Love Letter to Carriacou from the Hostage Boaters in Tyrell Bay
Dear Carriacou,
We are the people held hostage in your lovely Tyrell Bay. We are American, German, French, British, and Portuguese/Cape Verdean. We came to your island to support your economy by maintaining, and in some cases rebuilding, our vessels. We hire your skilled workers, eat in your restaurants, get our laundry washed at Zip, shop in your supermarkets, buy fruit and vegetables at your friendly roadside stands, and buy lots (and lots) of boat supplies. You have seen us in the streets, and may even recognize the gray dog, Doodl, being towed behind the bicycle in her doggie carriage on the streets of Harvey Vale.
We like it here just fine — but please let us leave. Read more…
March 2026
Another Racing Handicap: Sargassum
Dear Compass,
As the racing season in the Caribbean builds up steam, the news also includes a forecast of increasing amounts of sargassum floating toward the island chain.
When a racing boat catches sargassum on its keel, its speed is quickly reduced so that the boat is no longer competitive. Removing the sargassum from the keel is not easy. The only effective manner is to sail backward for a few meters and return to full speed.
There are a few methods to avoid this. A very small group of boats have tracks in their keels that can be pulled up and down and cut the sargassum away. It is also rumored that a very small diameter cord held under the boat can pull the sargassum off. A limited number of boats have small windows built into the hull to allow the crew to determine whether their reduced speed is due to sargassum.
Older boats had backward sloping keels which did not catch the sargassum. All the new race boats have vertical leading-edge keels that catch sargassum and do not easily let it go. The same applies to rudders.
It is of course possible for a crew to see the sargassum and to sail a course to avoid sargassum patches. However, that is easier said than done. Some patches are easy to identify but some do not float as high as others and avoidance is therefore much more difficult. The speed drop does not show on a meter and when crews discover that a factor outside of their control is causing them to lose a race, frustration is likely.
Racing sailboats successfully requires a high level of continuous concentration on a vast array of factors. The concentration challenge will be pushed to a higher level yet with the imperative of avoiding sargassum. Will this make the sailboat racing even more fun and competitive or will it take the level of frustration to an unmanageable level?
Robbie Ferron
Budget Marine
Thanks for the Memories
Dear Compass,
I was pleasantly surprised and honored to be remembered in the Readers Forum of the January 2026 issue by longtime Compass correspondent Huge Bacon and my good friend Commodore Escrich of the International Hemingway Yacht Club in Cuba. Happy to see that such connections (and letters from Caribbean sailing legends like Tony Powell and Robbie Ferron) are part of Compass’s continuing voyage.
Tom and I read each new issue with interest. We’d like to take this opportunity to send our warmest wishes to all the Compass staff, contributors and readers for fair winds, following seas, exciting new ports and comfy safe havens in the new year.
Excelsior!
Sally Erdle
Bequia
Sally, you’re the soul and inspiration behind every issue. – The editors
August 2025
Tangled in Their Own Lines
Dear Caribbean Compass,
You can tell a lot about a country by how it treats boats it doesn’t own. The Bahamas used to be a sailor’s dream: clear water, warm welcomes, and anchorages that whispered “stay awhile.” But in 2025, that dream nearly ran aground under the weight of proposed cruising fee hikes that ignited backlash across the boating world.
The original proposal was jaw-dropping. Entry fees, fishing permits, anchoring charges, and mandatory cruising cards pushed potential costs for the average visiting sailboat well past $1,600, with some estimates landing over $4,000. A 44-foot cruiser, once paying $300, would suddenly be staring down a $1,000 entry fee, plus $200 or $350 for anchoring and fishing each, depending on boat size.
Then came the pushback. Marina operators reported a wave of cancellations. Sailors rerouted. Online sailing forums lit up. The backlash wasn’t just about cost. It was about how little those fees seemed tied to services or reality.
To their credit, Bahamian lawmakers listened. Sort of.
The revised legislation lowered the cruising permit for vessels up to 50 feet to $500, with adjusted tiers: up to 50 feet, 51 to 100 feet, and over 100. Fishing and anchoring fees remained steep, but the overall entry cost dropped significantly for most cruisers. Even the digital cruising card, popular among Florida boaters doing weekend hops, was revised: $1,500 for boats up to 50 feet, valid for two years.
Still, questions linger.
Why was the initial plan so out of touch with the economic balance that makes the Bahamas such a desirable stop? Where was the consultation with marinas, promotion boards, and the people who rely on cruiser tourism every day? The Nassau Tribune reported dozens of cancellations at a single marina within 24 hours of the announcement. Multiply that across the islands, and the scale of damage becomes clear.
And then there’s the tone. In social media spaces, some Bahamian voices echoed the Prime Minister’s anti-American boating rhetoric, accusing visitors of overfishing, polluting, and failing to pay their share. Cruisers were labeled freeloaders, despite most spending hundreds, even thousands, supporting local economies. That sting doesn’t fade easily.
Meanwhile, marine industry voices urged caution. Promotion boards representing the Out Islands, Nassau and Paradise Island, Grand Bahama, and others called for a pause. They recognized what was at stake: not just permit revenue, but fuel sales, provisioning, repairs, slip fees, dining, and goodwill. You lose the trust of the cruising community, and it takes years to get it back.
