Leaving Grenada

I am not sure if we wore out our welcome, but we sure wore out our Grenada courtesy flag.  This concludes our second season in Grenada hiding from hurricanes.  With three years of fulltime boat living/cruising under our keel(s), we have spent more time in Grenada than anywhere else.

In preparation for the long trek back to the United States, Motivator moved from her summer home at Port Louis Marina to the south end of the island to Spice Island Marina where she was pulled from the water.

The bottom was sanded and recoated with two coats of new bottom paint.  All the zincs were replaced and the running gear was cleaned and polished.  Additionally, I had the gentlemen with big arms and big buffers clean and polish the hull below the toe rail.

With constant supervision, Motivator was ready to go back in the water in only 4 days.  Considering the “island time” factor, that may be a new record!  Overall, we were very satisfied with the work performed.

Back in the water, we decided we were ready for some quiet time before we left Grenada.  So, our first stop was about a half a mile from Spice Island Marina at Prickly Bay Marina where we took a mooring ball for a few days.  Prickly Bay provides easy access to Grenada’s bus system and three good restaurants.  The Dodgy Dock Restaurant quickly became our favorite breakfast hangout.  But, the anchorage is very rolly, so we were ready to move.

Our next stop was Mt. Hartman Bay which is very quiet but not as handy to shopping and services.  Boats are protected from swells by reefs that guard the bay and make the entry a little challenging.  Our only shore neighbor was a small fishing camp (blue skiff) where in a week’s time we saw only one guy fishing on a Sunday morning.

Mt. Hartman Bay is one of those places where a good dinghy comes in handy.  “Little Toot,” Pollie’s name for our dinghy, served us well for trips into Secret Harbour Marina.  Also, we could easily go around the corner and through the reefs to Roger’s Beach Bar on Hog Island, Whisper Cove Marina (best steaks ever from Meat & Meet), and Clark’s Court Bay Marina.

To stage for our departure, do final provisioning, and to check out with officials we moved back around to the anchorage outside of St. George’s Harbour.  We also managed to get invited as guests to one final swim/happy hour at the pool at Port Louis Marina where we said goodbye (for awhile) to the friends we have made in Grenada.

“If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen out there.”

                             Captain Ron Rico

Happy Ending

Phillip Gittens, Director of Post & Maurice Howland

Last year we discovered the Grenada Postal Corporation’s (GPC) Global service for importing items into Grenada.  This year when I attempted to pick up our first order, there was a “hiccup.”  I was advised that I would need an agent for future shipments.  When discussions with postal and customs staff proved fruitless, I wrote a rather strongly worded letter to the Chairman of GPC’s Board of Directors.  Shortly thereafter, I received a call from the Chairman assuring me that my issue was being addressed, and then I received an email from Mr. Gittens’s office requesting a meeting.

We met at Merry Baker for a Friday build-a-burger and then continued the discussions on Motivator.  Mr. Gittens assured me that customer service was his priority and that he wished to expand the service to other cruisers.  I offered several suggestions for outreach to cruisers that were well received.  In situations like this, what always amazes me is not our difference, but rather the commonalities you soon find.  Mr. Gittens was educated in the US and we took some of the same management courses.  We were both familiar with the same cities and restaurants in the US.  He used to be an active hasher, and has “on, on” stickers on his car (we have one on our dinghy).  We even enjoy the same brand of beer.

Today I picked up four packages from GPC Global without a hiccup.

For those of you not familiar with GPC Global, here is a quick rundown:

Grenada offers Grenada Postal Corporation (GPC) Global service as an alternative UPS, DHL, and FedEx (see:  http://www.grenadapostal.com/GPCGlobal.html ).

To initiate the service::

·         Complete the 3 page GPC Global agreement downloaded from this address: http://www.grenadapostal.com/images/GPC%20Global%20Agreement.pdf

·         Take the completed form to the main GPC office behind customs on the Carenage along with 2 forms of ID.

·         You will be charged a 50 EC setup charge and a 25 EC yearly fee.

·         They will email to you the link for the Pak YA site (tracking site), your user name, password and account number.

·         When you order items, use the following address:

Your full name

7582 NW 74^th Avenue

GND<your account number>

Medley, FL 33166-2423

To ensure you do not pay excessive duty:

·         Print two (2) copies of your receipt(s) for the item(s) ordered.

