good and the Coastguard do patrol this bay.
It is however no longer possible to anchor in Corbay – a useful protected anchorage but now out of bounds due to new ownership (see comment at bottom of page).
Anchoring and kite-surfing are also banned on the east side of Canouan.
Marinas
A new marina (The Glossy Bay Marina) opened here in April 2017 alongside the airport runway. Visiting yachts should call the Marina on Channel 68 and normally will be directed straight to a berth depending on size, draft and utilities required. Otherwise, yachts may proceed and moor port-side-to along the quay directly in front of the Marina Office from where they will be allocated a berth.
Smaller yachts should be aware that the marina can berth yachts up to 100 meters LOA which may be restricted in their ability to maneuver on and off their berth and in the entrance channel. Security messages will be broadcast on VHF16 and 68 whenever a large yacht is entering or leaving a berth.
Taffia Hill breaks most of the prevailing wind so wind along the marina channel is less than outside, but not by a lot. The smaller yacht berths are at the Eastern end of the marina where the shelter is greater.
The airport closes at 7.00pm. Flight movements are pretty infrequent (4 SVG Air flights per day, 1 Mustique Air and a few private flights).
Important Note:
The safety department at SVG Air strongly urges yachts to avoid the area within 2 miles of the airport’s final approach area.
On numerous occasions vessels have been crossing the final approach path at Canouan, at the same moment, an aircraft is on its final approach. This poses a problem to both the aircraft and the yacht alike, especially at night or in low visibility. This is especially difficult for a pilot unfamiliar with the area.
Last updated May 2017.