The Bahamas did pull back from the brink. But only just. And while officials tout the changes as compromise, most business owners can see through it: a real course correction would have started with dialogue. Instead, the rollback looks more like a political maneuver than genuine reform. The voices of the marinas, tour operators, and fuel docks, the ones who actually lose bookings when policy goes sideways, are still being drowned out. The fee reduction was less a correction and more a cosmetic patch, the kind of policy rollback that smells like damage control. The mooring balls are still questionable, the anchoring fees still steep, and the services still vague.
In short, the Bahamas pulled a page from the bank bailout playbook: they overreached, destabilized trust, and then expected the cruising community to foot the bill. Like the financial crises of years past, the ones who bore the cost weren’t the ones who caused the problem.
If the government wants to keep its place on cruising routes, it needs more than a press release and a revised spreadsheet. It needs accountability. Moorings should be inspected. Services should match costs. Fees should be clear, consistent, and fair.
Because once sailors reroute, they often stay gone. Turks and Caicos for fuel. The Dominican Republic for provisions. The USVI for repairs and downtime. The Bahamas is beautiful, yes, but beauty isn’t loyalty.
In sailing, as in trust, you can’t charge for loyalty. But you can absolutely sink it.
José Catstar, currently adrift aboard S/V Stimulus Package
José Catstar writes from the leeward side of logic, armed with a handheld VHF, a coffee-stained chartbook, and zero tolerance for regulatory nonsense. His boat (whose name changes frequently to protect the guilty and himself) has been denied entry to more marinas than he’s willing to admit, usually for “tone.” He considers this a badge of honor.
July 2025
To Caribbean Compass:
The Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association (VIPCA) is urging the USVI government to implement reciprocal licensing fees for British Virgin Islands (BVI)-based vessels in response to BVI’s recent fee increases on USVI-based boats. Without immediate action, local businesses and jobs are at risk.
The marine industry supports over 5,000 jobs and contributes $166 million to the USVI economy. Every vessel that relocates or business that closes will impact not only charter operators, but also the vast network of businesses that rely on the industry — marinas, boatyards, grocery stores, restaurants, mechanics, and more. If left unchecked, the BVI’s policy will drive business away, reduce tax revenue, and weaken the USVI’s reputation as a top yachting destination.
To protect the maritime sector, VIPCA demands immediate action, including:
• Reciprocal business license fees for BVI vessels.
• Strict enforcement of credentialing rules for foreign mariners.
• Up-to-date safety certifications and compliance checks for foreign vessels.
• Proof of U.S. customs clearance before passenger embarkation.
• Arrival/departure tracking through the eNOA/D system.
The BVI’s chosen policies undermine the spirit of cooperation that has allowed the charter industry to thrive in the Virgin Islands. A better path forward for both the USVI and the BVI is working toward creating a single sailing zone — the greater Virgin Islands working cooperatively to provide the best experience for all who visit these islands and who call them home. We stand ready to work toward that future; however, the BVI has unfortunately chosen another path — and we must respond.
Kennon Jones, Executive Director
Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association
Email: info@vipca.com
Cell: 340-642-0656
Returning Sailor, Disappointed
Dear Caribbean Compass,
We have just been hanging out in the Caribbean for the first time in a few years. Currently in St. Lucia. Three observations so far:
- Cruisers nets are virtually nonexistent now. We have only found one that works. All the rest are defunct. The one that worked — we were the only boat that spoke, so no idea if anybody else was even on it. The controller was a guy on shore. I think they have been taken over by WhatsApp group chats and if one is not a member of the right chat, then one does not know what is happening/going on.
- Related to the loss of the nets is also a loss of the camaraderie of sailors. There is no longer the open meetup at a bar, or the social sundowners on the beach, poker nights or domino challenges. Maybe these things are happening, and we do not know it. But the majority of boats have Starlink and in the evenings one goes by so many boats with people just sitting inside, likely watching TV or on the internet.
- Boats. So many more boats. I am amazed and saddened. Anchorage restrictions will come to many bays soon. They have to. While the vibrant sailing community likely still exists, it’s limited to small groups now instead of opening up to everyone as in the past. We make a goal to go and say hello everywhere we anchor. It’s what we always do. One dinghy has stopped and said hello to us.
Things change. And one doesn’t know what they have until it’s gone. We all pine for the old times and I want to be careful not to do that here. But the change is significant.
This is only our experiences in the places we have been since returning.
Sincerely,
“A sailor.”
Bill Woodroffe, Compass contributor and author of the weather nets column, replies:
The three points that the writer observed are correct. We have been in the Eastern Caribbean since 2013 and have noted and mentioned this to many who also would agree.
I have a soft spot in my heart for amateur radio. I have been one of the net controllers for the Coconut Telegraph (HF SSB radio) for years (yes, it is still around!) and I frequently help local VHF nets. Years ago, local VHF were the glue that kept everyone together to gather both social and important cruising information. Of course, before VHF was popular, beach bars were where cruisers, and sailors worldwide, gathered for camaraderie. Times change, and the paradox of modern technology allowing us to communicate easily with each other, in many ways, drives us apart.
A few years ago, I thought Digital Selective Calling (DSC) would alleviate the worry that VHF was too “public” with invites to have sundowners on our boat. We would end up with everyone showing up on our boat! Along comes the ubiquitous cell phone and Starlink (with wifi calling, Zoom, Whatsapp, etc.) and suddenly why use DSC? They say that today’s kids are always on their smart phones to their friends, but guess what? Cruisers are no different than their kids (or grandkids)! We all tend to stay in our own bubble, and technology is perfectly designed and suited for that.
This, of course, leads to the writer’s second point: cruiser camaraderie. I think cruisers are no less social than before. However, the bubble they place themselves in, as comforting as it is, does not lend itself to a broader or diverse inclusion of others.
