Since my last blog Grenada has opened it’s border to cruising boats looking for shelter during the hurricane season. The island lies at the southern end of the Lesser Antilles. At 12o north it is not technically below the hurricane belt it rarely gets hit and is a relatively safe haven to spend the season. MAYAG (the Marine and Yachting Association of Grenada) and Grenada Lima have campaigned with the government to allow yachts in to the country and have done a great job managing their arrival and quarantine compliance.
At this time of the year the trade winds in the Caribbean blow a steady 20-25kt from the ESE making the passage from Puerto Rico to Grenada almost straight into the wind. However we were lucky – for a few days a front in the western Atlantic was blocking the trades and reducing the wind. During the day we tacked eastwards when the wind shifted slightly south and at night we tacked south when the wind backed to the east and slowly we made our way towards Grenada.
After six days we arrived at St. Georges, the main town at the southwest corner of the island. It was 10 o’clock at night so we navigated carefully into the bay and dropped anchor between the sleeping boats. The next day we motored up to the quarantine dock and were met by Williams from the Ministry of Health who took our temperatures and sprayed our hands with sanitiser. He handed us a provisional health clearance certificate and five minutes later we were heading out to the quarantine area to spend 14 days waiting to be struck down with Covid19 – or not.
Normally during hurricane season yachts head either north up the eastern seaboard of the USA of south to Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago or the ABCs (the old Dutch islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). Unfortunately this year T&T and the ABCs are still in lockdown so Grenada is the only option. Each week about forty boats are arriving so the half a square kilometre allocated for quarantine anchorage is pretty crowded. We managed to find a spot to anchor at the southern end, about half a mile off Grand Anse beach which is considered to be one of the best beaches in the world (how do they figure this stuff out?)
The island looks lush and verdant with steep wooded hills scattered with colourful houses with wide verandahs. Churches and ruined forts overlook the picture postcard town of St. Georges where fishing boats tie up at the waterfront lined with old buildings. For the time being we can only explore the bay with binoculars but we’re really looking forward to getting ashore and having a look around – in 12 days and counting!
We shout out a big “thank you” to MAYAG and Grenada Lima for making it possible for us to be here, the anticipation is killing us!
Suzy