·         Go to: http://www.gov.gd/egov/eforms/customs/C14.pdf and print out a C14 form.

·         Complete the form and take it with a 1 copy of the receipt to a customs office, i.e., Port Louis, Grenada Yacht Club, etc.

·         Customs officials will sign and stamp the form

When your package arrives in Medley, FL, you will receive an email asking if you want the package held to be combined with other shipments, or processed for shipment.  There is also an opportunity to request or decline insurance. 

Shipment to Grenada by air transport is on Thursday night/Friday morning.  Friday morning you will receive an email requesting copies of your invoices and a completed C14 form.  You can fax, email, or drop the forms and receipts off at GPC Global window at the post office.   Packages are then available for pickup after 2:00 PM on Friday.  I suggest waiting until Monday so as to miss the Friday afternoon crush.

The information about the service states that there is a minimum charge of 35 EC per package up to 4 Lb, 5 to 50 Lb is 8.60 EC per Lb, and 8 EC per Lb above 50 Lb.  I found however that the shipping charges were less than advertised.  For two small packages weighing less than 4 Lb I paid $25.80 EC for shipping.

Bottom line: GPC Global is much cheaper than FedEx, UPS or DHL.  It is faster and more secure than USPS and it provides you with a U.S. address for Internet orders.

Soursop

Clockwise: soursop, extra large avocado, and mangos

Locally grown fruits and vegetables available in the Caribbean are a little different from what one finds in the average US supermarket.  Most islands have an abundance fruit to the point you often see mangos and other fruits rotting on the ground.

Soursops are bright green when you buy them and are not ripe until they turn slightly brown.

The soursop is one of the strangest fruits in both appearance and name.  It is the fruit of Annona muricata, a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree native to the Caribbean.  The taste is best described as being a tangy banana.  My first introduction to the soursop was in the form of soursop ice cream.  At the local mall I usually opt for the banana and mango smoothie, but recently when the vendor was out of mangos and bananas, I tried a soursop and peanut smoothie.  It is now my new favorite.

Making soursop juice is quite easy.  You start by thoroughly washing the soursop and your hands.  Although the soursop’s skin looks formidable, it is easily peeled with only your fingers.

Next you place the peeled soursop in a large mixing bowl and add 1 ½ cups of milk.

Here is the fun part.  With your clean hands, squish the soursop so as to remove the juice from the pulp.

Pour the mixture into a colander over another large bowl.

Continue squeezing the pulp through the colander removing all of the liquid.

You can get quite a bit of juice out of a medium sized soursop.

Discard the stringy pulp and seeds.

To your taste, mix in the following:

·         1 tsp (4.7 g) nutmeg (optional)

·         1 tbsp (14.3 g) vanilla (optional)

·         1/2 tsp (2.4 g) grated ginger (optional)

·         1 tbsp (14.3 g) sugar (optional)

·         1 lime, juiced (optional)

·         Shot of dark rum (optional)

Soursop juice tastes great and contains significant amounts of vitamin C, B1, and B2.  Although scientific evidence does not support the claim, soursop is continuously rumored to be a cure for cancer.  Serve over ice.

Friday Is Build-A-Burger Day

Every Friday between 11:30 and 1:30 the Merry Baker sells burgers, a lot of them.  When we first returned to Grenada, I went to the bakery for some breakfast goodies.  While Nigel was ringing me up, I asked if they were still doing the Build-A-Burger Fridays.  He said if they tried to stop the tradition, there would be a revolt on the island.

Part of the attraction is the price.  At $10 EC ($3.70 USD) a burger with all of the fixings it is a real bargain.

But it also has turned into one of the cruisers’ must do social events.  Usually one has to fight for seating at one of the picnic tables under the tree, but on this Friday a torrential rain had thinned the ranks.

The first step to building a burger is to pay the perpetually cheerful Merry for your burgers and drinks while not being tempted by the baked goodies.

Step number two is slicing a fresh baked bun and decorating it with condiments.

Step three is getting your burger and grilled onions hot of the grill from Nigel.

For more information about Merry and Nigel and the Merry Baker, CLICK HERE.

You Know You’re a Red-neck if:

“Your lawn furniture used to be your living room furniture.”