A cruiser walks into a beach bar and needs some local knowledge about anchoring or on tomorrow’s weather. Years ago, they would spot some cruisers and strike up a conversation. Today, they could just web surf what is needed and drink their beer in a corner, and don’t need to be in that beach bar at all.
Ironically, with the increased popularity of catamarans with dance floors, one would think that large onboard gatherings would proliferate. But camaraderie today is found online and in the specialty groups on places like Whatsapp or Facebook or Reddit or Navily, and via many sailing organizations. The popularity and increase of cruisers’ rallies testifies to the camaraderie that is yearned for, albeit in separate bubbles. Add the hundreds of other content providers and influencers available, and camaraderie is very much alive if you know where to look. Follow the video blogs of those halfway around the world for a real vicarious sailing experience! If you do go online to any of those sites, chances are you will find groups for dominoes, beach gathering, sundowners. These are the new meeting places!
The third point is that, yes, things change. It is also a fact of life that no new land is discovered and yet the human population, including cruisers, keeps getting larger. Technology enables cruisers to sail faster, safer and in a more mobile manner. That means more crowded anchorages and the problems they present. It will mean going farther afield for those cute little hideaways that we all dream of. The future perfect cruising sailboat may emphasize the great heat system, insulation and ice breaker capabilities to get to those hideaways you seek. Of course, they’d better have good internet coverage.
So, to the sailor, keep on dinghying around. We fly burgees of the Seven Seas Cruising Association, the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, the Ocean Cruising Club and our own Sailors Musical Jam Flag. We do this in the hope that someone will stop by and say, “Hello in there.” Sundowners will be served. We also keep our VHF on 24/7.
Regards,
Bill Woodroffe
SV Kalunamoo
May 2025
Dinghy Light Dilemma
Dear Caribbean Compass,
Call me a coward, but I don’t want to be run down coming home at night. And the Col. Regs do say I should have lights at night when operating my dink.
Between advancement in LED, solar and electronic technology there are some nice lights that meet the standards for navigation lights, self-charge, and turn on automatically at night. One popular model is meant to be bolted onto the top of an outboard. The trouble with that is — the top of the outboard is lower than the bow of the dink, and anyone in the dink blocks the light, so it can only be seen from abeam or astern.
What to do?
Here’s my solution:
I bought the light, the tri-colour model, although the all-round white would be fine for a dinghy. Then I scrounged. I found a scrap of 15-millimeter plywood and cut it into a disc to fit the light onto. Next, I took a piece of plastic conduit, drilled a hole in the center of the plywood to fit the conduit, and glued them together. I screwed my light to the top of this mast.
Then I got some clips to hold the conduit. I screwed them to the transom of my dinghy so as to be out of the way of the motor, and in line, to hold the light’s mast upright.
Since I got the tri-colour light, it needs to be aimed with the red/green LEDs forward. I cut a small notch in the bottom of the mast aligned with the middle of the white LEDs, then put a short screw into the transom where the bottom of the mast sits when in the clips. The mast bottom then slips over the screw and into the right alignment easily when I mount it.
When not in use the assembly slips out and stays inside the dink, or on the yacht for protection against going under the dinghy dock or tangling with anything.
Jock Tulloch
S/Y Unleaded
This is an ingenious solution to a very real problem, and we congratulate you. Remember, our Readers Forum is always open to stories of problems solved. We love to hear from our readers! – Elaine
March 2025
New Rules Lead to Optimism about Multihull Racing
Dear Caribbean Compass,
We have recently concluded the seventh annual Caribbean Multihull Challenge in Sint Maarten/St. Martin.
In seven years of sailing, we observed that the results were very spread out and inconsistent. Much searching was done for improvement of the rating and it appeared to be difficult. This year the Caribbean Sailing Association brains reviewed the multihull rule, which resulted in very close and varying results. These results allow us to be much more optimistic about the future of multihull sailing in the Caribbean.
There were five boats in the racing CSA class (there was also a rally cruising class). They all had experienced and talented sailors. There were four catamarans ranging from a 72-foot Gunboat to a 52-foot ORC and a 47-foot trimaran. They sailed four races in moderate and strong conditions. Three of the boats ended up with the same number of points (one was a trimaran) in the last two races and the winner had four less points. In race three, which was a five-hour race, the corrected times of the first four boats differed by 21 minutes. This is close racing!
We are sure that these results tell us that the CSA rating system has made a big forward jump, and we have to thank President Bastien Pouthier and Chief Measurer David Walworth, who regularly support this regatta.
The rest of the season will see multihulls in various racing events in the Caribbean: BVI Spring Regatta, St. Thomas International Regatta, RORC 600. We expect that their racing will also take an upward quality. The Windies Multihull Trophy will have a good result as it captures the results and makes a regional award.
This encourages us to plan for the eighth annual Caribbean Multihull Challenge, which will take place from January 28 to February 1, 2026. We see a great future in multihull racing in the Caribbean.
Robbie Ferron
Race Director
Caribbean Multihull Challenge
Look for more about CMC 2025 race results in the Regattas & Rallies section. To read about the event’s behind-the-scenes efforts, see “The Caribbean Multihull Challenge: Volunteers Make it Happen” .
January 2025
A Thanksgiving Deed for the Entire Year
Dear Compass,
My Thanksgiving good deed for the day. Probably for the year.
