We made it to Grenada!
Quick note:
Jump to the bottom if you want to help us cruisers help those impacted by Beryl in the West Indies
After an overnight sail from Martinique, we finally got all situated on a mooring ball in True Blue Bay and then I dinghied over to get us cleared-in. I went back to the boat. A tropical wave was very far east of Grenada, but those always turn north of Grenada or fizzle out this early in the year... This was on the morning of Friday, June 28.
This Tropical Disturbance is not doing what its supposed to
New updates and projected tracks are available every 6 hours, so every 6 hours we would take another look and make sure we were in the clear. As we went to bed Friday night, after our 25 hour sail, we weren't feeling in the clear.
By the next morning, things were not looking better. Actually, they were looking worse. Most of the tracks had the eye of the storm going north of Grenada, but there was always a straggler or two that stayed south of Grenada. Our mooring in on the south of Grenada and faces open ocean to the south. And the storm was quickly moving from Tropical Wave to Tropical Depression to Tropical Storm to "probably going to be a hurricane soon and a big one not too long after that".
Several complications to work through. First, we have to clear out of Grenada before being able to clear into another. When you clear out, you get an Exit Zarpe; a document that basically says you left in good standing from a country. It was Saturday, Customs and Immigration was open, but only until 2:00PM. have to decide fast.
The next complication is bringing a pet into another country. There are processes to be followed and they take time. Fortunately, it turns out there is a taxi/tour driver in Trinidad that has become the go-to guy for helping cruisers visit his country. (
Jesse James). We were told he was the guy to reach out to to figure out our options.
We were not the only ones trying to come with a pet and he was talking with government officials to come up with a solution. Usually, you need to provide a Health Certificate (recent to very recent) and proof of vaccinations. You apply for a pet importation permit and wait three to 14 days and you are good to show all this when checking in.
He convinced us that there would be a solution and that we should head to Trinidad. Worst case, in most countries, you can fly a yellow Q (Quarantine) flag, never leave the boat and just anchor for safe haven. That was our fallback, because turning around (duh, hurricane?) or going further south (not insured for that) was not an option!
We discussed it for a while (not wanting to do another long sail so soon after the previous one) but ultimately decided it would be the safer choice.
Off to the customs office I went to check out, then we started filling out and emailing the forms needed to go to Trinidad.
We were not the only sailors in Grenada with that same idea. The Customs office was busy with everyone that came in there to clear out.
We decided to leave at around 3:30 on Sunday morning. We ate dinner and got a couple hours of sleep before the alarm got us up.
Beryl is a named Storm
When we got up at 3:00 and checked the weather, our decision was confirmed. Still looking worse for Grenada. We got ourselves ready and decided to leave at about 4:00 to leave around the same time as some other cruisers we met that were doing the same thing.
At normal getting up time, every other cruiser on Grenada got up and decided it was not longer the hurricane-free, safe haven it usually has been. They all decided to leave and make the trek to Trinidad, en masse. Between 100 and 200 boats worth!
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The sail was reasonable and uneventful with varying wind and current over the trip.
We arrived into Trinidad around 5:00pm on Sunday. Customs and Immigration were open on Sunday, but only until 4:00pm. This was kind of a good thing, as all we could do was find a good place to anchor and get the boat ready for whatever weather may come our way.
We opted for a further in anchorage that we expected would be less used, and therefore we wouldn't have to worry about the stream of boats arriving in the dark after we went to bed. It was exposed to the South and West, which meant a LONG distance to land, which gives wind-driven waves plenty of time to build. Like most things in boating, a compromise. We expected this would result in some discomfort, but no "bumps in the night".
Trinidad and Jesse James to the rescue
Without going into too much detail, the support given by Trinidad, in general, and Jesse James, in particular, has been the stuff of legend. Numerous WhatsApp groups to communicate (even one for boats with pets), relaxation of regulations to make clearing in easier, and even free shuttle buses to help get people in distant anchorages into the customs and immigration offices!
Trinidad is unfortunately plagued by gang violence and has become a gateway for drugs coming from South America and going to the US. There are many that want to change this and replace those elements with a thriving tourist economy. This was a perfect opportunity for Trinidad to make a great first impression with a new set of tourists!
From Tropical Wave to Cat 4 Hurricane, quickly
On Sunday around noon, Beryl was as close as it was going to get. As feared, the waves where we were anchored built to in the range of 3 to 5 feet. In 5 meters of water, we put out 60 meters of chain. We would normally use less than half that. Another benefit to being in a lesser used anchorage!
Beryl was absolutely destroying the Grenadian island of Carriacou, with the eye travelling directly over it. At one point, you can see the entire island from a satellite shot while it is within the eye!
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Grenada and Union Island (part of St Vincent and the Grenadines) also took heavy damage.
Here in Trinidad, we are aware of one boat that was coming in (too?) late and ended up with shredded sails, a dead engine and a missing anchor. Oh and it was drifting into Venezuelan waters. Several locals, overseen by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard went out to retrieve the boat and it was tied up to a dock with the help of several volunteer cruisers.
All in all, those that came to Trinidad were un-scathed.
Giving Back
On the whole, cruisers are nothing if not generous and helpful. After seeing the destruction of so many favorite destinations, it didn't take long for talk to come up of bringing back needed donations on the way back north. A way to pay forward the good will we all received from Trinidad!
I've decided to offer my spreadsheet services to help coordinate this effort (and we'll bring back supplies, too).
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions!
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