Carriacou Regatta Festival 2007 - Caribbean Compass

SEPTEMBER 2007 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 4
GRENADINES
SAILS & CANVAS
BEQUIA
Come in and see us for all your SAILS & CANVAS needs
including CUSTOM-MADE stainless steel
BIMINI & DODGER frames at competitive prices
Located opposite G.Y.E.
(northern side of Admiralty Bay)
Tel (784) 457-3507 / 457-3527 (evenings)
e-mail: gsails@vincysurf.com VHF Ch16/68
REPRESENTATIVE
JYA at SIM Boatyard, Prickly Bay, Grenada
• Tel/Fax Office: 473-439-4913
• Cell: 473-409-2264
• @: jya@caribsurf.com
Manager Jean-Yves Rouseré
LEAVE YOUR BOAT
IN SKILLED HANDS…
YACHT MANAGEMENT
SALE AND REPAIR INBOARD & OUTBOARD ENGINES
METAL FABRICATION & WELDING
- STAINLESS STEEL & ALUMINIUM
BOAT ENGINEERING, HYDRAULICS AND PLUMBING
—Continued from previous page
From Martinique, Ciarla Decker reports that although some buildings were damaged
and trees toppled, and the island suffered considerable losses to banana
and sugarcane crops, the yachting sector fared relatively well. Her own Sea
Services chandlery in Fort de France was unharmed, and Ciarla says, “Annie Zaghes
of the Ponton du Bakoua marina in Trois Ilets reports no infrastructure damage. The
Ponton is up and running, as are the restaurant and the mooring buoy system.
Owners of boats in front of the Ponton had moved them to safe hurricane holes
and Mme. Zaghes has not heard of any damage to them.”
Ciarla also spoke with manager Eric Jean-Joseph of Marin Yacht Harbor on the
island’s south coast. “Eric reports that the marina at Marin suffered absolutely no
important damage, and all the boats moored correctly within the marina were
unharmed. All the marina docks held and marina buildings resisted the wind. The
various services of Marin village were, for the most part, also saved from destruction.
“However, about 30 boats anchored out in the Bay of Marin were swept away, and
four sank. Eric notes that owners who had problems with their boats after the passage
of Hurricane Dean are owners who did not adequately prepare their boats.
The worst of it is that these owners, by their negligence, have caused damage to
other yachts which would otherwise have had no problems.”
From St. Lucia, Lee Kessell reports that at the popular anchorage of Pigeon Island,
the shorelines on both sides of the causeway were battered, with the bay side
being eaten away by many feet. The jetty was severely damaged, and some damage
was done to virtually all of the National Park structures. The Park will re-open
slowly as areas are restored. The new dock at nearby Gros Ilet village lost its wooden
planking. However, it was reported that the dock had been designed to lose its
planking before the stress of the waves could damage the concrete structure, and
restoring the planking is a simple job.
Also in St. Lucia, Rodney Bay Marina manager Cuthbert Didier reports that the marina,
located inside a lagoon, “stood up to the onslaught, successfully sheltering more than
200 yachts.” Cuthbert said the marina had put its own emergency plan successfully
into effect. “We were able to allow each vessel to tie up in a double slip so Rodney
Bay Marina was able to berth 115 vessels in slips, and another 95 on dry dock. We
kicked in our emergency plan and everything worked — there was no damage to
the facility.” Cuthbert complimented all the staff, dock attendants, security and boatyard
staff for their work in ensuring that each vessel was properly secured. He said:
“Rodney Bay Marina markets itself as safe and secure and our staff has lived up to this
promise in this storm. We have braved several storms in the past and our track record
proves that we are in fact a safe haven for yachts in times of a storm.”
Cuthbert raised the matter of re-insurers who were reluctant to cover yachts berthed
in this part of the Caribbean. He said: “We run a marina that is ideally located and
while people are quick to say that we are in the hurricane belt, we have proven that
we can survive very bad weather. We have also proved that the decision of reinsurers
against covering yachts in the south of the Caribbean is misguided.”
In Castries Harbour, a fishing boat was washed up onto the road and against the market
steps, and a small old iron ship was washed onto the rocks along the shore near the
Customs shed. Lee Kessell echoes Eric Jean-Joseph’s sentiments: “The owners of derelict
vessels should be liable for the damage they cause.” She also says, “Since the mangroves
and reefs of Pointe Seraphine were destroyed and given over to the building of
the large shopping complex, complete with its breakwater, the Petit Carenage (Vigie
Creek) has suffered grievously. The storm surge sweeps unmolested right through to the
wharves and docks and whereas the mangroves absorbed the onslaught, the breakwater
now whips the waves right into the Carenage. The Coalpot Restaurant, recently
closed for two months for a remake, is now destroyed, and the docks along with it.”
The inner part of Marigot Bay on the west coast of St. Lucia lived up to its reputation
as a hurricane hole. The southern edge of the eye of Hurricane Dean hit Marigot at
4:00AM, with winds gusting to 75 knots from the southwest and five-metre breaking
seas sweeping into the outer part of the Bay. In the inner bay, The Marina at
Marigot Bay and the mangroves were packed with yachts seeking shelter. Molly
McDaniel reports: “No serious damage was caused to any yacht in Marigot Bay
and any minor damage was only caused by inadequately moored boats in the
mangroves. The Marina and Marina Village, Discovery at Marigot Bay, Chateau
Mygo, JJ’s Paradise and the Rainforest Hideaway were completely undamaged.
Doolittle’s at the Marigot Beach Club lost a jetty and suffered some roof damage
but opened for business as usual on the following evening. The Shack restaurant,
built over the waters of the outer part of the bay, is badly damaged.”
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