Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - April 2018

Sail on a Carriacou Sloop
Danny Donelan reports: Something special is happening in Grenada. The traditional
wooden Carriacou sloops are seeing a renaissance and the boatbuilding
culture is going through a resurgence thanks to switched-on tourists seeking a
more authentic cultural experience when they visit the islands. Grenada is
Charters include sunset trips, half-day snorkel trips to the Underwater Sculpture
Park, whole-day trips, and a two-day trip to the Grenadines. We will also build a
charter around your particular needs, so just let us know what you are looking for.
We are also big on the racing scene in the Caribbean and do Grenada Sailing
Week in January, the Bequia Easter Regatta, the Antigua Classic Regatta in April,
the West Indies Regatta in May, the Petite Martinique Regatta and Carnival in May,
Carriacou Regatta in August and the St. Lucia Mango Bowl Regatta
in November.
Grenada has been lucky to have a people who respect their traditional culture
and it is important for us to hold onto our boatbuilding heritage, as it defines us as
a hardworking people who make a living from the sea. We have always been
considered some of the best seamen in the Caribbean and we are proud of this.
Carriacou Regatta is one of the oldest regattas in the Caribbean and it was started
using these sloops. We are blessed that travelers are now interested in seeing
a small piece of our culture and enjoying our sloops and our crew.
If you are interested in sailing on a Caribbean boat whose history dates back
over 200 years then we are waiting to show you a great time. We can be
reached on www.sailingsavvy.com or check us out on Instagram at #savvysailing,
or on Tripadvisor as Savvy Sailing Adventure, or call Danny on (473) 409-3255.
Savvy (at left) and Zemi (below) are two of the traditional island sloops
available for charter in Grenada
becoming a sought-after stop for travelers wishing to reconnect with a simpler
way of life where one can feel a connection to the people and the land and sea
they live on. No island does this better than Grenada’s sister islands of Carriacou
and Petite Martinique, which are the only islands left in the Caribbean still building
these sloops in the traditional manner on this scale.
Savvy Sailing Charters in Grenada now has four of these sloops including Savvy,
Zemi, Free in St. Barths and New Moon. It is the only charter company in Grenada
that offers these traditional sloops and their captains are also the boatbuilders.
Savvy Sailing Charters only do private charters, preferring small intimate groups of
family, friends and couples to the typical “booze cruises” on offer in most islands.
Carl Enoe, son of legendary Carriacou boatbuilder Alwyn Enoe, and the builder
of both Zemi and Free in St. Barths, is one of these captains. He was the focus of
the award-winning film Vanishing Sail, which chronicles Alwyn’s struggles as he is
building his last sloop and passing the torch to Carl to continue the trade for the
next generation. Making a living during the slow periods when he is not building
another sloop has been a blessing for Carl, and also for the guests who get to
experience sailing with the builder himself.
APRIL 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 9