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Grenada cruising observations

1519 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by outbound, Mar 2, 2015

killarney_sailor

Discussion Starter · Feb 27, 2015

Still in Grenada and have a few observations about cruising from what I see here.

This one applies more generally than just here. Seems like there are two types of cruisers. One group was called 'permacruisers' by someone. These folks find a place they like and stay there, either all year or seasonally. We know one boat that was launched from Spice Island boat yard, went about 200 m to anchor and has no intention to move until they haul in May, when they will go another 200 m to the travellift. The other type of cruisers are transients, who come for a time and then go somewhere else.
The median boat size here is about 45'. Interestingly, the median was notably smaller in obscure places on our circumnavigation where we were one of the larger boats at 45'.
Some countries have a lot of cruisers here. For some reason there are a disproportionate number of Danish boats.
There are relatively fewer American boats here than you would expect, based on distance and the number of boats there are in the country. Not sure why this is. The proportion of Americans in the permacruiser category is definitely higher than in the transient group.
There are quite a few catamarans here compared to most places.
If you are on a boat less than 33' you are almost certainly to be European.
If you less than 50 years old, you are almost certainly European. This of course may be related to the previous point.

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K don't some people just regionally wander from a home base. In my group see folks who have a slip. Fly back and forth to the states two or three times a year leaving the boat under yacht management for 1-3 weeks. When down here are off the dock for 1-3 weeks bits cruising locally. To St. Martin or Spanish virgins and like trips. If it's friends visiting a week doing BVI circle or USVI national park. Then back to the slip.
Basically that's what I'm doing and I would say 80%+ of my marinna mates the same. Agree there are very few mainstream production boats that smack is enamoured of. Rather if you see a Smackdaddy boat it's very safe to assume it's a charter.
Here the Brits and canooks predominate. Most are mom and pop.
90% are 45' plus 10' or minus 5'

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outbound

· #9 · Mar 2, 2015 (Edited)

I've learn to pick the weather window and go to windward first. That way you have a chance of your guests making their plane. Easier going downhill if it pipes up.
Agree doing the circuit isn't much more than a brief day sail before noon. But the back and forth to New England ( or Canada) adds some miles. The hops back and forth to,St.Martin or Culubra adds a couple of hundred miles. Most folks I see daysail ~50% of the days. In total think 500m maybe a very conversative estimate.
Think just like there are dock queens at home. There are dock queens here. Think proportion is less here. Often due to waiting for repairs or crew. Unlike daysailing at home for many if your genset doesn't work and you don't have alt. energy you don't leave. It's likely there will be no where to plug in for awhile.
Unlike home think more don't move due to money. Find a nice place to anchor and stay put. Food is expensive. Many need to buy water. Work rules and economics are such it may be hard to pick up cash. It's cheaper to stay put.

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