Введите условия поиска Отправить форму поиска на сайте все яхты Web

Grenada at a glance

Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique are one countrywith ports of clearance in Hillsborough, St. George's, Prickly Bay, and St.David's Harbour. Customs cruising permits are $50 EC up to 50 feet; $75 EC 50-60feet; $100 EC 60-79 feet; and $ 150 over 80 feet. In addition are port chargesof $8.10 EC per person except the skipper. Less-expensive yearly fees areavailable to Grenada-based charter boats.

Bring your own crew lists, or pay a small fee for theirphotocopied ones. Normal office hours for customs are 0800-1145, 1300-1545 onweekdays. At other times you will be charged overtime fees that always seemhigher in Grenada than in Carriacou. If you have any questions about yachting,including security, contact Nikoyen in tourism: (473) 440-2001, or Laura fromMAYAG: (473) 443-1667.

Spearfishing is not allowed to visitors in Grenada waters.You are welcome to scuba dive.

Collecting or damaging coral and buying lobster out of seasonare strictly forbidden. (Lobstering season is 31 October to 31 April.)

Those wanting to take dogs ashore will need a valid rabiescertificate.

January 1, New Year's Day February 7, Independence Day Easter Friday throughMonday, (March 25-28, 2005, April 14-17, 2006)

May 1, Labor Day Whit Monday (May 16, 2005 & June 5,

2006) Corpus Christi (May 26,2005 & June 15, 2006)

Emancipation Day, August 1, 2005, August 7, 2006

Carnival, August 8 & 9, 2005, August 14 &15, 2006

Grenada, a spectacularly beautiful island, has lush greenmountains, crystal waterfalls, golden beaches, and the fragrant spice trees thatgive the island its epithet "Isle of Spice." Come from late January toearly March to get the added bonus of seeing the hills ablaze with hundreds ofbright-orange, flowering immortelle trees: pure magic.

Grenada's history has been lively, with early wars andrevolutions. More recently, things got exciting with the transition to fullindependence in 1974. Most Grenad-ians felt this was premature, and instead ofjubilant celebrations, the island was on strike and in protest. Nonetheless,independence was thrust upon her, and Grenada came of age under the rule of SirEric Gairy, a flamboyant and controversial figure who had a very divisive effecton the population, resulting in the 1979 left-wing coup by Maurice Bishop, whogreatly admired Fidel Castro. Bishop attempted to turn Grenada into a socialiststate, improving medical care and education, but he did so at the cost of freedom: anyonewho opposed him was thrown in jail, and all independent newspapers were banned.

However, this didn't insulate him from opposition within hisown ranks. Second in command, Bernard Coard, his wife Phyllis Coard, and membersof the army took Bishop prisoner. After a massive crowd freed him, an army groupexecuted him along with half his cabinet. At this point (1983), the US, alongwith Grenada's eastern Caribbean neighbors (the Organization of EasternCaribbean States), launched a "rescue mission" and were welcomed withopen arms. Now, 20 years later, this is old history, and looking back over thelast 20 years, Grenada, as an independent county, has experienced the best, mostdemocratic, and most productive age since it was colonized. Grenadians are awarm and hospitable people, exceptionally so once you get off the main touristroute.

From a yachting point of view, Grenada is developing rapidly,with new haul-out facilities in St. David's and Prickly Bay. Marina facilitiescan be found in St. George's, Clarkes Court Bay, Prickly Bay, and Mt. HartmanBay. Two big chandleries now supply yachting gear, and legislation has beenpassed that encourages yachting by allowing for low-duty supplies, parts, andchandlery for yachts.

Grenada is host to a few important yachting events as well assmaller club races. The Grenada Sailing Festival, a week of racing and socialevents organized by an independent company, is held in January. All entrants are welcome,from serious racing boats to live-aboards. The festival is lively andentertaining, with colorful local boats racing off Grand Anse Beach.

The Grenada Easter series is based in Prickly Bay and startswith the Girl Pat trophy, for Trinidad boats who want to race over. Fridaybrings a south-coast race, and Saturday is the famous Round Grenada Race. Sundayincludes a short race and prize-giving. The big party (for those who can stay)is Monday. Multihulls are always welcome in these events.

The Grenada Yacht Club organizes informal races year-roundand a summer regatta, and St. David's Harbour hosts the action for theShipwrights and Friends Wooden Boat Regatta first weekend in November.

Grenada has a strong marine trades association called MAYAG (www.mayag.org).

Few islands are as photogenic as Grenada, with little housessurrounded by flowers, mountain rivers, and rainforest. Sometimes when you arehiking along a river amid nutmeg trees, it has an uncanny resemblance to earlypictures of the Garden of Eden. A swim in one of the waterfalls will leave youfeeling wonderfully refreshed, your hair and skin seemingly extra soft. ConcordFalls are in beautiful countryside, and anyone with a spark of adventure shouldhike the extra half-hour to the upper falls. Seven Falls are the best, mostsecluded, and difficult to get to (a one-hour muddy hike), and you need a guide.Concord and Seven Falls are on private land, and the owners levy a small charge.

The most spectacular road in Grenada is the road that runsfrom Gouyave over to St. Andrew. It splits in two at Rose Mount ~ the Belvedereroad is better maintained, but when open, the Clozier road is prettier. Both runright across the middle of Grenada through verdant agricultural land withspectacular mountain views.

Grand Etang is a crater lake, and the Forest Center is closeby. Trails are laid out so you can wander into the forest. There are wonderful hikes, including one halfway across the island(four hours). The road from St. George's to Grand Etang goes through some lovelyforest, and along this road is Amber Kaila Spice Place, a little shop and snackbar owned by Raleigh Montbram, one of the few Grenadians left who still speaksPatois as well as English. He buys spices and other products, like cocoa andvanilla, and makes essences, extracts, and powders. A good place to stock upyour galley ~ he does demonstrations and offers recipes.

Grenada has its own organic chocolate factory run by Mott,who is also a yachting enthusiast. They make a high-octane bar that is 71percent cocoa. Melt it slowly in your mouth for an intensely rich, creamy,chocolate flavor unlike any other commercial brand. Better still, come and seehow chocolate is made from the plant to package. Start at the Belmont Estate, atypical and very picturesque country farm where the cocoa beans grow. Take thetour ($5 US) and watch how cocoa is extracted from the big fruits using the sunand a people-powered dance shuffle. Follow with a visit to the Grenada ChocolateFactory, just 15 minutes away in Hermitage. Here, they use handmade andvintage machinery, all solar-powered. Some beans are squeezed into cocoa butterand some are blended in a smooth, rich cocoa mixture. These two ingedients arecombined with sugar to become your perfect chocolate bar. When you see it allhappen, you will have a new appreciation for this great food.

In my youth I used to keep an eye on a coconut plantation fora friend. To get there I passed the River Antoine Rum factory, where they made astrong white rum called Rivers. I immediately fell in love with this place ~ itstill runs much as it has since the mid-1800s using a giant water wheel to crushthe cane, the dry stalks to heat up the juice, and large wooden scoops tomanually move the hot juice from one big cast-iron bowl to the next as it getshotter (they call these bowls "coppers," as the original ones weremade of copper). To my delight they have now opened this estate to visitors andoffer tours for the very reasonable price of $5 EC, which gets you a fullexplanation and a taste of the rum. However, go when it is all running, and, asthis is not every day, call in advance to find out (442-7109 or 442-4537). The location fitsin well with visiting Belmont Estate and the chocolate factory.

There are several places for a great country meal. Helvellyn[$C] has a gorgeous location at the northern tip of the island, close bySauteurs, perched on a cliff overlooking the Grenadines to the north. Hang outand enjoy the picturesque garden, or follow the tortuous path down to a lovelysecluded beach below. It is run by Karen from Grenada and Bhad from the MiddleEast, a young and enthusiastic couple. They serve an excellent West Indian lunch,and the bar stays open till sunset. They do a Sunday brunch that is popular withlocals. (You need to book in advance, and avoid cruise-ship days!)

A few miles away, on the other side of Sauteurs, Kate fromCanada and Uwe from Germany have opened up an attractive small restaurant with afew overnight cottages called Almost Paradise (closed Mondays). It is all builtof wood, and the restaurant is perched on the top of a ridge with a spectacularview north over the Grenadines. Come in time for the pleasant walk down to thebeach and back. Kate makes the bread, Uwe cooks the food ~ it is all local andfresh, and the recipes are European with fish or local chicken, garden salad, and home-made bread.

Rose Mount [$C-D], on the Belvedere road, is a working estate~ nothing fancy but good local food at excellent prices and a warm welcome fromowners Jane and Llewelyn Duncan. Fresh juice is available but not alcohol. Youcan buy cut flowers and spices here at an excellent price.

For hiking, Henry of Henry's Safari Tours [VHP: 68] is thebest man to contact. (Note, call sign: Henry Safari Tours ~ if you abbreviate itto Henry Taxi, you are likely to get Henry B, who is also OK as a regular taxi.)Henry Safari specializes in hikes and knows the trails well, including SevenFalls. He also does turtle-watching tours from May to August. Most other taxidrivers are reluctant to get their feet muddy, but there are a few exceptions,including Selwyn Taxi and Trevor at Funseeker Tours, both of whom are excellenthikers and will keep you happy (see also our section on Prickly Bay).

If you prefer the adventure and economy of a great hikingguide who gets everywhere by local bus (this makes for easy one-way hikes across mountains), contact Telfour Bedeau(442-6200). He knows hikes all over Grenada. This works best when you areanchored near a bus route.

In reading about Grenada, keep in mind that Prickly Bay,Grand Anse, True Blue and St. George's are all within an easy taxi ride, sowherever you anchor, read about all three.

There is a major light on Point Saline, visible for 18 milesboth to the north and south, flashing (2+1) every 20 seconds. There is alower-elevation (6+1) flashing light on Glover Island, and another at thewestern end of the airport runway. The lights have not always proved reliable.

Grenada uses the IALA B (red right returning) rule. Unlessyou draw more than 10 feet, you will not have to pay attention to the twobig-ship channel buoys outside St. George's or use the leading marks.

The west coast of Grenada is steep-to; a quarter of a mileoffshore clears all dangers except Long Point Shoal.

Some people like to sail down Grenada's east coast. It can berough, but trolling for fish is usually rewarded. It is only advisable insettled weather. Stay well off Grenada's east coast. Pass close inside BirdIsland, but outside all other islands. Keep well away from the Porpoises as youcome along the south coast. They can be difficult to see, especially in theafternoon, with the sun in your eyes. Much of the coast lacks landmarks, but youcan clearly see Grenada Marine in St. David's Harbour, and look out for thedevelopment at Westerhall. Prickly Point has a distinctive saddle shape, and aconspicuous house that looks like a lighthouse.

Grenada's west coast has several anchorages useful as a laststop for northbound yachts. They are all susceptible to northerly swells.Halifax and Grand Mai are acceptable in most conditions; Dragon Bay and HappyHill will get very uncomfortable in moderate swells and can be dangerous inlarge ones.