Heading back to my boat in my dinghy from a breakfast joint, I see this man standing straight up in his battered and old fiberglass skiff, going nowhere fast. When I got closer, I see him furiously yanking on the pull cord of a turn-of-the-century outboard engine that stubbornly refuses to fire. At first, he is too proud to accept a tow.
“No thanks, I’ll just drift to shore.”
With no wind to push him and little current to take him, where he hopes to drift to and when he expects to arrive are not at all clear.
“No, I’m not going to let you just drift.”
He throws me a line, I leash him up, and off we go.
I have been helped on and off the water by different people for different things. I was thankful for the little help I could offer this unusual character.
Be thankful for every day. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Every day is a gift.
Damian R. LaPlaca
Wrecked Fleet on Carriacou
Dear Elaine,
After Beryl, Compass has reported many views and news about what’s happened in this nice island. My wife and I were in France on our river boat during the hurricane. Our friends Freddie and Jaqui were taking care of our two ketches, Mikado of Sark (66 feet) and Lady White (57 feet), which they charter in high season.
With Beryl approaching, a lot of boats squeezed into the mangrove area to gain protection from the swell, including a large, locally owned steel boat of around 80 tons. As was widely reported, boats were subjected to massive destruction, including my two ketches, which now have broken masts, holes in the hulls, and more. The cost of the damage is tremendous, and we carried no insurance. Consequently, the Aseri Charter (http://asericharter.com) fleet will miss the high season in 2025.
Best regards,
Dominique Bouquet
Friendship from Cuba
Dear Shellese, Tad, Kelly, Elaine, Dan,
I am pleased to greet you very carefully on behalf of the Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba and on my own behalf.
For our part, we feel very happy and honored by the close relationships of friendship and collaboration that have united us with Caribbean Compass for many years and we are very grateful for the support provided in the dissemination of our information that has contributed to enriching our friendly ties with the international nautical community, especially with that of the Caribbean.
I take this opportunity to reiterate my warmest greetings and express to you the testimony of my highest esteem and distinguished consideration.
Happy holidays and prosperous and happy new year!
Commodore Escrich
Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba
September 2024
Antigua Groups Laud Whaling Moratorium Victory
Dear Compass,
On Friday, September 27, local environmental groups congratulated the government of Antigua & Barbuda for withdrawal of the “Resolution for the Implementation of a Conservation and Management Program for Whale Stocks Aimed Toward the Lifting of the Moratorium and Orderly Development of the Whaling Industry” at theIWC International Whaling Commission (IWC) biennial meeting in Lima, Peru September 22-27, 2024.
Groups had joined forces and sent a letter to the Honourable Prime Minister Gaston Browne, copied to the Honourable Minister of Tourism Charles Max Fernandez, requesting that Antigua and Barbuda withdraw a resolution presented to the International Whaling Commission, and reverse the pro-whaling position of the country within the IWC.
On the afternoon of September 26, the resolution was withdrawn by Antigua and Barbuda Whaling Commissioner Daven Joseph. “Antigua & Barbuda and a number of interested governments and NGOs met and we were not able to move the resolution forward. The intention of Antigua and Barbuda is to withdraw the resolution at this time,” said Joseph. Environmental groups were concerned over the ramifications of the resolution, including the reintroduction of commercial whaling.
Whales are essential for the health and productivity of the marine ecosystem, playing a vital role in nutrient cycling and supporting a rich diversity of marine life. Their feeding habits stimulate phytoplankton growth, the foundation of the marine food web, ensuring health and productivity in marine ecosystems.
“It is heartwarming to see something positive happen regarding the protection of the marine environment,” says Martha Watkins Gilkes of the Antigua & Barbuda Independent Tourism Promotion Corp., who spearheaded the protest. “Anything that can be done to protect the marine environment is a win-win. It has been awesome to see how many Antiguans have taken a stand against the pro-whaling stand.”
“The environmental crises have deepened with alarming issues like global warming, ocean pollution, unrelenting heat, coral reefs dying, depletion of fish stocks, species loss — environmental issues go on and on,” Gilkes says. “It is irresponsible to take any action that adds to this crisis and removal of whales from the marine environment does so.
“The marine environment is in such crisis with so many issues that any additional stress should be avoided. It is the responsibility for all nations and populations to play their part in this.”
Editor’s note: Read more at https://caribbeancompass.com/antigua-groups-laud-whaling-moratorium-victory
September 2024
Ahoy, Compass readers!
“Shelter from the Storm” (August 2024 Compass) was as generic as possible. My method of tying into mangroves applies to monohulls, catamarans and power boats of all sizes and to any island where refuge in mangroves is available and permitted. Or places with boatyards.
The article does not address stripping windage. Roller furling genoas are top of the list. Bow into the mangroves limits their exposure to the wind, which might not be enough. Your call, Captain. If you leave it up, secure it well and back up the control line that keeps it furled. I’ve seen a genoa come open in a blow — seriously dramatic stuff.
I say little about anchoring out in the bay for a storm threat other than that I’ve done it. Don Street told us long ago that there are almost no places nowadays where one has enough room to set up properly — traditionally a spider web of at least three anchors (seven in Don’s case) on fifteen to one scope in a circle around the boat. Nor would I attempt the myriad details of how to tend such an array during a serious blow, changing wind direction, and maybe other vessels blowing down on you, not to mention the fun of recovering all that ground tackle afterward. There is an alternative, two anchors in tandem on the same rode. It sounds interesting but is beyond my experience.
And I say nothing about securing to a dock, which many do with high strength, low stretch rope that will rip cleats from the deck, instead of high stretch, three-strand nylon. Weathering a storm dockside is generally a bad idea and many docks won’t let you do it.
