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We Have had many people requesting us to write a piece about our efforts in Grenada, so here it is:

He’s coming west but when will he start going north? He must go north. He’s not going north, he’s coming this way! Who are we talking about? Ivan… Hurricane Ivan, the home wrecking, boat sinking, life changing Ivan the Terrible.

Ivan came through Grenada Tuesday 7th September before going onto Jamaica, The Cayman Islands and Florida. It passed over Grenada with gusts up to 180 mph.

We operate a charter yacht in the British Virgin Islands during the winter months and in the summer months we go to the Grenadines to avoid the hurricane season. After having guests on board for a two week sail from Antigua to Grenada, we were looking forward to spending time in Grenada and connecting with friends we had not seen since last summer. We were also looking forward to our charter season in the Grenadines.

After experiencing a very southerly routed Tropical Storm Earl in Bequia (just north of Grenada) and with the knowledge that Tropical Storm Charlie had passed near Grenada before becoming a hurricane, we decided to leave Grenada when we saw Ivan forming off Cape Verde, a week before Hurricane Ivan was destined to hit Grenada. We set sail for Trinidad, an island just east of Venezuela and some 80 miles further south than Grenada

Eagerly watching the path of Hurricane Ivan to see where it would make landfall, the weather forecasters kept saying that it would start to go north. But for days however it was just on a westerly track. The day before it was destined to make landfall it looked as though it was coming right for us in Trinidad, but then Ivan veered slightly north towards the Island of Grenada, normally considered the hurricane safe island in the southernmost part of the Caribbean. Its last hurricane alert was almost 50 years ago.

Hurricane Ivan’s track passed just 70 miles north of our location in Trinidad. The northern section of a hurricane is the strongest and extends further than the southern section but we were completely prepared for strong winds and high seas. We had our yacht ‘Stenella’ tied up in a spider’s web of lines in a marina in Trinidad in preparation of winds and sea swell. As Hurricane Ivan passed north we received an uncomfortable sea swell but no strong winds. Had we received larger seas and stronger winds in Trinidad I would be writing a very different story.

By the following day we were in contact with some friends in Grenada over the Single Side Band High Frequency radio, as all other communications other than satellite had been affected in Grenada. Our friends described what they were seeing around them. Later that night the television showed film of the destruction.

It was then we made the decision that we had to go and do our bit to help. In 2003 we spent 3 months on the hard in Grenada Marine and made many friends, both local and cruisers. We also had many friends in Grenada from our charter industry as Grenada is under the hurricane belt and is thought to be a safe place during the hurricane season. Grenada had become a home away from home for us and is a special place. We felt that national aid coming into the country would not trickle down quick enough to get to the people we knew would be in need.

Immediately we contacted our broker network, our clearinghouse and friends that crew on other yachts from our area. Everyone got together and helped us raise cash so we could purchase the necessary emergency supplies to get to Grenada. There was also tremendous support here in Trinidad from the yachts as well as locals in donating food, clothes, fuel, water etc. Jessie James from Members Only was wonderful, donating his time and taxi service to get us to all the grocery and department stores.

The local government in Trinidad almost immediately offered their support in aid and troops. The visiting yacht crews in Trinidad also came together to give their support. We set about purchasing supplies we thought would be required by both yacht crews and those who live in Grenada. We also offered to carry a large amount of supplies raised by a local church in Trinidad to distribute through a minister in Grenada. Loading this all into a 60ft sailing yacht is not the easiest of exercises but after a few days of preparations, it was time to go.

News coming from Grenada at this point was not good. Reports of yachts being intercepted by pirates in the waters between Trinidad and Grenada was worrying and reports of yachts being looted in Grenada along with riots and other bad behaviour were also being reported. We were ready and went regardless.

We set sail from Trinidad at 9 pm. As it should be a 12-hour sail, we wanted to arrive first thing in the morning. Our sail over was with a good wind and we were powering along at 10.5 knots fully loaded and towing two large dinghies. After passing the oilrigs, which is about a third of the way, we turned out all our lights, including navigation lights in case the stories of pirates were true. In times like this, there are many stories and some are fact, some are fiction, we were taking no chances. We worried when a motor vessel started to follow us and look for us with its high beam. We were obviously on his radar but he could not see us. We did not want to be found so we sailed in a manner to avoid him. Every time he searched for us with his high beam we sailed directly away and when he would speed up and wait ahead for us we would drastically change our course to avoid him. These tactics went on for 2 hours until we finally eluded him. A testing game considering it was potentially a very serious situation and we had been awake for 20 hours by this point. The vessel was most likely a coastguard vessel, we did not know for sure. We have heard of other yachts being intercepted but there are many rumours here.

We arrived earlier than expected in Grenada and made our way into Mount Hartman Bay at Martin’s Marina. We tied up in the marina by 7am and I set out to locate who was in charge of distributing the provisions. KC stayed behind to keep an eye on ‘Stenella’ and was met by the manager of Martin’s Marina. She was told that under no circumstances could we stay there and we were not welcome!! He did not care that we had over 8 tons of provisions to help this community. These people are hated by all in Grenada and have been buying up and closing down many facilities used by locals and visiting yachts people. We decided to ignore his wishes and started to unload. We were then met by the minister coming to collect his share of the supplies arranged by the church in Trinidad to take to the people in his local area. He and his helpers were very happy to see us!