Halifax Harbour is a quiet spot enclosed by hills. It is asmall bay without a village and easily missed unless you follow closely alongthe coast. A few landmarks help. Dragon Bay is about two miles up the coast fromSt. George's, and Halifax Harbour is about two miles beyond that. Between them,but much closer to Dragon Bay, is a tall red-and-white striped aerial, andcloser to Halifax is a village. A white house stands on the hill to the north,overlooking the harbor. You have to tuck well in, as the water in the middle isvery deep. High-tension cables have been strung across both parts of the bay. On the southern side, the lowest wire is about 10feet below the others. My best estimate is that the lowest wire is over 60 feetabove sea level. On the northern side, avoid anchoring too close the low end ofthe cables.

Halifax was a really lovely bay, unfortunately spoiled inrecent years by its use as a dump for abandoned wrecks and by a nearby refusedepot that attracts flies and emits bad smells. However, if you arrive an houror so before sunset, the flies will have already gone to bed on someone else'sboat. Note the spectacular large silk-cotton tree at the water's edge in thesouthern bay.

Happy Hill, just north of Dragon Bay, is more open but can bevery peaceful. There is a narrow beach backed by a hill, and on the hill isanother large old silk cotton tree. Avoid the southern part of the bay, which isstrewn with coral heads, and anchor in the middle or closer to the northernheadland. If jacks are running, the fishermen may ask you to clear out at thecrack of dawn, which will give you a good early start for Carriacou. There isgood snorkeling on both sides of the bay around the rocks.

Dragon Bay is a delightful anchorage with a palm-lined beach,but too small to allow more than two or three boats. Avoid anchoring in thesouth part of the bay as it is full of coral heads, which make for goodsnorkeling. You can find a good sand bottom for anchoring in the middle of thebay.

Both the snorkeling and the diving are first rate aroundMoliniere Point just south of Dragon Bay. Do not be tempted to anchor your yachtoff Moliniere Point as you will damage the coral. If you dinghy round, you cananchor your dinghy in the odd patch of sand in shallow water.

Grand Mai is a well-protected anchorage most of the time. Thewater is usually clean and the long beach attractive. There are gas-storagetanks in Grand Mai and two buoys offshore that are used for unloading tankers. Pipes run out from the small dock to the buoys, soavoid anchoring in this area. Anchor just north of these buoys, between them andthe headland, or south of them, just outside the fishing fleet.

The Sunset View [$D] was created by Horatio Brizan, who alsoowns the Tropic-ana in town. It hangs out over the water, and you can dine infresh air, open to the sea and the anchorage. Horatio grows much of his produceand raises much of his meat, so you can be sure it is fresh. The cooking islocal and good, seafood is always available, and the prices are reasonable.There is live entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays and inexpensive rooms witha sea view. You can tie to their dinghy dock with an anchor to keep your dinghyclear. They can also supply water from this dock; you have to edge your boat asclose as its draft will allow and tie bow onto the dock, then hope the hose islong enough. Moorings are planned.

St. George's is built on a ridge, with the sea on one sideand the protected Carenage on the other. The houses mingle with shrubs and trees,giving splashes of bright color against a background of dark green. From afar,it is as neat and pretty as a picture-book illustration. The old brick buildingsare capped with antique "fish scale" tile roofs, a reminder of longago when the profitable journeys were outward bound, laden with rum, spices, andfruit, and returning sailing ships would arrive "in ballast" of bricks and tiles.

When approaching from the north, the harbor entrance remainshidden until you reach it. On your left, as you enter, you will see Fort George.This fort spent a few socialist years as "Fort Rupert," in memory ofPrime Minister Bishop's father. When Bishop was imprisoned by members of his ownparty and later freed by thousands of his followers, they came here in aeuphoric mood. The army sent in armored cars, shot some civilians (several morehurt them-selves jumping off the walls of the fort), anu executed Prime MinisterBishop and half the cabinet. The ruins you see on your right-hand side are thoseof a building that started life as a hotel and was used by the socialistgovernment as a main office building, Butler House. The damage is due not somuch to the American assault forces as to a desperate attempt by the communiststo destroy documents. Although the damage looks impressive, over 3 tons of paperwere recovered. Straight ahead on the hills above the lagoon, you can see FortFrederick, from which the attack on Bishop was launched, and the prison wherethe culprits, including the Bernard Coard, now sit.

A large cruise-ship dock has been built and considerable landreclaimed off the Esplanade. We show this in our sketch charts ~ older chartswill not show it.

The main anchorage is in the lagoon between Grenada YachtServices (GYS) and the Grenada Yacht Club. When entering the harbor, headstraight for the northern half of the big ship dock, then follow it south intothe lagoon. The channel runs parallel with the main dock into the lagoon, then swings east. Leave the red buoys to starboard tillyou get to the red-and-green preferred-channel marker. The deepest water is tobe found if you leave this to port, though you can go either side. The two innerred buoys off the dock are confusing. Just stay outside them; they mark a shoalthat forms off a drain between the new dock and the yacht club. The channel wasdredged to 30 feet (off the main dock) and 18 feet (as you turn east). Thelagoon is about 15 to 20 feet deep, but there may be spots as shallow as 12 feet.

For those who prefer the more open bay, there is an anchoringarea south of the main ship channel, between the channel and Ross Point.

The harbormaster has been discouraging anchoring or tying upin the Carenage. However, if you wish to do so, call the Grenada Port Authorityon VHP: 16. No town in the Windwards is completely free of theft, and St.George's is no exception. Always lock up the boat and dinghy. Every few years,St. George's has outbreaks of petty boat theft that go beyond the normal. Youcan find out the current situation by calling Nikoyen at the tourist departmentat 440-2001 or Laura at MAYAG (443-1667).

The customs office is located in the Yacht Club complex. Theyopen weekdays 0800-1200,1300-1600 and Saturdays 0800-1200. Superyachts wantingcustoms clearance arranged can use one of the agents, including Outfitters andHenry's Safari Tours.

Weather and local information is available on a cruiser's netthat operates weekdays at 0730 on VHP: 68.

Grenada Yacht Club has an internet cafe, phone, and fax. Onthe Carenage, Javakil Internet Cafe and the Carenage Cafe offer internet access.Over the hill on Gore Street, Computer Visioneers has a big bank of computers,high-speed access, extremely cheap internet rates, and net-to-phone calls for $1EC a minute. Owner Elton also sells computers and accessories. The post officealso offers internet.

The Grenada Yacht Club [VHF: 6/16 "GYC"], managedby Marylin, includes a modern manna with berthing for about 43 boats and a fueldock that offers both diesel and gas. You can buy this duty-free when you havecleared out. The docks have electricity (110/220 volt, 50 cycle) and water, andthe rates are reasonable. 24-hour security makes it the safest place to leaveyour yacht in the lagoon. The Yacht Club is informal. You can send a fax or getyour mail during office hours, 0800-1700 (address mail to Grenada Yacht Club,P.O. Box 117, St. George's, Grenada), or use their bank of internet computers.Courtesy flags and t-shirts are for sale in the office, and you can swap yourold books. Showers, laundry, and garbage disposal are available. The gas companypicks up empty and drops off filled bottles on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Customsis here, and taxis and other services can be arranged. The Yacht Club bar opensat 0900 and stays open till 2200. The restaurant, which is good, is run byTropicana. The Yacht Club also runs a sailing school program.

Grenada Yacht Services (GYS) [VHP: 16] is dreadfullydilapidated and a disgrace to Grenada.

Flying Fish Ventures is owned by Bob Goodchild, who trainedas a boatbuilder in the UK and is now a Marine Surveyor and a member of theSociety of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS).

Bob is knowledgeable about both Grenada and the marineindustry, which he puts to good use as a marine consultant willing to helpanyone who is interested in starting a business. Bob also has a commercialyachtmaster license and is happy to deliver yachts.

Henry's Safari Tours [VHP: 68] is a superyacht agent and healso works well with cruisers. He understands each have different needs andbudgets, which has given him an excellent reputation with everyone.

For superyachts, Henry does everything from clearing customs(both for yachts and their stores) to arranging dock space and full provisioning,along with finding technicians and making shoreside arrangements. For everyonehe offers a collect-and-deliver laundry service from any of Grenada's mainanchorages, express service if you need it. Henry passes on dinner reservationsat no charge, collects garbage, finds cut flowers, and organizes anything youmight need. He is one of those rather magical people who can accomplish almostanything and do it on time. He loves his job, and it shows. Having worked withyachts for some 18 years, he knows just about anything a yachtsperson may wantand learns a few extra tricks each year as new things come along, whether it ishelp with getting a bank draft through or finding a golf partner.

Outfitters International [VHP: 16] has an office and dinghydock on the opposite side of the lagoon from GYS. (Look for the bright greenawning of their charter catamaran, "Timshell.") Outfitters is owned byAlston, from Grenada, and his wife Margaret from Ireland. Alston isknowledgeable about yachts as he has been involved in owning and chartering themsince he was a kid. Outfitters is not only a good and efficient superyacht agentbut also a chandlery (see Chandlery) and repair facility (see Technicalyacht services). As superyacht agents, they arrange customs clearance forlarge yachts, take care of their docking, fuel bunkering, and technical needs,as well as anything they want shoreside or for travel. They also do fullprovisioning. Margaret and Alston also work with cruisers, arranging laundry,rental cars, absentee yacht management, and filling gas bottles. Should you wantto buy or sell a boat, Outfitters is a broker, and they also run charter yachts.You call use them as a mail drop (c/o Outfitters International, Box 581, LagoonRoad, St. George's, Grenada, W.I.)-

Island Water World has a big department of their huge andvery successful Caribban marine store in Grenada. It is on the lagoon road nextto Ace Hardware. They offer duty-free prices and have an excellent range ofstock including batteries, yacht hard ware, winches, electronics (good prices onGPS and chart plotters), out-boards, fishing gear, ground tackle, stoves, charts,and cruising guides. If there is anything you need they do not have, you canlook at their large catalogue, and they can bring it in quickly.

Outfitters International Priority Parts Service [VHF: 16] iswell known throughout the Caribbean. They will find whatever part or piece ofequipment you need and deliver it to your yacht duty-free and hassle-free. Theprice you pay depends on how quickly you need the part and what it is. A smallrange of chandlery items is kept in stock.

Ace Hardware and a NAPA agent are next to Island Water World.They have a wide range of car parts as well as tools, sealants, glues,and a small marinehardware selection that includes chain and stainless shackles. This is the placefor wooden dowels. Their stationary store next door (Bryden and Minors) may wellhave ink for your computer printer. They also sell computers and printers.

For the biggest and best selection of fishing gear, visitMarine World, on Melville Street, which caters to Grenada's fishing fleet (theyare opposite the fish market). Marine World also stocks snorkeling gear andcharts as well as safety gear and some hardware.

Outfitters International [VHF: 16] has a good service teamand can deal with all mechanical, electrical, electronic, and refrigerationproblems, whether it be supplying and installing new equipment or fixing theold. They are agents for Cruisair, Marine Air, Westebeke,Kholer, and Echotec watermakers as well as Weems and Plath, and Simradelectronics. You can visit them in St. George's or arrange for them to come to you at themarina of your choice. They give free estimates.

Is your cooking stove acting up? David Benoit is one of thefew stove specialists in the Windwards, so this is a good place to get yourstove overhauled. His workshop is in Springs, but you don't have to go there.Just give him a call, and he will come to your boat. He guarantees a 24-hourturnaround. If necessary he will collect your stove, repair it, and deliver itback. David keeps a good supply of spares, and he will service yachts in any ofthe major yacht anchorages.