Here’s a novelty I come across now and then. A yacht needing a piece of rope for anything from lengthening the towline on a dinghy in a following sea to tying in for a storm. “We don’t have a single piece of extra rope aboard.” Now, aboard Ambia, rope was treasure. Spare sheets and halyards, lots of small stuff for control lines and whatever and extra anchor rodes for either storm anchoring or tying in. Rope stows well and synthetic rope lasts forever (for our purposes) and holds its value — and rope is great for barter in the anchorage in case times get tough. On a sailboat, rope is better than money in the bank — it is at hand when you need it.
“Shelter from the Storm” mentions Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which wiped out almost all of the fleet in the south of Grenada and did unbelievable damage ashore.
It was a large storm and until hurricane season of 2017 it set records, including farthest south for a category 5, but it wasn’t the worst storm of its time and Beryl is proof that there will be many worse storms in the future — increasingly so. Warming sea water fuels them.
A lot of us plotted Ivan all the way across, using latitude/longitudes reported to a tenth of a degree. Sometimes the forecasters corrected the supposed center by a fraction of a degree. Comparing one report to the next sometimes gave the illusion of a change in course or speed. After the storm, some said, “Ivan was all over the place!” My plot of Ivan is amost a straight line across the North Atlantic to the south of Grenada. But, as my story says, you don’t know what the storm will do. So, find shelter.
Fair Winds, Hutch
OneManSpeaks.com
The Myth of the Mangroves
Dear Compass,
The truth is, and this is the bottom line, people believed that putting their boat in the mangroves would keep them safe. Even though they knew, with 24 hours notice, that Carriacou would be in the eye of the Category 4 hurricane called Beryl, which ultimately became a Category 5.
Some liveaboards and local fishermen in Carriacou just didn’t want to move. Carriacou is home. If they had tried to leave, some of the boats may not have made it south as far as Trinidad which was probably the only absolutely safe place to be. They may have made it as far as Grenada, and most boats in anchorages and marinas there survived unscathed. Other boat owners simply made the wrong choice and they should and could have fled days before, when Beryl was already threatening to come dangerously close.
So why did so many people, about 200, believe that leaving their boats in the mangroves would be safe?
For centuries, long before boatyards and marinas, fishermen and small boat owners have been using mangroves for protection. And usually it works. It’s best to be tied in with as many lines as possible. Most go stern-to with all the anchors as they have holding them off. It may be better to be side-on but people are wary of getting their boat scratched. Needless to say, plenty of space between boats is essential, and there is no guarantee the lines will hold if the storm reaches the strength of a Category 3 or 4 hurricane. Other than that, you should be fine.
In more modern times some take their chances ashore. In Carriacou they were strapping the boats down to concrete blocks buried in the ground with hurricane ties.
But in the event on July 1, 2024, hundreds of boats in the Carriacou boatyards were knocked down, one boat hitting the next, collapsing them like dominoes. In the mangroves things were even worse.
About 50 people were on their boats when the hurricane hit. It is amazing no one was killed. If you had been on one of the catamarans that was picked up by the hurricane and flipped into the air to land either in the water or on top of the mangroves, you probably would not have survived.
So on July 2, once Beryl had passed through, around 20 boats were sunk and another 80 or so stuck in the mangroves. Those which had managed to make their way out were damaged to various degrees.
But help is on its way, right? Wrong. While the world, and more immediately those close to Carriacou and the surrounding islands, are gathering emergency aid for those on land who’ve been devastated by the hurricane, there is no thought, no aid and no network of support for those caught in the mangroves. They have slipped though the net.
No one would pass by a ship in trouble at sea without offering help. And yet that is exactly what happened to those in trouble in the mangroves.
Weeks after the storm, boat owners and local fishermen have done their best to re-float boats with whatever they can get their hands on, barrels for flotation, ropes and buckets. Now Operation Cruisers Aid has stepped in to buy and supply crash pumps, flotation bags and epoxy. They’re also directing volunteers to add valuable support to the rescue effort.
So why did it take so long to get help? Again, a simple truth. We as a sailing community were not prepared. We, like the rest of the world, were thinking about those on land. They needed food, water, fuel and the first to reach the scene of the disaster carried these supplies and provided much needed aid.
In doing so they sailed right past the boats in the mangroves.
Today, Operation Cruisers Aid is providing support and boats are being recovered. But how many more could have been saved if help had come sooner? The extreme winds had blown most of the boats to one end of the mangroves and then, after the eye went through, to the opposite end. Boats at times were heeling to the extent they would be at a knockdown at sea. Masts were flying and winches and broken deck fittings were piercing neighboring boats as the vessels heeled and rolled, one against the other. Most of these boats were taking on water so time was critical. Once the water hit the electronics and the bilge pumps didn’t work, the boats filled with the extremely caustic mangrove water dissolving wires and anything metal.
And then there’s the looting. This started within hours of the hurricane going through. High value and useful items at first, solar panels, batteries, then winches and other boat items that could be sold. Then boat contents, personal items taken by opportunistic thieves and organized gangs, sometimes when boat owners had simply left temporarily in search of water and food.
If hurricane Beryl does nothing else, it has provided a moment for us, as cruisers, to think ahead. Of course we can provide valuable emergency aid for those on land as the result of a hurricane. But we can also help other cruisers. No one else will, and arguably with the devastation on land, no one else should.