The yachts in the marina and the surrounding harbour were a huge mess. There were sunken yachts, yachts on the beaches, reefs and hillsides. Those that were afloat were mostly damaged. Looking around on the hillside we could see the remains of what was once a village reduced to a pile of corrugated iron. The beautiful Island of Grenada now looked as though it was a war zone.

After unloading some of our supplies we left for Hog Island, an anchorage around to the east. We were met by some very happy yachties who realized they were going to eat a real meal that night. Each of the crews of these yachts has a story from the hurricane. One of the most dramatic was a lady that had her mast knocked down as another yacht, a trimaran, was picked up and blown through the air over her yacht, taking her mast along with it. We off loaded some supplies, as there were yachts that were going to stay and help others get their boats out of the mangroves. This is usually a popular summer anchorage with beach BBQs but not today.

Around the corner in the next bay, Clark’s Court Marina was completely destroyed and the majority of yachts there damaged beyond hope. We met a seventy five year old lady called Mo and her dog Honey. She has been sailing around the Caribbean single handed for ten years. She had been sleeping on deck in her cockpit as her yacht had filled up with seawater. Eyewitnesses who were in a house on the hill said that when the twenty-foot waves came rolling into the bay, they could see the seabed between each wave. Finally a huge wave came in and washed the marina away.

We continued east to the boat yard Grenada Marine, in St. David’s. This is where we had spent our 3 months living in Grenada. The relationships we formed here are very special. Everyone, locals, cruisers and the ex-pat community all adopted us as family. What a great community spirit they all showed as we arrived. They had already set about rebuilding the office, canvas shop, chandlery and bar that had Ivan had destroyed in its path. We unloaded a large supply and set up a distribution centre so that the supplies would not just disappear. Aid to this area could take some time to get through and we knew they would share these supplies with local villagers as well. A local Grenadian owns the yard and has put his entire life savings into what has always been a dream for him. He really appreciated our supplies and efforts and asked us to leave his office to save his emotions coming out. We know he will work hard to get Grenada Marine up and going and probably better than before! After we left he decided to get deputised to carry a side arm to personally protect our supplies and others that might come their way.

The yard fared well, some of the yachts were damaged but it could have been a lot worse. Security guards turned up during the hurricane, as it was their shift…. Incredible!

The following day we went around to St Georges, the capital of Grenada. We heard that there were riots, looting and a lot of damage in this area. The yachts here were not secure from these actions, the people on them had been afraid to leave in search of food and water as their yachts could be looted had they left. We had been strongly advised not to go there.

We arrived in St Georges and arranged to bring many supplies to some of the yachts. They were very pleased to see us and we gave them homemade brownies and cookies that KC baked for them.

St. Georges has a large lagoon where the yachts had sheltered. They were washed onto the embankments into a tangled mess. The buildings that surround the lagoon and the careenage are extensive in comparison to the rest of Grenada as this is the capital. It was a mess, complete devastation to businesses, shops, government buildings and homes. It’s been said that 85% of homes across the country were severely damaged if not destroyed.

We spent the night anchored outside St. Georges, watching ships bringing in aid and loading onto trucks for general distribution. Much of this aid we were watching coming in was not being distributed quickly. Usually this anchorage has many yachts but this night we were the only ones in sight.

The following day we had organised a friend with access to a large van to distribute our final supplies to villages and other people who he thought needed it. Whilst loading the van, we had a chance to talk to more local Grenadians who helped us loading. They still had the same charm they had before, so were the stories of them going crazy fact or fiction…?

Before returning to Trinidad we headed to one last place where there may have been people who wanted evacuation. We arrived at the Spice Island Boatyard and at once realised the amount of damage to the yachts. There are close to 200 yachts in this yard and almost all of them had fallen over from their stands and their masts broken. Yachts that belong to friends of ours were damaged here as well. You have to wonder about the yard’s storage techniques when so much damage occurs.

We dropped in on the security meeting for the yard with freshly popped popcorn, which was welcomed with open arms. As it happens, no one wanted to be evacuated at that time. I did find out that salvage companies wanted $7,500 just to pick up yachts from their fallen position to be placed upright, this was after being talked down from $10,000. I think I found those pirates…

We had distributed our supplies to a variety of different areas and people. Much of the supplies that had arrived in Grenada officially had been delayed and stocked in a warehouse. Distribution would not happen for days after their arrival. The yachting community in Grenada had also been handing out their own food and drinks to locals as well.

We departed for Trinidad that night on an over night passage. This time we had our navigation lights on and were safe in the knowledge that we would not encounter pirates and felt great that we had met nothing but grateful locals, nothing like the stories, fact or fiction. We felt good that we got supplies in at such a crucial time. We felt sad though, for all the people whose lives that will be changed for many years to come.

Locals have lost their homes, jobs and businesses and in some cases, family members. Yacht crews have had their yachts damaged or lost. Many of these yachts are people’s homes. Some were under-insured and many uninsured. The Island had lost its luscious green look, as its trees were ripped bare.

After our safe and welcomed return to Trinidad, communications were restored to Grenada and some shops and cash machines opened. Water companies are getting many of their services running again and roads are being cleared for distribution.

So now we get on with our summer projects on our own yacht, to get ready for our charter season, as those in Grenada have their own projects. We plan to go back to Grenada to help out again on our sail north to the BVI.

Andy Woodruff and Kristin Clements
Stenella
www.stenella.com