Basil St. John at Lagoon Marine Refrigeration Services is afirst-class refrigeration repairman. You can call him up, and he will pay a boatvisit either in St. George's or in Prickly Bay.

Albert Lucas runs an excellent machine shop and is usuallythere every day, including Sunday. He will often do small jobs while you wait.Finding him is more of a problem, as he has no sign. At the Tropicana roundabout,turn away from the sea. At the main road, turn left, and you will see a roundabout in front ofyou. Turn right up the hill at the roundabout. Eventually you will come to theBlue Danube bakery/supermarket, easily seen, as lots of cars park outside.Albert is on the right-hand side of the road on the corner, just before youreach the Blue Danube. You will see steps going up forever, but you only have totake a few to reach Lucas and his workshop on the left.

You will need a taxi to find Tech Metal Works in Tempe.Theron Herbert is a good welder ~ be it aluminum, stainless, cast iron or bronze.He does Arc, Tig, Mig, or gas-plasma welding. Theron can also fabricate metalinto any shape, bend tubes, and arrange any metal repair or construction work.

Ross's workshop is close by GYS, behind huge mounds ofrusting scrap. Their traditional business is wrought iron work, but they willhave a go at welding anything.

Water taxis used to be readily available in town, but thesedays they generally only show up when the cruise ships are in. If you find one,you can negotiate a fee to your yacht. There are plenty of hopeful laborers looking for a job, but it is best to get a localrecommendation.

Mike Forshaw and Alan Hooper are marine surveyors, contactthem through Prickly Bay Marina.

You can take your dinghy from the lagoon over to town. If youtake this guide with you, our town map will help. Tie up opposite Young Street.An alternative is to walk to town from the Yacht Club and return by water taxi,or if there are none, by regular taxi.

St. George's is a busy place with plenty of traffic,including large, colorful buses laden with people and goods, smaller mini buseswith loud music, cars, and trucks weighed down with building materials.Sometimes it seems like they are all honking at once. People will shout "Taxi!"at you, and vendors may offer fruits from baskets.

Most shops open from 0800 to 1200 and then from 1300 to 1600,on weekdays. Banks are open only till 1500, except Friday, when they open to1700. The post office is open over lunch but closed all day Saturday. Most shopsare closed Saturday afternoon and everything is closed on Sunday. The lovely oldfinancial complex, which used to house the post office, is now restored,creating some of the fanciest government offices in the Windwards. The libraryis open to the public and interesting to visit.

St. George's is a first-rate place to provision, withcomfortable, air-conditioned supermarkets. The newest is Foodland, in the lagoon.It has its own dinghy dock and is often open quite late at night. Foodland hasan excellent selection of regular items and a pleasing delicatessen section. Itoffers a five percent discount to charter yachts.

In town, Food Fair is conveniently close to the water, andyou can tie up nearby. They too have a good range of products. They are openweekdays till 1730 except Friday, when they are open till 2045. On Saturdaysthey close at 2000. They, too, offer a five percent discount to charter yachts.

Those wishing to buy wine or liquor should visit the BestLittle Liquor Store in Town [VHP: 16 "Rhum Runner Base"]. You can tieyour dinghy close to the shop. Their selection includes over 125 different wines.If you are buying by the case, duty-free prices are available. It is best toallow 48 hours for processing. On large orders, delivery to Prickly Bay is apossibility. You can also buy block and cube ice here, send your DHL packets,and organize money through Western Union. They offer land and water tours andhave an agricultural section where you can find useful hoses and hoseconnections.

Visit the local market, preferably on a Saturday morning. Itis a riot of color where determined ladies under big umbrellas sit amid hugeheaps of vegetables. It is one of the most exotic markets in the islands, andyou can get fresh produce, spices, and handicrafts. If you feel peckish, try afreshly cooked fish cake. The Marketing Board, on Young Street (opposite Tikal),has some of the best prices on fresh produce, although the range islimited.

The fish market is good, and you can usually get a goodselection of fresh local fish. On the Carenage, the fishing cooperative usuallyhas a variety of frozen local fish.

When cruise ships visit, the craft stalls by the cruise-shipdocks come alive ~ all 20 of them selling apparently identical souvenirs. Manytourist shops now line the Carenage; many are local, and Ganzee has the largestvariety of t-shirts. There is also a branch of the big, international ColombianEmeralds.

There is a trio of shops close together on Young Street thatyou should not miss. Jeanne Fisher's Tikal, on Young Street, is the Rolls Royceof the boutiques. It was also the very first Grenadian gift shop and was openedby Jeanne in 1959. It is stacked with quality arts and crafts and beautifulfabrics. You will find paintings, maps, hammocks, ornaments, casual shirts,nautical charts, books and more.

Across the road is Art Fabric. (It is a little hidden in analley and up some stairs, but look for their sign outside.) The shop is a riotof colorful batik fabrics, clothing and household items. A demonstration tableis set up so you can see how it is all done. They also plan a new shop at streetlevel.

Above Art Fabric is Jim Rudin's Art Gallery. Jim is a lovelyman who has worked with the arts in Grenada most of his life. He always has ondisplay a big range of paintings and prints by artists who are local or have alocal connection. Here you will find Grenada's best collection of art at allprices.

If you are into jewelry, make the effort to visit Lisa's. Thebig store is on the Esplanade side of town, but they also have stores inSpiceland Mall and on the road behind Cable and Wireless. They do gold andsilver jewelry using the themes and images taken from the Kalinargo, the localsin residence some 2000 years before Columbus arrived. The jewelry is unusual andattractive and, at least in the large store, they have a large collection ofpre-Colombian pottery, so you can get a feel for where the art o-iginated.

Just up the hill from GYS is a handsome traditional house surrounded byflowers; here you will find the Arawak Islands packing plant and shop. They makesoaps, perfumes and herbal teas, and as you walk in the door, you are greetedwith a pleasant spicy smell. You can walk round the plant, and there are plentyof good gift ideas, including nutmeg kits and gift packages of local productssuch as hot sauces and rums.

Some things are not where you expect them. If you cannot findthe watch battery you need, try the Anglo-American Funeral Parlor. It seems alittle strange to wander in among the coffins and people lying in state, but youwill get your batteries.

St. George's is best explored when you have plenty of time and nothing you have to do. There arewonderful views wherever you go; the more panoramic are around the fort and bythe cemetery (go up Church Street and keep going). There are plenty of steps andnarrow alleys to explore, and the museum is well worth a visit for the $1 USentrance fee. If the heat gets to you, pull up for a cold drink.

For those at anchor, Horatio Brizan's Tropicana [$C-D], onthe lagoon, is Grenada's best inexpensive restaurant, cheap enough to eat at anytime cooking seems too much of a chore. The food is Chinese and local with goodrotis, fish, and Iambi dishes. You can tie your dinghy on their dinghy dock,opposite the restaurant. It is excellent value for lunch or dinner, with aseparate and speedy takeout section. If you need a night ashore, they have clean,modern, and inexpensive rooms upstairs. They also run the Yacht Club restaurant,another good place to eat ashore in a friendly, clubby atmosphere.

In town, The Nutmeg [$C-D] is inexpensive, with a bird's-eyeview from their perch above Food Fair. They serve first-rate local food. It is agood place to stop for a snack or drink while shopping, and it is very popularat lunch. Return for dinner when you can see St. George's lit up at night, andtake a leisurely meal when it is quiet.

Rudolfs [$B-D] is an excellent pub-style restaurant with acozy atmosphere and draft beer. They serve delectable seafood and steaks andoffer a large range of tasty snacks. It is popular among the local business community forlunch, and as a dinner restaurant, it is wonderful value and usually uncrowdcd.Rudolfs was a waterside Carenage restaurant, but when the building burnt down,they moved to Cinnamon Hill in Grande Anse. They are looking to relocate in St.George's soon.

Tout Bagay [$B-D], run by Dennis Ross, is upstairsoverlooking the Carenage. It has a pleasing atmosphere, with varnished wood andlots of windows. Don't come in a rush. They serve very nice food; Grenadian,Italian and Mexican. Lunches are inexpensive and dinners moderately-priced .They usually have wonderful local juices.

At the Carenage Cafe [$B-D], you can sit outside and watchlife go by while you drink fresh-squeezed fruit juice, a sophisticated cocktail,or excellent espresso or cappuccino coffee. Pizzas, pastries, pasta, sandwiches,and sorbets will take care of most appetites. They make their own bread and youcan buy a loaf to take with you. A couple of computers are set up for email.

On the Esplanade side of town, adventurous eaters should tryto find Ye Olde Farmhouse Kitchen [$D], behind Lisa's, where you can eat ahearty local lunch. On the same side of town, Deyna's Tasty Food [$D] is a localrestaurant offering great local food at very reasonable prices, and they openseven days a week.

A couple of real local places you can check out in the Lagoonare Patrick's, for local food, and the Horny Baboon, for nightlife.

GRAND ANSE

Grand Anse is what most people have in mind when they thinkabout the Caribbean: a generous, 2-mile sweep of white-gold sand backed by shadypalms and almond trees. Although it forms the center of the Grenada hotelindustry, there are strict protection laws, and no hotel can be higher than thetallest coconut tree.

Anchoring is currently forbidden at Grand Anse, though youcan anchor just south of St. George's and dinghy down. The easiest place to dragyour dinghy up is the beach by the Coconut Beach French Restaurant. Grand Ansecontains a wealth of shops and restaurants and is easily visited by busor taxi from St. George's or Prickly Bay.

When you get behind the beach and onto the main road, GrandAnse has a big shopping strip with malls from the Food Fair Mall down to ExcelMall. Cars and buses hurtle down the road with little. thought forpedestrians. Luckily there is pavement or verge for the most part. However, takecare, especially when crossing the road.

The two main supermarkets are Food Fair, in the ShoppingCenter, and Real Value, in the Spiceland Mall. Food Fair is an excellentsupermarket with a big range of products, including fruits and vegetables that are mainlylocal and refreshed rapidly. Charter yachts are offered a five percent discount.

Real Value buys food in container loads. If you get therejust after a container has arrived, you will get the widest choice of overseasproduce and an excellent deli sec-tion. The aisles are wide, and everything isattractively displayed in a spacious setting.

Spiceland Mall also includes The Wine Shoppe, a retail outletfor wholesalers North South Trading in L'Anse aux Epines. They open 1000-1900,Monday to Saturday.

Just down the road, the handsome new Grenada Bank of Commercewill happily change money or give you cash from your Visa or MasterCard. Closeby, Gittens Drugmart is a full pharmacy, with everything from prescriptions tonewspapers. A travel agent is in the same block as is D Greengrocer & D RotiShop. Here you will find the best collection of fresh fruit and vegetables inthe area. It is also a great place for a cup of coffee or lunchtime roti. Theyalso rent scooters.

The Marketing Board has a shop called Value Garden in theExcel Mall. This offers a good selection of local products and produce at thebest prices.

La Boulangerie (Marquis Mall) is a great bakery, withcroissants, baguettes, pain au chocolat, Italian ice cream, and more. Stock upfor your next charter, or just drop by for a lunchtime pizza or sandwich and thebest cup of coffee in Grenada.