Most of us are here by choice. And a growing number live on our boats. There are enough of us now to form a community that can provide and receive help from each other. Three weeks was too long for boats caught in the mangroves to wait for help. And never again should anyone believe, that in the face of a hurricane, the mangroves are safe.
Judy Aslett and Steve Holloway
s/v Fair Isle
Find Operation Cruisers Aid at https://operationcruisersaid.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page
Surviving Beryl on Carriacou
We received this second letter from Hutch after the hurricane hit Carriacou. Our hearts go out to this longtime contributor and valued friend of Compass in his time of loss.
July 7, 2024
Dear Compass,
Here is a taste of the story, but only a small fraction.
Summary: Most of Carriacou was utterly destroyed, including my home.
My August 2024 story in Caribbean Compass, “Shelter from the Storm,” speaks of four storms that actually caught us, only one of which was hurricane force, 60 knots. Thus, the story says, I’m no expert … or maybe getting hit so seldom makes me an expert.
I watched Beryl come across the Atlantic, way early for a Cape Verde storm. Her computer graphics showed electric blues and greens swirling into bright yellows and reds surrounding her eye. She was beautiful. But she was tracking straight for the Grenadines — where I am.
I sold Ambia and moved ashore. Aboard Ambia I would have had all the work of setting up for a serious storm that I tell of in “Shelter.” Ashore, all I have to do is clear the veranda and close the shutters and louvers … well, and provision for a couple weeks or months to survive the aftermath. One should be ready to be self-sufficient for a while after a serious hit.
The forecast was ominous. She was at 110 knots, expected to strengthen to 125 as she crossed the islands. And it appeared it would be a direct hit.
Question: Should I weather the storm in my second-story apartment or move into the more substantial house atop which my apartment sits? In my home, the only serious shelter is in the bathroom, a small block room with a concrete roof — which I deemed sufficient should it get that bad.
The storm hit us during daylight on Monday, July 1, 2024, roughly twenty years after Ivan.
Ashore and in a house, I had less sense of the wind velocity and direction. The wind was strong and building, but I was still feeling comfortable. Then the roof exploded, in an instant. I knew I had seconds, grabbed the computer and got in the bathroom. I spent several hours standing in the deepest corner of the room with occasional glances out the door as Beryl raged stronger and stronger. The walls shook ever harder until they finally fell. The eye of the storm arrived and I stepped out to have a look. Then, as the trailing wall of the eye arrived, I ducked back into my shelter for the second half. The second half was more noisy and violent than the first half.
When it was over, my entire apartment had been brought down, everything except the bathroom and the kitchen counter. Most of the wreckage of the house lay in a pile on the flooded floor with all of my stuff buried under it.
Then the storm was over, now the work begins.
July 14, 2024
I should have sent this when I finished the above. I’d intended to finish and send the next day. Then complications started setting in, including the government offering free internet … which clogged the system. More to the point, however, is an insightful comment Nephew Zach made: “And for everyone who survived, the real work is probably just beginning. Find essential goods, recover infrastructures, begin a complex process of rebuilding ….”
I hired a helper, Edwin, a friend and good worker. He dismantled the fallen walls, saving the bolts and screws, and stacked them in a pile at the edge of what is now a large deck with the bathroom and kitchen counter still standing. Then a trapline tent was rigged and I moved back in the day before yesterday. I am now living a kind of camping lifestyle that has much of the simplicity of life aboard my little yacht. It is sufficient (and pleasant) in our normal weather. We’ll see how it stands up to our next weather threat.
I have it better than many or most of my fellow islanders. And I have had a lot of help from friends. I am going to rebuild with camping and the next tropical storm in mind.
One Love, Hutch
Building Windmills
Dear Compass,
We were delighted with the article you published about our mill (“Sweet Dreams and Hard Work!” June 2024; caribbeancompass.com/sweet-dreams-and-hard-work). It was interesting to build. We received help from Pleun Hitzert, who has built an amazing full height windmill in Western Australia called The Lily Windmill (https://www.thelily.com.au). Ours by comparison is sugar-mill size! He sent us plans and dimensions and was always there for advice.
Harry & Audrey Eyre
August 2024
Sport Fishing Decried
Dear Compass,
I am enjoying the June issue, and especially the cover and tributes to the “Don” of Caribbean cruising, Don Street. Thanks for more great reading.
One nit-pick. On page six there’s a notice of a blue marlin tournament in the BVI. My issue is not with that particular event, but rather with the concept of sportfishing overall.
To me, catching any wild animal on a baited hook and then watching it frantically struggle for its life in fear, panic and pain for a protracted amount of time, only letting it go when it manages to break free or becomes exhausted, is simply animal abuse. (According to articles in sportfishing magazines including the January 2023 issue of Marlin magazine, the average marlin “fight” lasts about 45 minutes, and it takes the animal about nine hours to recover. About 14 percent do not recover.) Try to picture any other wild creature — a hawk, a fox, a puma — being subjected to the same torture just for fun. I’ve felt for a long while that it’s high time sportfishing goes the way of bullfighting.
Many Caribbean cruisers and I enjoy fishing for food — catching, reeling in, and dispatching the fish as efficiently as possible. But to many of us sportfishing is anathema, and on my watch, Compass decades ago ceased coverage of those events. I’m not aware that anyone missed it. But I’m off watch and I realize times and attitudes change regarding various activities. I’d be interested to hear what other Compass readers think on this subject now.
