march 2020 CARIBBEAN COMPAss pAGE 22
Doyle’sDeck View:Way Back Thenand NowHappy 25th Birthday Caribbean Compass!When, 25 years after writing it, I reread my very firstCompass article, which was published in Compass’svery first issue, I was amazed. Believe it or not, 25years ago the chief of police arrived in a coastguardlaunch at Hog Island in Grenada and made everyyacht move out!In that article I think I managed to describe how alot of locals felt about the yachting community in HogIsland at that time, and how anger at the yachts hadbeen building for various reasons, some real, someimagined. I remember trying to communicate some ofthis on the morning VHF net at the time, especiallynoting that it could not go on that way: cruisers notonly offering their work skills illegally to other yachts,but also even going to businesses in town and offeringto work. I was quite unpopular with quite a few cruisersas a result, but even I was shocked and angeredwhen the police action was taken. (A few cruisersthought it was my doing.)In hindsight, I was clearly wrong about Roger’s Bar,which has become a major establishment and verypopular. The VHF net has also proved its worth. Backthen it was not a credit to the cruising community andit was things overheard on the net that annoyed manylocals in those days. Now the VHF net is much morecarefully run and works as a means of communicationbetween those on yachts and those offering servicesashore, and is a huge success.On rereading my first Compass article I am encouragedby the very positive changes in 25 years. Yes, HogIsland is still a kind of “cruiser’s suburbia,” but that isfine: it is no longer viewed the same way. Many ofthose on yachts are no longer so insular: they makelocal friends and integrate themselves into the localcommunity, taking part in all kinds of local activitiesranging from running with the Hash House Harriers toreading to kids to giving free swimming lessons forGrenadians (see article on page 34). Both the numberand the variety of businesses catering to yachts haveexpanded hugely. In 1995 there was not even a goodchandlery on the island! Now we have three haul-outyards, several marinas, and several chandleries. Bestof all we have excellent technicians running businessesand helping provide yachts with the servicesthey need.Over 25 years, cruisers and locals together pickedup the ball and made it all come out brilliantly.It has been a great pleasure to write for Compassfor the last 25 years as the yachting scene grew.There is no question to my mind that the presence ofCompass has had a lot to do with the gradual integrationand acceptance of the yachting industry intothe local community.PS: What happened to all those noisy wind generatorsthat used to drive some of us mad? The windmillsare still out there, but they are now quiet. That isanother change I have been delighted to see!Compass Isn’t About Us,It Is UsCaribbean Compass is a literary miracle.Its power and prestige reach farbeyond its modest circulation. It’smore than a marine fishwrapper. It’s achronicle of our cruising lives — of thesea gypsies, yachties, live-aboards,charterers, sailboat racers, bilge bunnies— all the lush tropical vegetablesthat populate its pages.Plus, it nurtures future marine writers ina way no other publication does.More cruising inkslingers havelaunched their literary careers uponthese pages than anywhere else. Thisis no small thing, to be the local incubatorof literary talent.Is it profitable? Perhaps. But that’s notthe point. It is us. It isn’t about us, it isus, in all our awkward, sun-kissed,rhum-soaked cantankerous glory.I knew Sally back-in-the-day, longbefore printer’s ink ran in her veins.Okay, I, too, used to have a crush onSally between Vinnie and Tall Tom —still do, I guess. She’s like the water shewrites about: soft on one hand,uncompressible on the other. Whenshe knows we can do better, she tellsus, as a friend. The fact is, whetherSally is circumnavigating or scribbling,she believes in us. We’re her waywardchildren. She cares about our hopes,our fears, and our petty tribal tribulations.She doesn’t view this publicationas hers, but rather ours.The reason this publication has succeededall these years isn’t about dollarsand cents — nor logic and sense —it is about our watery community; it isabout our shared aspirations. And, yes,love. Affection, even. Respect, certainly.Long may we continue to nurture eachother upon these hallowed pages.Cap’n Fatty Goodlander, AuthorS/V Ganeshfattygoodlander.commarch 2020 CARIBBEAN COMPAss pAGE 23Call:784.458.4308Marina: VHF 16 or 68 Email: info@bluelagoonsvg.comFuel Dock24 hour SecurityPort of EntryCustoms & Immigration Office - 9am to 6pmElectricity 110V/220v & WaterComplimentary WifiLaundry ServiceSupermarket & BoutiqueCafe Soleil & Flowt Beach BarThe Loft Restaurant and BarIndigo Dive ShopSwimming PoolBeautifully Designed Hotel Rooms
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