There is also a True Value wholesale store on the road toPrickly Bay, just before the roundabout.

When you land your dinghy, check out the local craft marketjust behind the beach.

Food Fair is part of a pleasant shopping center where you will also find Imagine, a terrific handicraft store with batiks, wood craft, hand-painted t-shirts, Spice Island cosmetics, books, and much more. Other shops include Hubbard's Home Center,Chantilly for lingerie, Mitchell's Pharmacy[open till 2100], Sandra's hairdressing salon, and Magic Photo Studio, where you canget your film developed. In the same centeris Dr. Mike Radix, a good man for medicalproblems who is used to yachtspeople. Rick'sCafe [$D] in the Mall offers local dishes, fastfoods, coffee, and a full range of ice creams.Eat them in the pleasant seating area in themall square.

Spiceland Mall has a host of small shops where you can buyeverything from stationery to shoes and clothing to music, as well aselectronics and kitchenware.

Opposite Spiceland Mall is Ocean House, with Dr. BradfordNoel, an excellent internist.

Derek's De Big Bamboo in Marquis Mall is the best beach andwater-sports store. You will find snorkeling gear, casual clothing, wetsuits,nylon hammocks, sunscreen, and practically anything else for fun in the sun. DeBig Bamboo is also the kitsurfing center ~ they give lessons and keep all thegear.

Also in Marquis Mall, Cybernuts will find disks, print heads,and ribbons at Onsite Software Support, and they offer a free email accessservice for visitors.

Marcelle and Peter Toussaints lived for many years in the UK.Their gift shop, Presents, in Excel Mall, includes a wide range of classy localand international gifts as well as games and toys for children. This Mall alsohas three mini-cinemas.

Toothache? Sunsmile Dental Clinic, run by Dr. Roxanne Nedd,is highly recommended. She is very pleasant and can handle anything from anemergency to a new cap. Many cruising folk have been helped out here. Her clinicis next door to Excel Mall.

All the major hotels have boutiques.

There is a good bus service between Grand Anse and St.George's.

The problem in Grenada is not to find a good restaurant ~ itis to choose which good restaurant among the many. Most have lovely settings bythe sea or in the hills, offering great views. Grand Anse has one of the widestselections.

Lawrence Lambert is a Grenadian who spent some years inCanada and then returned to buy the Flamboyant Hotel and the Beachside Restaurant [$B-D]. It is at the western end ofGrand Anse beach, with a sweeping view to St. George's. The restaurant has goodWest Indian and Continental food, with a steel band on Wednesday nights inseason. There is also crab racing Monday nights and a calypsonian Friday nights.They have a good, very cheap Sunday barbecue brunch that is geared towardfamilies, who come to enjoy the beach and the pool ~ so bring your kids.

Coconut Beach, a French restaurant [$A-B], has a superblocation right on the water's edge on Grand Anse beach: a perfect beach hangoutby day and very romantic at night, especially on the rising moon. Good Frenchcuisine has been adapted to local foods under the diligent management ofGrenadian "Scratch," nicknamed for his golfing abilities.

Behind the eastern end of Grand Anse beach, Cinnamon Hill isa smart, Mediterranean style village set on a hill, offering numerous villas andsuites set among flowers. The view takes in the sweep of the bay to St. George's. Rudolfs ~ a very pleasant restaurant that wewrite up under St. George's, is currently located here.

While in Grenada, try to listen to a good steel band. You mayhave listened to one or two farther north and come to the mistaken conclusionthat, while steel band is fun, it is repetitive and best listened to from adistance. Good "pan" sound is fantastic, and there are very goodgroups in Grenada. There is entertainment at both Spice Island Inn andRenaissance Grenada Resort most nights. Steel bands play at the Renaissance onSaturday nights 2000-2200, at Beachside on Wednesday nights in season, and atSpice Island Inn on Friday nights with their barbecue.

The beautiful but shallow Morne Rouge Bay is a short ride orhealthy walk from Grand Anse. There is a complex here called the Gem HolidayBeach Resort. They run the Fantazia 2001 disco, which is open on Wednesdays forOldie Goldie night and on Fridays and Saturdays with live music.

There are many dive shops in Grenada, all keenly competitiveand happy to take yachtspeople. If you call one, they will collect you from youranchorage. All dive shops are Padi or Naui establishments offering all kinds ofcourses, including introductory resort courses.

I would recommend either Aquanauts [VHP: 16] or Ecodive [VHP:16]. Aquanauts is based in Prickly Bay, with a shop also at Spice Island Inn.This is an excellent shop, with good equipment and a fancy dive boat. We givethem a write up in Prickly Bay.

Ecodive is based at the Coyaba Hotel, dives are at 1000 and1400, and for a real adventure, they do two-tank dives at Isle de Ronde.

Grenada has a variety of good and interesting dives. Forsheer drama you cannot beat the Bianca C, a 600-foot cruise ship that is sunk in100-165 feet. The wreck is vast, though mainly broken, but there are splendidviews up at the bow, and the swimming pool is still intact on the deck. Largeschools of small snappers, some midnight parrotfish, and a few barracudas getframed by the wreckage. This is an advanced dive, and most localdive shops will insist you do one other dive first so they arehappy with your level of confidence.

Flamingo Reef starts just outside the north end of Happy HillBay and continues along the coast towards Dragon Bay. This colorful and livelyreef offers a changing seascape as you swim along. There is a good balance ofhealthy hard and soft corals, with a dense, tall forest of waving sea whips, searods and sea fans at the top, on the seaward end. This is the place to look forthe flamingo tongue that gives the dive its name. Many grunts, squirrelfish,wrasses, parrot-fish and trumpetesh swim along the sloping reef. Large schoolsof brown chromis pass by. Deeper on the reef you have a chance of seeing largegroupers. In the sand are mixed schools of spotted and yellow goatfish probingthe bottom with their barbels.

Dragon Bay and Moliniere Point join together and are theeasiest dive to do from your dinghy. Make sure you anchor it in a patch of sand.You can start on the south side of Dragon Bay or go out from the little bay inMoliniere Point. These dives offer a mixture of large sand and coral patchesgoing from shallow water down to about 60 feet. Much of the reef in this shallowarea is densely covered in a wide variety of corals and sponges. When you get toabout 30 to 40 feet, you meet a drop-off that goes down another 25-30 feet.Sometimes it is a steep slope, at other times a sheer wall. There are also a few rockoutcroppings that make for dramatic valleys, and deep, sand-filled gullies arecut into the drop-off.

Boss Reef starts outside St. George's Harbour and continuesto Point Saline, a distance of at least two and half miles. It varies in widthfrom 200 to 500 yards. It would be possible to do many dives on this reefwithout covering the same territory. There can be strong currents here, and itis best done as a drift dive with a dive shop. A popular dive is the middlesection, swimming wherever the current takes you. The depth here varies fromabout 30 to 60 feet. The reef rises from the sand to a somewhat level top thatis broken by deep gullies and holes that drop down to sand. This is anexceptionally good dive for coral variety.The top is completely covered in awonderful array of corals all packed close to each other In places you can seecorals competing, with one coral encroaching on another,killing it around thearea of contact. There are lots of brightly colored fish, with large schools ofblue-and-yellow Creole wrasse accompanied by blue and brown chromis. Grazingparrotfish and big schools of doctorfish will pass you by on the reef, and you will see schools of smallergrunts and perhaps a large Spanish grunt. Look under corals and in holes forspotted drums.

When sailing between St. George's and Point Saline, keep wellclear of Long Point Shoal. This may be done by heading west from St. George'sand continuing till you are on the line between Point Saline and the tanks atGrand Mall before heading for Point Saline. Reverse this procedure when youreturn.

Coast hoppers may prefer to explore this shore, which hasseveral pretty beaches. You must, however, be very careful of Long Point Shoal,and only approach when there is good light and you can see the reefs. It ispossible to eyeball your way inside Long Point Shoal, but don't cut too close toLong Point, as there are some shoals that come out about 150 feet from shore. Asyou round Long Point heading west, you will see the beautiful Morne Rouge Bay,which, unfortunately, is only about 4 feet deep. (Perfect formultihulls.) You can sometimes find lunchtime anchorage just outside Morne RougeBay.

As you sail round Point Saline and head toward Glover Island,Prickly Point will be the farthest headland that you see. As you get closer,Prickly Bay is easily identified by all the yachts inside and the handsomehouses on the hill. There is plenty of water for most yachts to sail insideGlover Island. There is one good anchorage, just before Prickly Bay, called TrueBlue. St. George's University and Medical School is conspicuous on the westernside of True Blue. It is well lit at night.

Two restaurants lie on the north shore along this coast.Because of their prime beach locations and excellent reputations, many peoplemake the effort to visit them, usually by cab.

Uli and Rebecca's Aquarium Beach Club [$B-D] is of interestin this area, but it is hard to approach by boat, so think about visiting by taxior rental car. The setting is spectacular, under some giant rocks that form theheadland at the end of an idyllic deserted beach. The architecture has made themost of these features, and the dining room is open to the view. The freshbarbecued seafood is excellent, and this is a great place to come for a quiet,romantic seafood lunch or dinner, or bring a group and make it what you will.The Aquarium Beach Club is popular on Sundays, when people come to swim andsnorkel. Rebecca is an artist and if you ask, she will show you some of herwork. You get to the Aquarium by driving past the airport terminal, followingthe road towards Point Saline, and looking for the sign on your right. Theirnewly constructed tapas bar, right on the beach, is a delight.

On a calm day you can anchor off The Beach House [$A-B], inthe bay west of Morne Rouge Bay, and get a dinghy ashore to enjoy this elegantbeachside restaurant, which is managed by Stanley Minors. Altentatively, take a cab. Come for lunch and enjoy the beach,or make it an evening treat (especially good when the moon is up). The food isfirst-rate. They open 1100-1530 and 1800 till closing ~ last orders about 2200.Closed Mondays.

On the next beach, Mario's Dr. Groom's is a great nightclubon the beach. Palm trees grow up from the floor, through the second floor tostick out through the roof. It is mainly a night spot, but they do a big bash onSunday afternoons and some cruise-ship days.

True Blue is the bay just west of Prickly Bay. It is abeautiful little Bay, colorful and clean, and it makes a lovely anchorage. Russand Magdalena, owners of True Blue Resort, have spent much time both cruisingand working for charter companies, and they love boating customers. A smallmarina is part of the hotel, and a delightful wooden walkway over the waterconnects the two. True Blue is the base of the Grenada Sailing Festival offices.

There is a distinctive small island at the entrance. Enter inthe middle of the bay between this island and True Blue Point. Go straight upinto the bay and anchor inside, take one of the moorings, or tie up at themarina. The water is about 25 feet deep at the entrance to the bay and 13 feetdeep up to the outside of the marina. A small surge enters from time to time,when the wind goes south of east. The waves are smaller than in Prickly Bay butshorter and steeper. This works for the many monohulls, which roll less, thoughsome cats wobble more. If there is a problem, put out a stern anchor to hold youfacing out of the bay and into the seas. That will fix it.

A pay phone can be found at the hotel, the office will sendand receive faxes, and you can use the high-speed email station. A largerstation is just down the road at Bananas, with several computers and longevening hours.