Thanks for listening,
Sally Erdle
Editor Emeritus, Caribbean Compass
Bequia
Sport Fishing Defended
Dear Compass,
As an avid sport fisherman, I can certainly understand that not everyone supports the sport. Catch-and-release fishing, as in tournaments or in fisheries that are working to preserve the resource, can be especially confusing. For many of us it would make more sense to catch and kill for food, as there is a direct short-term benefit to humanity in that.
The fact is that catch-and-release sportfishing provides an immense long-term benefit to the fish. For most fish populations, there is no way to collect meaningful data other than catching a sample of the fish population. How would we know if the commercial fishery for blue marlin, for instance, is catching too many thousands of blue marlin per year? How would we be able to manage the fishery without understanding how many there are in the sea, and how healthy they are? Like any science, fisheries management relies on data to guide its decision making.
For the persons involved in sportfishing, it is clear to them that their income and lifestyle are intertwined with the effective management of fish populations. It is confusing to us that other persons in the community don’t fully appreciate this. Billions of dollars are spent in the pursuit of blue marlin alone … this money supports boat builders, businesses, families and individuals around the world.
Toward the goal of supporting the accurate collection of data on pelagic billfish, the sport fishing industry created and supports an organization called the BillFish Foundation, which actively collects data on blue marlin and other billfish. The most reliable source of the data acquired are the sport fishers themselves … commercial fishers, who kill several hundred tons of billfish per year, don’t report their catch accurately. If sportfishing were discontinued, fisheries management organizations would have to hire persons to go out and catch fish to sample the population and collect the data needed.
Even if a sport fisher brings a marlin to the dock to eat, the scope of this one catch pales when compared to the impact of the commercial fishery on billfish populations. In the sportfishing industry, we understand that the visual of a blue marlin hanging from a scale in the marina is powerful, but it helps drive more interest toward the idea of conservation through participation in the BillFish Foundation and the scientific management of the resource. More importantly, if the fish is a large one, it is a clear indication that the population of blue marlin in that area of the sea is healthy and that the resource is not being over-fished. It is a celebration of effective fisheries management.
Last but not least, sportfishing is an activity that drives persons to having a closer connection with the environment, nature and God. The environment around us is a delicate balancing with Nature that is our collective responsibility. While it seems like hubris to say that we can manage nature, it is realistic to say that we can manage our relationship with nature. For this to be sustainable and truly effective, we need three things —
- An economic benefit
- Responsible and sustainable collection of data
- Stakeholders that will respond to the guidance of fisheries management
There is no question that sport fishers who participate in blue marlin tournaments here in the Caribbean, and around the world, have a deep appreciation of these principles, live by them, and are dedicated to the responsible management of a resource that helps inspire them toward a better relationship with the environment around them.
Thomas Warner, North Drop Open 2024
August 8 – 10, 2024
July 2024: Life Was Free and Easy
Dear Caribbean Compass,
My wife, Tere, and I are glad to reconnect with the Caribbean Compass from our home in New Zealand, after sailing s/v Sea Quest for decades.
Here’s an old photo of Don Street with Michael’s parents. It’s three old Virgin Islanders getting together to reminisce about tropical islands where life was free and easy in a time when everyone was young and handsome and Marina Cay was a great watering hole in the British Virgin Islands.
My parents, Jean and Allan Batham, arrived in the BVI in 1958, about the same year that Don was rebuilding Iolaire. They transformed the old deserted island of Marina Cay into a resort for the sailing clientele. For the next ten years, Jean’s cooking and Allan’s after-dinner coffee, well laced with rum, were a favorite night ashore for the owner/skippers of the early charter boats.
The decade of the ’60s was the cream of Virgin Islands sailing. When bareboat chartering arrived in about 1970, everything changed and that old haven of buccaneers, ancient and modern, was gone. And so Jean and Allan left.
Michael Batham
s/v Sea Quest
July 2024: Boatyards Beyond the Hurricane Belt
Dear Caribbean Compass,
I was surprised by the “Hauling Out” article by Lexi Fisher in the May 2024 issue (https://caribbeancompass.com/hauling-out). Eighty percent of it is great and true. In the southern Caribbean I can add at least four boatyards with excellent, cheaper service than in the north:
Curacao Marine Zone (https://curacaomarinezone.com)
Varadero Boat Yard, Aruba https://www.varaderoaruba.com/boatyard)
Boat Yard Bonaire (https://www.boatyardbonaire.com)
Marina Santa Marta, Colombia (https://www.marinasantamarta.com.co/en)
All have excellent service and are outside the hurricane belt.
Serge R.B. Dauvillier
Serge@yachtbrokercaribbean.com
Curacao
Lexi Fisher of Doyle Guides replies:
Hi Serge,
Thanks for your letter. Agreed, there are absolutely other worthwhile haulout options outside of the range detailed in the article, not only in the ABCs and Colombia, but also to the north in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. With the Leeward and Windward Islands (Anguilla to Trinidad) my area of expertise, this seemed like a natural perimeter. The geographic range could have been better defined and communicated in the article. Compass editors and I agree: Point well taken.
All the best,
Lexi Fisher
Doyle Guides
doyleguides.com
July 2024: Sails for the Caribbean
Dear Caribbean Compass,
Sails4C.org, in collaboration with the Sint Maarten Yacht Club, announces Sails for the Caribbean. If you have sails that you no longer use, we urge you to bring them to the big Caribbean regattas or send them to Miami. From Miami they will be shipped to St. Maarten.
Professional sailors: We need you! Many sailing schools in the Caribbean are challenged with limited funds and are making sailing possible for underprivileged youth. You use new sails regularly and Caribbean sailing schools can use your donated sails. The Sint Maarten Yacht Club will coordinate the collection and distribution.