The seventh habit from Stephen Covey’s 90’s management book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, is “Sharpen the Saw.”  His premise was that just like a carpenter sharpening his saw; one has to take time out to improve your tools whether that is more training, or just refreshing your outlook.

 Head bolts torqued and valve adjustment on the 12.5 kW generator

His concept of continuous improvement transfers nicely to the cruising lifestyle and boat maintenance.

Exhaust hose replacement on the 5 kW generator

A good time to practice sharpening the saw is during hurricane season in Grenada. After a winter of cruising, we usually approach Port Louis Marina in Grenada with a long to-do list.  Last year I learned that playing and relaxing in Grenada does not get the work done, and you can end up scrambling to check items off the list as departure time approaches.

Transmission fluid and filter change

Most of the items on the to-do list are standard maintenance items that are easier accomplished while laid up in Grenada.

Replacement of a broken chain peeler

Other items are a little more complicated.  The primary windlass had a nasty habit of breaking off (expensive) chain peelers.  After talking with the windlass manufacturer and exchanging photographs, their engineer determined that the angle of the chain pipe allowed the chain to strike the chain pipe before contacting the peeler at the gypsy.  The chain pipe has been modified by a local machine shop.

New entertainment center cover

Other items on the to-do list were not as critical, but more on the aesthetic side.  The original VHS/DVD system was updated requiring some cabinetry work.

Varnishing a new fold-out computer desk

The dated and worn salon upholstery is being replaced by a local shop.  While we were at it, we had a local woodworker fabricate computer desks that will attach to the underside of the ottoman cushions.

Habit #1:  “Be Proactive.”  Now that my chores are done, I am headed to the pool.

Amplified Music

The bane of the Caribbean is amplified music.  It is not enough that most rum shops (neighborhood bars) have it blasting from every opening, but they have figured out how to go mobile.

The blue box with speakers lashed to it is a large generator.

The truck with the generator is pulling a trailer with the soundboard, more speakers and the “DJ” (the guy with the funny hat).

   Carnival in Bequia

Dancers are expected to follow the truck and trailer with the speakers pointed at them.  The volume is cranked to a level causing what the National Institute on Deafness calls “noise-induced deafness.”

Like the other bad things in the Caribbean such as saggy pants with underwear showing, amplified music is a U.S. export.  The Grateful Dead’s audio engineer, Bear Stanley, is credited with building the 75 ton “Wall of Sound” that required 4 semi-trailers and 21 crew members to haul and setup.  Prior to designing The Wall, Stanley had been in prison for possession of 350,000 doses of LSD and 1,500 doses of STP that he claimed were for his personal use.

Even out in the forest, they figure out how to get speakers going at full volume.

As visitors to the islands all we can do is grin and bear it.  Normally we can just move away from the speakers, but why do they always have to put them right next to where the beer and food is sold?

As cruisers, we feel especially assaulted by the amplified music.  Many nice anchorages are polluted with “music” from shore.  Sound, like light, normally travels in straight lines and should quickly disperse above the anchorage.  However, the sound that “should” rise up curves back down to the water.  Therefore, it sounds louder than it should and is somewhat distorted.

A sound truck for Grenada’s Carnival makes Bequia’s seem pathetic.

Grenada’s Carnival is already in full swing, with August 12th being the day requiring ear plugs.  Last year our boat was vibrating at 4:00 AM.

There is some good news, however.  A recent study published in Science Daily states, “Contrary to conventional wisdom, short-term hearing loss after sustained exposure to loud noise does not reflect damage to our hearing; instead it is the body’s way to cope.”  As sound levels rise, the cells in the cochlea release the hormone ATP, which binds to a receptor causing the temporary reduction of hearing sensitivity.  The study goes on to say chronic exposure, depending on your genes, can cause problems years later.

Question: What did the islander say after he got out of rehab?

Answer: “This music sucks!”

Eye of the Storm

Hurricane Ivan’s Path

On September 7, 2004 Hurricane Ivan slammed into Grenada causing several deaths, damaging 90% of the island’s housing, and destroying an untold number of boats.

St. George’s church is still missing its roof

Today most of the scars have healed.  There are still some missing roofs and structures laying in ruin, but most of the sunken boats have been removed and the marinas reconstructed.