True Blue Marina is managed by Jacqui and James, who use itas a base to run Horizon Yacht Charters. It takes about 25 boats, and inaddition they offer 15 moorings for rent. The mooring fee is $25 EC per night;mooring is optional, and there is tons of room to anchor. The marina has diesel,water, electricity (110-220 volt, 50 cycles), showers and toilets, and you canget propane tanks filled and laundry done. Their office sells ice, cruisingguides, and Horizon t-shirts. Jacqui and James will look after you well and helpyou get any kind of repairs you may need. They also look after boats when theowners go away and will undertake major project management, especially in the summermonths.

At the hotel, Indigo Car Rentals will not only rent you a carbut give you their route sheet and suggest some of the best drives according toyour interests. You can get a free day's rental when you book six days or more.They also offer all kinds of tours and a taxi service.

The Gourmet Store at Bananas is a full superyacht agent; theycan clear in yachts, help import parts, and provide everything the large yachtsneed.

A few steps from True Blue, in the direction of Spice IslandMarine, is Bananas complex, run by Myrna Spronk and her son Roger. Part of thethis complex is The Gourmet Store, which offers full provisioning for charteryachts and has plenty of interest for cruising yachts. They offer all kinds offood, but their specialty is seafood, and they have a large stock offish,shrimps, clams, oysters, scallops, and more. They supply many of the localhotels.

Also in the same complex is a regular well-stockedmini-market, inside of which is the True Blue pharmacy.

True Blue Restaurant is perfectly perched over the bay onstilts, with a dinghy dock in front. The food is excellent ~ an imaginativeblend of Mexican, Caribbean, and European dishes, all made from localingredients. Fairly gentle music is played on Tuesdays (steel band) andSaturdays. They do get booked up, so advance reservations are a good idea. Russ(from the UK) and Magdalena (from Mexico) rank among the most friendly ofpatrons and are especially welcoming to those on yachts. Other hotel facilitiesinclude a gym, conference room, a small open playground, and a swimming pool.

Adjoining the hotel is the more informal Stuart's Bar, theperfect waterside hangout, with a daily happy hour from 1700-1800. They offer agood bar menu every night ~ fish or chicken and chips, hamburgers, Mexicanspecialties, and more. Wednesdays are special, with music and a good,inexpensive barbecue.

Wildly imaginative in concept, Sugar Reef at Bananas wasdesigned by two yachtsmen ~ Roger, who owns it, and Don, who helped build it. Itis a cool restaurant, hangout, and nightspot, with lots of interesting corners andpretty waterways. Bananas is a sports bar with a big TV tuned to all the latestevents, and it includes an internet cafe. The restaurant opens every day about0800 for a full breakfast, and for lunch and dinner it has a combo menu ~ simplefast-food like pizzas and subs with good coffee and fresh juices, or moreelaborate meals with the emphasis on seafood, of which they are a majorimporter. They plan on a variety of entertainment several nights a week. Thiswill include comedy, special shows, live bands, and a weekend DJ.

True Blue is home to Gerlinde and Peter Seupel 's AquanautsGrenada. They are a Padi 5-star Golden Palm Resort and take people diving, doall kinds of courses, fill tanks, and rent diving equipment to those going oncharter. You can dinghy up to their dock, or they also pick divers up fromyachts in True Blue and Prickly Bay. Calmer summer weather offers the excitingprospect of exploring several special sites that lie off Grenada's south coast.During this time they offer special rates to the cruisers who come to spend thehurricane season on the south coast. Aquanauts has three very large andwell-equipped dive boats. Kayaks and Hobie Cats are available for rent.

(Also known as L'Anse Aux Epines, pronounced "Lans OPeen." See chart, P377)

Prickly Bay is delightful. The land is a tapestry ofattractive gardens that form a background of green, speckled with brightflowers. Lovely homes and all kinds of roofs peek over the vegetation. At thehead of the bay is a palm-fringed beach. You feel very much in the country here,with the sound of birds by day and tree frogs by night. Yet St. George's is only15 minutes away by car, and the airport and Grand Anse is even closer. SpiceIsland Marine is on the True Blue side of the bay, and Prickly Bay Marina is inL'Anse aux Epines. This makes everywhere from True Blue Bay to Mount Hartmanwithin easy walking, and buses are plentiful.

A prominent house at the end of L'Anse aux Epines Point looksjust like a lighthouse. The owner shows a fixed red light, as long as there iselectricity. This makes Prickly Point very easy to recognize.

While Prickly Bay is easy to enter, don't get careless. Thereis a reef, sometimes marked by a nondescript red buoy, in the middle oppositethe boatyard that is just deep enough to be hard to see. Reefs also extendnearly all the way up the eastern shore, and one should give the True Blue headlandreasonable clearance. Occasional southerly swells can make the bayuncomfortable, though a stern anchor will do much to restore a sense of calm.

Prickly Bay is a port of entry, with the customs at PricklyBay Marina. Anchoring is forbidden within 600 feet of the beach, as this area isreserved for swimmers. Small buoys mark the area.

A cruisers' net operates on VHP: 68 at 0730 weekdays. Itincludes weather and local information, including coming events.

Boats and Harbours, based at Prickly Bay Marina, has goodlittle internet station with high-speed access, and plenty of computers, or youcan bring in your own if you prefer. Spice Island Marine has a couple ofcomputers for use of those on the slip only. You can also send emails in theBananas bar and restaurant and at True Blue Inn (see True Blue).

Spice Island Marine [VHP: 16] is a pleasant boatyard withroom for 200 boats. It is in the northeastern corner of Prickly Bay, on the TrueBlue side. It is easy to walk from here to all the places we mention in TrueBlue Bay. It is run by the Evans family; Junior, Cathy, and Justin. Their travellift can take boats up to 70 tons and 25-foot beam. At present yachts of up to10-foot draft can come in at high tide. However, dredging to 15 feet is plannedearly in '05. The yard has a team that wash and chock, do Awlgrip spraypainting, osmosis treatment, hull polishing, and antifouling. For other jobs themanagement can put you in touch with suitable contractors, or you can bring youown in by arrangement with the yard, though a fee is applicable. You can also doyour own work. The yard has long-term storage areas without services, and workareas with electricity (110/22volt, 50 cycles), and good water pressure. Lifewhile you work is made easier with showers, toilets, email (yard customersonly), and De Big Fish waterfront bar (see Restaurants). You can leave cooking-gasbottles with the guard at the gate by the restaurant, and also tanks foroutboard gas. Other services based at Spice Island Marine include a largesailmaking/rigging/electronics shop, a boat-care and project-management company,and a branch of Budget Marine Chandlery. For those wishing to visit these or getashore on this side of bay, they have a dinghy dock outside the restaurant.

Prickly Bay Marina [VHP: 16] is a charming, small marinawhere fresh green lawns are dotted with palms and almond trees. It has aninformal atmosphere and docks for about 25 yachts. They offer stern-to docking,showers, electricity (110/220, 50 cycle), diesel fuel, water, and ice.Dockmaster Patrick and Manager Alan will make you feel right at home. Thismarina houses Henry Safari Laundry, Enza marine, Essentials mini-mart and theBoatyard Restaurant (see Restaurants). The new owners of this marina plan tobuild some very fancy and good-looking condominiums and a much bigger marina.They hope to do this in stages, keeping everything open. Those interested in thecondos can ask in the marina for Champie Evans.

Henry's Safari Tours [VHP: 68] has a subbase in the boatyard,with giant washing machines for on-the-spot laundry. Should it be closed, callhim on the radio [VHP: 68].

If you are anchored out, you can use the Spice Island Marinedinghy dock and garbage facility, with access to the road. You can buy waterhere in jerry jugs or bring in your yacht.

Boats and Harbours offers absentee yacht management and alsoproject management. Other reliable people willing to keep an eye on your yachtinclude Selwyn Maxwell or Errol Taxi. Ask for them around the boatyard.

Budget Marine has a big duty-free (to foreign yachts)chandlery over at Spice Island Marine. You will find a good collection of allkinds of general and technical chandlery, including everything you need for your haul-out. This is a good place to find anything froman inflatable dinghy or Tohatsu outboards to a new galley stove. They are partof the major Caribbean chain, and anything that is in the Budget catalogue thatthey do not have in stock can be brought in either by Fedex or, if you havetime, by their regular shipping schedule. They currently open weekdays0800-1700, Saturdays 0800-1200.

Turbulence Grenada, based in Spice Island Marine, hasimpressive workshops that cater to sails, rigging, and electronics. It is ownedand run by Richard and Joelle, who are French, but who have lived in Englishislands almost forever, and Louis from Switzerland. They are helped by about 10employees. Richard is a very experienced rigger and sailmaker (and racinghelmsman); he used to prepare maxi boats for major races and is well qualifiedto advise and handle complete new deck layouts. The store is divided into threesections. The rigging shop is long and well equipped to deal with swaging and all rigging problems up to 16-mm wire. Theyalso weld stainless and aluminum. They-keep materials to make spinnaker poles onhand and can order whole new rigs through Sparcraft. They also stock all thenecessary ropes for running rigging and sheets, as well as the blocks andwinches (including electric) to help you get them in tight. They repair big boathydraulics and are an agent for Navtec. They stock and install Profurlroller-furlers.

The Turbulence sail loft is large, and you see them workingon everything from sailboard sails to massive mainsails from maxi yachts. Newsails come with the Doyle label and guarantee. They are cut in Barbados and sewnand finished in Grenada. They can also make biminis from scratch and tackle allcanvas work.

The Turbulence Electronics department is headed by Louis fromSwitzerland. They will look at your electronics, whatever the brand, and areagents for NKE, Brookes and Gatehouse, and Ray Marine and stock and installthese brands of instruments and autopilots. Turbulence is closely associated with Caraibes Greement in Martinique.

Close by Turbulence is JYA, owned by Jean Yves and MariePierre Rousere. They are French and also speak Spanish, English, and Italian.They have many years of experience and a good reputation for looking after boatswhen people are away. They are project managers and will arrange for repairs andwork to be done. Jean Yves welds stainless and handles some mechanical workhimself. They also do their own interior headliners. JYA can plasti-coveryachts, great for protection while you are away or to keep you out of theelements when working. Should you want your boat to be provisioned when you comeback, they will do it. They also manage yachts in the charter trade and areagents for Victron's Wispergen ~ a very cool generator technology based on theSterling engine.

Other services are close by. Enza Marine [VHP: 72], inPrickly Bay Marina, is run by Niel and Tony, from South Africa, who work with aninternational team of helpers including Grenadians. Enza does repair work onyachts using mechanical, electrical, and electronics engineers as well as refrigeration,air-conditioning, and water-maker specialists. They will also do outboardrepairs ~ especially 4-stroke. They also do some machining and metalfabrication. They are agents for Perkins, Northern Lights, Kiss windmills, andIridium phones. They can source any parts you might need at short notice andhave them brought in. You can also discuss new installations with them. There ispretty much nothing electrical or mechanical they cannot do. They are reliableand have a good reputation and charge accordingly. They are hoping to get abonded warehouse soon.