To the sailing schools in the Caribbean, we need your input: Let us know what types of sails you are looking for so we can post your requests on our new website, connecting you with sailors who can help.
Donations will be mentioned on the website. We are proud to have the full support and endorsement of the Caribbean Sailing Association for this program. Additionally, our initiative aligns with the mission of Sailors for the Sea, emphasizing the reuse of materials and the positive impact this has on our environment. Together, we can support the growth of sailing in the Caribbean while also promoting sustainability.
For more information and to get involved, visit Sails4C.org.
Saskia Revelman
June 2024: Where is Sandra’s Vincy Banana Bread?
Dear Caribbean Compass,
During our 20 years as cruisers in the Caribbean, we have been avid followers of Compass and even contributors from time to time, back in Sally Erdle’s day. One of the things we looked forward to each month was the variety of recipes usually based on foods available locally. What I am looking for is one of those. And this really goes way back … right about the time of the Inebriated Christmas Cake which I have used most successfully!
My favorite is a recipe for banana bread. I believe it was titled Sandra’s Vincy Banana Bread. Sandra was from St Vincent, hence the name. For years, it has been a staple go-to recipe for me and never failed to be a hit with whoever I served it to. Unfortunately, I have lost it! For years I kept that paper cutting from the Compass, till it became rather dog-eared. Finally, as part of a massive clean-up and a move to the digital age, I scanned it to my laptop (with many others) and got rid of the paper scrap. Then my laptop had to be replaced so all the recipes were transferred to a hard drive. Somehow they have disappeared. The greatest loss was Sandra’s Vincy Banana Bread, although I also “mourn” the loss of the Inebriated Christmas Cake as well.
I have googled away without finding anything nearly as good. I have made banana bread from my now-aging memory and that isn’t as good either. I have searched in archives in Caribbean Compass. I have asked all my friends if I ever gave them the recipe but without success. And I really miss my banana bread recipe from Compass, probably from around 2007 – 2010, plus or minus a few years.
I’m not sure whether you can help. Having read my story, I am not sure if you will want to. But I hope you can see that this is probably my last resort before I have to give up on my search. I would be so very grateful if someone at Compass is able to find the recipe. Who knows? Maybe it would still be a hit if it is re-published. It is super-easy and oh so delicious!
Even after all these years, I still read the Compass, both online and in paper when I can get it. The articles mean more now that we are familiar with many of the subjects. It seems even “old dogs” — and sailors — can learn new tricks!
Love this month’s edition focusing on one of our favorite islands, Antigua. (Although, to be honest, Bequia remains one of our all-time favorite places!)
Thank you.
Best regards,
Robbie Nuttycombe
S/Y PR2
Editor’s note: Robbie, we have searched high and low and can’t find the recipe you wrote to us about. Readers, can you help? If so, please send the recipe for Sandra’s Vincy Banana Bread to elaine@caribbeancompass.com.
June 2024: SailClear Fees
Dear Caribbean Compass,
I’m writing about the new way of nickel-and-diming cruisers. Now that SailClear has every CARICOM island demanding that cruisers use SailClear to clear in and out, it has instituted a US$25/year fee, which started in May 2024.
In fairness, I have no way of knowing if the island governments are paying SailClear.
To add to my dissatisfaction, I’ve done the SailClear clear in or clear out notification a number of times this year, only to present myself to the authorities with my SailClear notification number and be told, “You’ll have to fill in the paper form because our computers are down.”
Jock Tulloch
S/Y Unleaded
Editor’s note: The permanent secretary of the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council (CCLEC), which has oversight for SailClear, responds:
The decision to implement an annual user fee for SailClear was borne out of the need for having the means to maintain and further develop the capacity to serve the needs of users including yachts owners, operators and port officials. SailClear has was developed through donor support which is no longer available. The relative low annual fee is not an attempt to nickel and dime. In fact, we have resisted suggestions to increase this fee based on the many benefits it provides to users. We also intend to expand the system to some of the islands which do not currently utilize it and maintains the manual systems for various reasons.
It is our hope that all islands will eventually graduate to the online system so that the full benefits may be realized in a shorter time frame. I wish to thank Compass editor Elaine Lembo for the comments and to assure her that this fee is developmental in nature and we see it as your contribution toward improving the system to make it better for all concerned.
Claude A. Paul
Permanent Secretary
Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council
Bridge Street Castries
P.O. Box 1030 Saint Lucia
www.cclec.org; support@cclec.org, secretariat@cclec.org
April 2024: Wrong is Right
Dear Caribbean Compass,
“Going the ‘Wrong Way’ the Right Way” (https://caribbeancompass.com/sailing-from-cartagena-colombia-to-curacao) by Michael C. Wade in the April 2024 issue of Caribbean Compass is right on!
I have had for many years the NOAA weather charts over the Atlantic and also the separate weather charts for the Caribbean from the islands all the way west to Panama. Look at the areas that note where eight-foot waves are. Those areas show up practically every month of the year. Waves periodically get in sync so that waves double the height of eight feet, or 16 feet, must be expected!
One must realize that proceeding east along the Colombian coast to the ABC islands is a very rough trip unless you are lucky or skillful. Anyone attempting this trip should not do so unless they have tied up with a weather router or have someone in the crew who is very good at pulling weather information out of the Internet and can read the GRIB files.
Do not make a schedule. You can sit and wait in Cartagena or Marina Santa Marta in Magdalena.
Regards,
Donald M. Street Jr.