Mo, stealing beer while others are distracted by the camera

Prickly Bay Marina facilitated a special showing of the Lunn family’s home movies of their experiences during Hurricane Ivan.  We were treated to the long version including footage of Cory’s wakeboarding before and after the hurricane.  During the hurricane their boat, Te Natura, was struck by another boat and shipwrecked.  While the experience was extremely distressing to the Lunn family, they were lucky.  They were able to salvage their boat and continue sailing.

Click here for the short version of Eye of the Storm  

Isle of Spice

Lying at the south end of the Windward Islands, the country of Grenada has three main islands. The northern most island is Petite Martinique, then Carriacou, and further south is Grenada.  Between Carriacou and Grenada there is an underwater volcano named Kick Em Jenny and several smaller islands that are mostly uninhabited. 

As peaceful and friendly as Grenada is today, it is hard to believe it has such a “lively” history.   

Cave where Arawaks stored provisions

When Christopher Columbus discovered Grenada in 1498, the island was already inhabited by the Carib Indians.  The Caribs had migrated from the South American mainland, killing or enslaving the peaceful Arawaks, the original inhabitants.  

Early European settlements were aggressively discouraged by the Caribs and it was not until 1650 when a French expedition from Martinique was able to defeat the Caribs in a succession of battles.  Rather than submit to French rule, the last surviving Caribs jumped to their death off of a cliff on the north end of the island that is now called “Leapers’ Hill.”

Fort George

For the next ninety years the British and French squabbled over the island, building forts and riding around in wooden boats taking pot shots at one another.  

Black Bay Plantation ruins

Under the Treaty of Versailles in 1783 the British gained control and immediately began importing large numbers of slaves from Africa to work sugar plantations.

Twelve years later, in 1795 there was a violent slave rebellion and tensions remained high until slavery was abolished in 1834.  Grenada became a Crown Colony in 1877 and in 1967 became an associated state within the British Commonwealth.  With independence in 1974 came a ten year period of political turmoil that culminated in the now famous “rescue mission” in 1983.  Since the general election in 1984 Grenada has enjoyed a peaceful democracy.

St George’s Harbor and Port Louis Marina

St. George’s is the capital of Grenada and the most protected harbor on the island.  The north and eastern coasts have no protection from the trade winds and associated seas.  

The western coast has several anchorages, but all are reported to be uncomfortable in certain sea conditions. 

 Secret Harbour Marina

The south coast has several anchorages and marinas that are popular with cruisers.

The Aquarium Restaurant

Grenada’s economy relies on tourism.  

Cocoa

Agriculture is Grenada’s next most important industry.  Exports include cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, cocoa, and of course nutmeg.

Petit Bacaye with the Tree Top Restaurant

There are a number of small resorts located throughout the island.

Spice Island Marina

And, of course there are facilities and services for the “yachties.”

 Store at bus station

The per capita income in Grenada is $13,400 compared to $41,800 in the United States.  Grenada has high unemployment (estimates as high as 30%) that has not been helped by the economic problems in the U.S. and Europe.  Officially, Grenada has an income tax, import tax, and a value added tax or sales tax. 

 Pollie buying calabash candle holders from Thomas

Unofficially, Grenada has a thriving underground economy.  

Photo provided by SGU

On the bright side, St. George’s University’s medical and veterinarian schools are thriving in this economy.

“Janet House,” housing donated to Grenada after Hurricane Janet

The reason most of the pleasure boats spend the summer months in Grenada is that it is considered south of the hurricane belt by most insurance companies.   That is not to say Grenada is immune from hurricanes.  In 1955 Hurricane Janet hit leaving 122 dead and devastated the infrastructure.  Later, Janet caused the only loss of a hurricane hunter aircraft.

In 2004 Ivan hit leaving 50% of the 102,000 inhabitants homeless.  The popular theory is that hurricanes only hit Grenada every 50 years.  So, we are safe for another 42 years.  While I am writing this Tropical Storm Rafael formed just north of Grenada and moved north.

Aside from dubious hurricane protection, Grenada is a beautiful island with lush green mountains.

Concord Waterfall

 waterfalls,

Black Sand Beach

and spectacular beaches.  

Where, if you are lucky, you too can find a sea bean.

River Antoine Rum Distillery

Should you tire of nature, there are rum distilleries,

the fish market,

“What’s this?”

and the spice market to visit.

Although we are ready to start cruising again, we have enjoyed spending hurricane season in Grenada and plan to be back here next year.