Cottle Boat Works is a full marine joinery and carpentryshop. Owner Jim Cottle sailed to Grenada on his yacht, J. Jeffrey, and has over30 years experience in the business. Jim has a large, new, modern shop near theRed Crab, full of excellent top-grade machinery. You get to it by taking theroad that runs just beside Castaways and looking on your left. Jim basicallydoes all his own work, so you can be sure of a good job. Teak decks are one ofJim's specialties, along with wood repairs and fine joinery work. He keeps agood supply of teak and other hardwoods on hand. Many of his customers come fromthe large charter yachts. Jim is very happy to work on yachts staying either inPrickly Bay, Mount Hartman Bay, or St. George's. Jim can get booked up, so ifyou have a big job, discuss it with him as long in advance as possible.

Johnny Sails and Canvas [VHP: 16/66] is a good sail loft justdown the Dusty Highway that leads back from Spice Island Marine. But you don'thave to go there; Johnny collects and delivers. Johnny, a Grenadian, trained inCanada at Boston Sails for four years and for a time was charter manager at TheMoorings. Johnny can repair old sails and make new ones. He carries and can bendstainless tubing, so biminis are a breeze, as are awnings, covers, and interiorand exterior cushions. Johnny is also a good man to see for rigging problems; heis agent for Profurl and stocks stainless rigging and Staylock fittings. He alsodoes lifelines. Anything he does not have on hand he can quickly import.

Anro Agencies, run by Robert Miller, is agents for Marinerand Mercury Out-boards, Mercruiser engines and outdrives, Yanmar diesels, andseveral brands of generators. They sell and install new units, do warranty workand repair broken engines, and will make boat visits. They will normally come byto any of the Grenada ports to pick up broken outboards to fix. Their shop isabout half a mile down the road from Spice Island Marine. They are on the dualcarriageway between the roundabouts. If you are driving, you have to headtowards the airport from Sugar Mill, as they are on the left side of the road.Look for Rhamdanny's hardware store on your left, and if you swing a left at thestore, you will find yourself on a tiny road that leads to their shop behind.They stock quite a few boating accessories in the Quicksilver range and theirprices can be quite competitive. They also import sports boats by Trinidad'sFormula 111.

You will have to ask around Prickly Bay Marina for Ben. Benis a good general mechanic who is very reasonable. This means he is busy, so itsometimes takes a little time to get ahold of him.

Mclntyre Bros., on the airport road, is within easy walkingdistance from Spice Island Marine. They have qualified diesel mechanics and canfix most engines. They are also the sales and service agents for Yamahaoutboards and can arrange sales to yachts at duty-free prices. Mclntyre alsorents cars and will deliver to the boatyard or marina.

Ricardo Moultre's Ultimate Marine Services is at Prickly BayMarina. Ricardo repairs all makes of outboard and has a handy onboard fuel tankcleaning service.

Panabread at AJS Enterprises does an excellent job of signpainting, vinyl name transfers, and number carving for registration, for a veryreasonable price.

Many day-workers are available for onboard painting,varnishing, and other work. These include Charlie, who lives on a small cruiserhe takes care of in the bay, and Winston Julian, normally known as Sam or Tan Tan, who has been around yachts for years and spent quitesome sea time as a private yacht skipper. You can also check out Slim and Curtis(aka Moment).

There are some excellent taxi drivers around. Selwyn Maxwell[VHP: 68] spent some years as a charter skipper and is still an agent anddelivery skipper for some charter companies, so he is well acquainted with thewhole yachting scene. He is charming, reliable (well, occasionally a few minuteslate), and has a mini-bus. Selwyn is an enthusiastic hiker and does a lot ofhiking with local groups for pleasure, so he knows and loves all the best walks and is very knowledgeable.

Errol is another good and reliable taxi driver who works outof the boatyard. He knows the yachting industry well, as he used to work for acharter company. He practically lives in the boatyard, and you will not find abetter man for that pitch-dark start for a crack-of-dawn plane.

When Bernard (Pampi) is not out on a run, you will alwaysfind him at the boatyard, especially quite late at night. He is helpful,friendly, reliable, and has a comfortable minibus. You can call him on VHP: 16"Blue Diamond."

Funseeker Tours [VHP: 16], operated by Russ, Trevor, andJanet, is another good operation. They offer all kinds of tours geared atshowing how things are done in Grenada. The company is small enough that youwill nearly always be going with Trevor rather than a hired driver, and Trevor is good company (he helped merebuild my boat years ago). They do hiking tours, offer a taxi service, and rentgood, but not brand-new, jeeps.

It is also easy to call Boatyard Taxi [VHP: 16]. This is ataxi drivers' association with a small office in Prickly Bay Marina. There isnearly always a good driver available.

If you are renting your own car, Y & R Car Rentals isvery close by, will quickly deliver a car, can provide a local license, and the staff areused to dealing with yachts.

Buses run all the time from the roundabout close by SpiceIsland Marine.

Within the boatyard, Shirley's Essentials [VHF: 16] is aconvenient mini-market and boutique. What Essentials lacks in size it makes upfor in service (they are open every day including holidays), and Shirley willbring in anything you want that is not on the shelves. Or you can call on the radio for specialorders or a full-provisioning service. Essentials also includes a boutiquesection with lots of gifts and souvenirs.

People needing to stock up on their wines will be delightedby North South Trading, a short walk from the boatyard, close by the Calabash.They stock wines from all over the world including Europe, Australia, SouthAmerica, and South Africa. You can sit down in a comfortable atmosphere anddiscuss your needs. They can also recommend wines for different menus. They havea large enough range to satisfy the superyacht owner as well as those with moremodest needs. This is a wholesale outfit, so wines are sold by the case, butthey are often willing to mix cases for yachts, and they will deliver to youryacht. If you buy a case of wine and don't want it all at once, they are happyto store it for you in their temperature-controlled rooms. Opening hours areweekdays 0800-1600. They also have a retail outlet called the Wine Shoppe inSpiceland Mall (see Grand Anse).

The Boatyard Restaurant [$B] is right in Prickly Bay Marina.It is a favorite yachty haunt, run by Badre. Everyone gathers at happy hour(1730-1900) for cut-price drinks. Tropicana handles the food department, withmeals at such an affordable price you can eat here anytime you don't want tocook. They often do barbecues on Fridays, when they also have live music.

Three restaurants lie together just five minutes down theroad from Prickly Bay Marina. The Choo Light [$D] is a cruising yachty favorite, run by the Choo family from Hong Kong. Theprices are so reasonable you can eat here any time you don't feel like cooking.The atmosphere is informal, and the staff welcomes you warmly. They have a fullrange of dishes: seafood, vegetarian, and meat that all come with plain rice.Their ginger shrimp and fish are excellent. They also offer a full takeoutservice.

The gourmet will favor the Red Crab [$A-B]. Owner/Chef GeorgeMueller is a German who speaks English with a Scottish accent. However, you willnot be of-

fered haggis. George is a professional chef with impressivecredentials who has had his own TV show. This is a place to come for a specialnight out.

Justin's De Big Fish [$D] is the new bar/restaurant at SpiceIsland Marine. This informal sports bar is designed to service those on the hardas well as walk-in trade. The location is perfect, pleasantly open to the water,with a large dinghy dock. They open from 0730 for continental breakfast rightthrough till after dinner every day, though they sometimes close Sunday. A happyhour is planned, and the big TV is always tuned to the latest sports events.Food is simple ~ pizzas, sandwiches, salads, buffalo wings, French fries,snacks, and daily specials. They are thinking about a movie night and otherentertainment.

The Calabash [$A], has a very fine upmarket restaurant in apleasant atmosphere, and excellent food, but they prefer you to be dressedfairly smartly.

Castaways [$B-C, closed Mondays] is the latest venture ofCarol, who has owned and run waterfront bars both in Grenada and Trinidad. Theeating area is picturesque, among flowers, and the food includes pub specialslike steak-and-kidney pie. If you sit around the bar, you will be joining andmeeting a band of faithful adherents. There is a cavernous disco that is set inaction from time to time. Nightly happy hour is 1700-1830.

You will find tennis courts at the hotels and a golf club inGolflands. Ask directions.

Everything in True Blue is now easily accessible from PricklyBay by dinghy to Spice Island Marine, and take the short walk down the road.Note that the gate closes ~ so before you go nightclubbing, check on the closingtime, or return when they open in the morning (0600).

There is a very easy walk between Prickly Bay and Martin'sMarina in Mount Hartman Bay. From Prickly, just turn right out of the boatyardroad and take the first left. When you come to the T-junction, turn right thenleft again.

Partied all night? Judi Goodchild, wife of Bob the surveyor,is a fully qualified massage therapist, able to ease your sore muscles. She doesaromatherapy and reflexology and offers discounts to yacht crew. She has amobile unit and hopes to have a base in the area soon (407-4388).

Rob and Katie are a lovely team who run Scuba Tech, thewaterfront dive shop on the Calabash beach. Both are PADI instructors, and Robused to work for the environment agency in Wales. This is a pleasant dive shopthat works with small groups, which suits most yachtspeople. They visit all thesites both on the south and west coasts including the Bianca C. If you are afterbig fish, ask about the San Juan, a small wreck that sank in 27 meters. It is inopen, rough water, so weather dependent, but it attracts lots of nurse sharks,while rays, spa-defish, and turtles often drop by. On one of their better diveshere they saw 17 nurse sharks and four eagle rays. It is best to book dives inadvance, but if you arrive in the morning about 0930, there will generally be room for you onthe 1000 dive. Tell them you come from a yacht, and they will give you a 10percent discount.

The south coast of Grenada offers beautiful, secluded, andprotected anchorages. A mass of reefs provides interesting, if somewhat murky,snorkelmg. The area should be treated with caution, and eyeball navigation isessential. On our charts, we have marked as "too shallow" severalareas of relatively shoal water (12-15 feet) that extend well offshore. In normal conditions you can sail over these, but when the goinggets rough, seas start breaking on them, and they are best avoided. ThePorpoises, about half a mile off Prickly Point, awash and hard to spot, are asnasty a group of rocks as you could find to get wrecked on. Entering Mt. HartmanBay and Hog Island is tricky, as two new shoals have arisen in the channel. Themain reefs are easy to see in good light; the new shoals, 4- and 6-feet deep,are not as easy to spot. From Prickly Bay, pass about midway between PricklyPoint and the Porpoises. Look out forTara Island, a small coral island aboutfive 5- feet high. Leave Tara to starboard, passing halfway between it andPrickly Point. Head for Mt. Hartman Point, and look for the sole remaining greenbuoy. If it is still in place (by no means certain), leave it close on your portside to avoid the 4-foot shoal. If it is not there, just eyeball your way in.For Mt. Hartman Bay, pass the remaining green beacon to port. For Hog Island, ifyou can see both the 4- and 6- foot shoals, there is plenty of room to passbetween them. If you cannot, then pass very close to the green buoy and head forthe western end of the reef off Mt. Hartman Point. When you get close, follow it up to Hog Island. Lasttime I was there, small red buoys marked this reef ~ placed to help yachttenders at Calivigny Island find their way into Martin's Marina.

The Tara Island passage can take you over patches about 12feet deep; an alternative is the deeper channel south of Hog Island. For this,approach the western tip of Hog Island on a bearing of magnetic north, andeyeball your way around the reefs as you approach Hog. To leave Pass close bythe reef just south of Hog Island and head out on a bearing of 170° magnetic.In both directions make sure the current is not setting you to the west. A14-foot bank lies on the western side of the channel, so deep-draft yachts needto be particularly careful.

Mt. Hartman Bay is deep and well protected (see chart PricklyBay to Hog Island) , with a modem marina, This is a great area for dinghysailing or sailboarding, as there is protected water all the way to Calivigny Island. By land, it is a 10-minute walk to Prickly Bay.(From the marina entrance, turn right, walk up the hill and round the corner;keep going till you come to a crosssoads, turn right again, and then take thenext small road on the left. When you come to the next main road, turn rightagain, and the boat yard is on your left.)

Martin's Marina [VHF: 71] has 53 berths in the marina and 32moorings. Fuel, water, showers, telephone, email, fax, 24-hour security, andelectricity (110/220V, 50 cycle) are among the marina services. Duty-free fuelis available. Higher voltage for superyachts should be installed by the timethis guide comes out. While yachts of any size are welcome, the maximum draft onthe deepest dock is 20 feet, and a yacht of this depth will have to be carefulhow they enter into the bay. A swimming pool and tennis courts are available. Ifyou have any questions, ask managers Philippe and Lydia, or Sonia behind thedesk; they are all very helpful, both with assisting you in docking and leaving themarina or locating services. You can leave laundry here for Claire; she collectsbetween 0800-0900 weekdays. At other times, call Henry Safari on VHP: 68.

For yachts anchored out, they offer two programs for usingthe dinghy dock and marina facilities. For $10 EC per day you get use of thedinghy dock, showers, garbage disposal, and a complimentary drink at the bar.Frequent users can pay $100 per month for the dinghy dock, garbage, and showers.There is obviously no charge using the dinghy dock for Martin's Pub or IslandDreams.

Mark and Anita's Island Dreams is based here. Mark and Anitasailed from England on their own yacht, skippered for the Moorings, and areperfect people to look after your yacht while you go away. They can doeverything from keeping an eye on it to a full program of project management,taking care of that long list of jobs while you go away. They offer an excellentservice, and if you want they will have your yacht hauled, painted, fuelled, andready to leave when you arrive. If you need overnight accommodation on the way,they will arrange that, and if you arrive on board in the middle of then night,they will leave you a cell phone so you can call them if there are any problems.

Rock, a taxi driver, is very reliable and also willing tokeep an eye on yachts left in Secret Harbour Marina. George, a taxi driver whosecall sign is "Survival Anchorage," refills propane bottles.

Martin's Pub, the marina bar, is still evolving. They arealready open most days for drinks. They will soon be building a large balconyplatform, and at that time they will serve snacks and barbecue meals.

Good reliable taxi drivers await you ashore. Rochel (Rock)Charles [VHP: 16] spent some years as a charter skipper so he is well acquaintedwith the whole yachting scene. He is charming and likes to do historical tours.His wife also runs a super little restaurant in Woburn ~ ask Rock about it.Other good taxis include: Milo, Dennis, Brizan, Henry B, and LeRoi. A taxidoubles as a bus and leaves for town Monday to Saturday at 0900, returning by1300.

Behind Hog Island is a huge, protected bay. When you anchor,there will be just a finger of horizon to remind you the sea is still there.Spiky mangrove roots stick upwards like bristles from a witch's broom, theirleaves bushing out in the form of a huge green Afro. A cow walks on the beach asthough to say hello to the little blue heron who spends her day patrolling theshore, watching for little flurries offish. The heron strides forward with hugebut delicate steps, like a fastidious matron trying not to step on somethingunpleasant. Sometimes she grabs a wriggling silver catch, other times thefish churn the water into a frightening foaming hiss, and she runs back to thesafety of the sand. See page 377 (chart) and page 378 for navigation into HogIsland and when you get in, anchor anywhere between Hog Island and the mainland.

This large and sheltered bay, with Wobum at its head, offersenough anchoring possibilities to delight the confirmed gunkholer, and you canexplore and find your own spot. In the old days, big sailing ships would anchorhere to take on rum that was brought down the river to the head of the bay by small boat.Calivigny Island lies at the entrance to Clarkes Court Bay. It was privatelypurchased in 2001 and is being developed.

As part of this development, the deepest part of the entrancechannel has been buoyed. Treat these buoys as privately maintained, and checkfor yourself that they are in position. Basically you need to enter fairly closeto Calivigny Island to avoid all the reefs and shoals that extend south of HogIsland. Once inside you can anchor almost anywhere that takes your fancy.

One popular anchorage at Calivigny Island is just north ofthe island, off the beach. The bottom shelves steeply, so make sure you are wellhooked. Calivigny Island is privately owned and guarded by police. The beaches,like all Grenada beaches, are public. You should not use the dock, which isprivate, go behind the beach, or use any of the owner's beach huts. But you canpull your dinghy up on the beach and enjoy it, have your picnic ashore, andswim. Do keep it clean. Guards sometimes come down as you pull in and look alittle intimidating, but they know the law and will follow it. (If it helps, youcan take in this book to show them.)

You can find good anchorages both between Hog Island and themainland and on the windward side of Hog, and also off Clarkes Court Bay Marina.Another delightful little anchorage is in Petit Calivigny, with good snorkelingaround the southern headland.

Both Calivigny and Hog are dotted with hardy littlefrangipani trees. Their leaves fall in the dry season, leaving onlysweet-smelling, delicate white flowers.

In Woburn, Island View has a computer where you can tap outyour emails. Nimrod's communication center, run by Bernadette (Mrs. Nimrod), isopposite the end of the dock road and has three computers, they also offer a faxservice, book swap, and laundry.

Clarkes Court Bay Marina [VHP: 16/74] is the brainchild of Bob Blanc. Bob has spent much of hislife in Canada, building top-quality floating docks, and he has returned toGrenada with this technology. At this time there are 56 slips, which will slowlybe expanded to 110. Each has water and electricity, both 110 volt and 220 volt,50 cycles. The minimum depth at the inside dock is about 7 feet, deepening to atleast 11 feet at the outer berths. Their Oasis Bar is pleasant, with a view ofthe marina; light food and barbecues will be offered soon. The atmosphere ispeacefully rural, with a cooling breeze. This is also a secure place to leaveyour boat if you want to travel. They have toilets and showers, a laundrette,and internet for their customers. You are asked to use the shore toilets or aholding tank to help keep the place clean. Both Marita, in the main office, andBob are friendly and helpful, and future plans include a small travel lift,boatel rental units ashore, and a fancier restaurant.

The marina includes Island Yacht Services, run by Mike fromSouthampton, and Celia from southern Ireland. Both have been in the marinebusiness for many years. They will look after you boat while you are away and,as project managers, undertake any repairs that need doing. They can also findyou any kind of technician you need.

Myrna and Roger Spronk, who own Bananas in True Blue, are building the new Petit CalivignyMarina in Petit Calivigny. The yard is geared to welcoming large charter andprivate yachts. The first stage envisages 14 slips, no size limitation, but thedepth is 24 feet. Planned services to come on line over the life of this guideinclude: full superyacht agent ~ everything from clearing to provisioning, barand restaurant with internet, showers, laundry, and a minimarket.

Henry of Henry's Safari Tours has built a small, pleasantdocking facility between Peit Calivigny and Woburn. It is well protected by agroin built for the desaliniza-tion plant. Present plans are to put in abuilding with an office, bar, and internet station for cruisers.

Owen Stuart and Susan Morgan (VHP: 16 ~ 'Saphire") havea woodworking shop for yachts in the back of Island View. Owen says he can alsohelp with outboard repairs and small diesels. Check it out for yourself.

The road running through Woburn looks so rough and rural,with the odd chicken wandering over it, that it seems impossible to imagine abus hurtling by, full of smiling faces and big shopping baskets, but it happensall the time. Whichever way it comes, you can catch it to town if you wait around Nimrod's Rum Shop. On the return run, ask for a busgoing to "Lower Woburn." Take it easy on Nimrod's white rum while youwait, or be prepared to miss the bus.

You can anchor off Woburn or any of the other bays and tieyour dinghy to the village dock. Wander up to the road and turn left, and youwill find a little corner store called Nimrod and Sons Rum Shop, run by Pat andSep. You can buy ice here along with bread, fresh chicken, lettuce, a few cans,beer, and rum.

Down on the waterfront, Xtreme Auto, run by ChristopherPascal, has audio systems for cars (which work on yachts) as well as some otheraccessories. On the main road to the right, 3OS has a small auto-parts store.

Sea Quest has a combination fishing, diving, and water-sportscomplex with a bar. You can dinghy right up and enjoy a cool one. They do allkinds of water sports and will rent tanks and diving gear. They also sell a fewyacht/fishing items including fish-finders, VHP radios, and GPS units. Nigel canhelp you find what you want. They open daily 0900-1800.

Woburn is home to Little Dipper [$D], the cutest small restaurant in Grenada. Joan, who owns itwith her husband, Rock, the taxi driver, has cooked in several fancy restaurantsand is now doing her own thing both well and very inexpensively, making thisabout the best value in Grenada. As you come onto the Woburn Road from thedinghy dock, turn right, and it is on your right-hand side just up the hill.Enjoy the sweeping view out over Hog Island as you taste fresh local seafoodwith a good variety of local vegetables. You won't find a better deal onlobster, fish, or Iambi. They open Monday to Saturday from 1000-2200. Rock willbring you over from Prickly Bay or Secret Harbour for $10 EC return fare.

Island View [$B-D] is another good restaurant light by thedock. The upstairs balcony is open to the breeze and a view of the bay right outto Calivigny and Hog Islands. They specialize in seafood, including lobster,Iambi, shrimp, and fish, which they cook in a variety of ways and serve in therestaurant or as takeaway.. Sometimes you can watch as the catch arrives on thedock outside. There is a dedicated game room with pool tables and an internetcafe. They have lots of parties, live music, and special events. Drop by and askwhat's happening.

Check out also the Oasis Bar at Clarkes Court Bay Marina.

EAST OF CALIVIGNY ISLAND

A little-used anchorage offering good protection can be foundto the east of Calivigny Island, between Calivigny Island and Point Egmont. Itis easy to explore by dinghy from Clarkes Court Bay, but the entrance by yachtis a little tricky and should only be used by experienced reef navigators. Youhave to feel your way in between the shoals that extend south from Adam Islandand the shoals that extend east from Calivigny Island. If you hit the channelright, there is at least 35 feet of water on your way in.

The snorkeling off Adam Island and all the surrounding reefsis fair.

PORT EGMONT

Port Egmont is a completely enclosed lagoon surrounded, forthe most part, by mangroves. It is quite pretty and makes a first-classhurricane hole. Enter the outer inlet fairly close to Fort Jeudy, keeping an eyeout for the reefs that lie near the shore. Fort Jeudy is developed, and thereare several prosperous-looking houses on the hill. Anchor anywhere in the innerharbor. You can also anchor outside, off the little beach at the inner end of Fort Jeudy, but keep an eye out for theshoal off the northern end of the inlet.

The southwest shore of Port Egmont, from the inner harbourall the way out to Point Egmont, is currently being developed. The inner harbouris a perfect hurricane hole. The main people behind this development,Andrew Bierzynski and Geoffrey Thompson, are both local and, as developers go,have concern for the environment. They have done a magnificent job to thispoint, with a new bridge over the mangroves and well-laid-out roads that affordspectacular views of the bay. If you sail in and fall in love with the place andwant to build, contact Renwick and Thompson.

CALIVIGNY HARBOUR

Calivigny Harbour, sometimes called Old Harbour (not to beconfused with Calivigny Island), is another enclosed harbor with a finepalm-shaded beach. It makes an acceptable hurricane hole, though heavy rains cancreate currents that cause boats to lie sideways to the wind from time to time.The entrance to the outer harbor is between Fort Jeudy and Westerhall Point. Youmust have good-enough visibility to see the reefs off Fort Jeudy. The shoalscoming out from Westerhall Point are deeper and harder to see, though they often cause breaking seas. Staywith the devil you can see. Find the reef off Fort Jeudy and follow it into theouter harbor. This entrance can be hairy in heavy winds and large swells, and Iwould only recommend it to sailors with a lot of experience in reef navigationin rough conditions. When passing into the inner harbor, favor the Fort Jeudyside, as a shoal extends from the sand spit. Anchor anywhere in the innerharbor. Aubrey's is a bar/restaurant shop right at the entrance to WesterhallEstate, where you can also catch a bus to town. If you turn right at the mainroad and walk a while, you come to a supermarket/bar. See also Petit Bacaye,which is a fair walk away.

Westerhall Point is an attractive housing development withwell-tended grounds, easily seen by walking up from Calivigny Harbour.Westerhall Bay offers a protected anchorage if you tuck up in the southeastcorner of the bay, behind the mangroves. In rough conditions the entrance istricky and the exit straight into wind and sea. I would suggest anchoring inCalivigny Harbour and walking over to take a look before you attempt this.

Petit Bacaye is an idyllic little bay full of flowers andpalm trees, with a little island you can swim out to. It has a micro-hotel ofthe same name [$B], with a few thatch roofed rooms and a small bar andrestaurant. Take a book and swim things and laze away a day. Let them know youare coming, as they will buy some fresh fish from the small boats that are basedhere. Experienced navigators could feel their way in for lunch and stay thenight in settled conditions; otherwise, visit by land from wherever you may beanchored along the south coast. It is on the main bus route heading eastwardalong the south coast.

St. David's Harbour lies 1.2 miles east of Westerhall Point.Many years ago, sailing ships would sail in here to load up on spices andproduce bound for Europe. Although never the site of a town, it was an importantharbor. It is deeply indented enough to be well protected, and the reefs at theentrance reduce any swells when the trades turn south of east. It can rock alittle, in which case a stern anchor to face you out of the bay is a good fix.St. David's Harbour is a lovely bay with a narrow sandy beach, palm trees, andjungly vegetation crowding down to the waterfront. A pleasant breeze keeps things cool.

Reasons to visit include one of Grenada's best restaurantsand Grenada Marine ~ a haul-out operation for those who want the pleasinglyrural atmosphere of Grenada, which is considerably drier than Trinidad duringthe rainy season. It is the kind of yard where you can swim right off the beachafter work. They must do something right, as about 60 percent of their customersare repeats. Owners Jason and Laura Fletcher have ten acres at the head of thebay and a complete facility for 200 boats.

The entrance is easy if you approach in good light, providedyou have correctly identified the bay. The middle reef is much harder to seethan the one off St. David's Point, so favor the St. David's Point side of thechannel, staying in the deep water. Part of the channel is buoyed with two setsof red and green markers. They flash about every four seconds. St. David's iswell situated if you come down the east coast of Grenada and it is an easydownwind sail from here to the other south-coast anchorages.

St. David's Harbour is a port of entry with customs andimmigration. Officials are there every Monday to Thursday from 0800 to 1600.Closed Friday to Sunday.

Grenada Marine has a room dedicated to email and internetservice, open to both customers and visitors.

Grenada Marine [VHP: 16] has a unique, specially designed,70-ton Travelift. It is 32 feet wide and was designed to haul catamarans as wellas monohulls. Yachts of up to 14-foot draft can be hauled. After hauling, ahydraulic stacking trailer can put yachts close together. Early booking isadvisable as the yard fills up in the summer. Jason and Laura manage the yardthemselves, and Laura is also very active in Myag, the Grenada marine tradesassociation. A few docks are already built next to the travel lift, and thereare long-term plans for more berthing space in the future. These are going to include afuel dock.

The office staff are very helpful and will make your haulingarrangements, put you at ease, and find you a rental car or help with sending afax or making a phone call.

You can do your own laundry in the machines or send it out tobe done with Henry's Safari Tours.

There is a good branch of the Island Water World chandleryhere. This comprehensive and first-rate store carries everything you need andtempts you into buying things you just want. If you don't find it here ask, asit may be in stock in their larger branch on the lagoon. They also have acatalogue, and anything can be brought in at short notice.

The yard can do all kinds of jobs. They have a good team oftechnicians and specialize in first-rate awl-grip paint jobs and re-gelcoatfinishes. They also do a first-rate osmosis treatment, and the drier atmosphere here, comparedwith Trinidad, is an advantage for this. The head of the metal department,Dietmar Zuber, is one of the best in the islands. They also have a rigging shopand first-rate fiberglass repairs and mechanical departments. Owners and theircrew are also welcome to do simple jobs, like anti-fouling, brush painting, andremoving shafts and underwater systems.

Fred, of Shipwrights, is installed here on the waterfront,where he will take care of fancy joinerwork, any extensions or repairs to largeyachts, and solid teak decks or Teak Decking Systems decks. Fred does completeproject-management, handling any kind of work through subcontract if necessary,always ensuring the highest quality. He is agent for Phaser Marine and Furlex.Fred is one of the Caribbean's best-known shipwrights, and large yachts comehere specially to get him to work for them. He is a specialist in completerestorations and refits to traditional wooden yachts and has worked with someyachting families for two generations. Fred also puts on Shipwrights & Friends Wooden Boat Regatta the first weekend inNovember.

Dave and Jan Royce's Grenada Marine Canvas will take care ofall your sail and canvas work. They come from the East Coast of England, whereDave, a sailmaker since he was 18, had a company making the sprayhoods andcanvas bits for the prestigious Oyster yacht company. Now in the Caribbean theyhave a spacious new workshop and are agents for top-quality North Sails. Theycan make very elegant biminis, dodgers, awnings and covers and also specializein leatherwork, covering steering wheels, and grabrails. They keep closed-cellfoam and make cockpit cushions and will also do some interior upholstery.

The Barking Barracuda is the yachty beach bar at GrenadaMarine. The new proprietor, Ron from Holland, is a master chef who has cooked inrestaurants earning a Michelin star. He has started well by employing Richard, atop Grenadian chef, and he will keep the restaurant open seven days

a week from breakfast, through till night. Happy hour is from5 till 6 pm and a big-screen TV will keep you in touch with all the sportingevents. He plans live music, beach barbecues and lots more to make it fun.

Adjoining Grenada Marine is Susan Fisher's Bel AirPlantation, a really magnificent and upmarket resort with Caribbean-stylecottages set amid wonderful flowering gardens that cover the hillside right downto the sea. You can walk from the boatyard or go by dinghy ~ they have a smalldinghy dock outside their Water's Edge Restaurant. Sandra, who runs thereception, is very knowledgeable about yachts and yachting matters, havingworked for such companies as the Moorings and Grenada Marine. Rhona, who assistsSusan in the management, is in the adjoing office and also very helpful.

Their office is in a small complex a few steps from therestaurant that includes The Deli, a shop well stocked on beer, ice, eggs, andbasics, as well as boutique items. All the deli equipment is in, and they willhave meats and cheeses when they feel the demand is sufficient. They open0800-1600, but if Rhona or Sandra are close by, they will open it for you atother times. A coffee shop is also in place but not yet open; it will probablybe going by the time this guide comes out.

Water's Edge Restaurant [$B] is open daily for lunch anddinner. This is one of Grenada's best restaurants. Chef Craig Copeland usesfresh ingredients, mainly from the garden, and Craig's creations look great andtaste better; some of the deserts are a work of art. Seating is on a broadbalcony, and there is also an upstairs lounge.

For those wanting a night ashore in real comfort, this is theplace to come. You get a house rather than a room, and the houses arebeautifully fitted-out with original art and every luxury.

Just a bay to the east is La Sagesse Nature Center, a 12-roomhotel owned by Mike and Nancy. It is set in a spectacular bay with one of thelongest and broadest palm-backed beaches in Grenada. You will really feel you arewell away from all the work here, which makes it very popular with peoplereturning to their boats. The room prices are very reasonable ~ especially inthe off-season, like November, and if things are quiet, they offer those onyachts special discounts. Their new restaurant is open all day from 0815 till2200. They use all fresh ingredients and have a reputation for serving some ofthe best seafood in Grenada. You can walk to it over the hill. This is a greatescape from the boatyard and work. Walk in for lunch, but best book for dinner.Either way, give them a call; they offer free transport to and from GrenadaMarine for meal and hotel guests.

When you get tired of work and want a little trip to the country, consider visiting the Laura Herband Spice Garden, which is a few miles down the road. It is part of a herb andspice marketing cooperative that sells Grenadian herbs and spices worldwide.They have about 8 acres under cultivation in the garden, with well-laid-outtrails and signposted plants. The atmosphere is peaceful, with birds singing inthe trees and plenty of shady areas. You pay a $5 EC entry fee, and if you ask(you should), they will give you a tour of the garden and explain the plants toyou.

Island Food

One of the best ways to experience local foods is to eat out.This way you don't have to slave over the stove and, best of all, no dishes towash up. In this section we are going to introduce you to some wonderful localfruits and vegetables, as well as some ideas about seafood and locallyobtainable meat. Those who cook for themselves will find recipes. For those whoprefer to eat out, we will make some suggestions. But you cannot start without adrink in your hand, so why not make: Skipper's Rum Punch: Mix the juice from 3 limes, with!4 cup of Grenadine syrup, 1 cup of brown rum and one liter of juice(or' ange, pineapple, or maybe local passion fruit). Serve with alot of ice and liberally grate fresh nutmeg on top.

While on the subject of drinks, coconut water is theCaribbean's own natural soft drink. If you are driving around the countrysideyou may well see a homemade barrow by the side of the road stocked high withgreen coconuts. These are "water-nuts" - young coconuts that have notyet developed a hard inner brown husk or firm white flesh, but are full of adelicious tasting liquid. The vendor will slice off the top of the nut for you.It is now ready for you to drink, straight from the shell. These days vendors is not the onlyway to enjoy this drink. Bottlers in both Trinidad and Grenada now offer bottledcoconut water. This is a great alternative to manufactured soft drinks, butbefore you buy in bulk take care, it does not keep more than a few days unlessfrozen.

Those who have a blender should try "smoothies."These are made by taking the flesh of any suitable local fruit (try mango,banana, guava, pawpaw, pineapple or sour-sop), adding a good slosh of rum, agood measure of ice, then blend. You can add lime or orange juice for flavor andyou can try combinations.

Eating out anywhere will give you a taste of local food,because even the most international of restaurants use local vegetables, seafoodand fruits. But try also the local restaurants. They usually cook excellentcurries, Creole style specialties and soups.

Those who go to the Windwards and eat hamburgers deserve whatthey get. Better to eat local and choose a roti, the ideal lunchtime snack. Aroti is curried meat or vegetables wrapped in a wheat flour tortilla-like shell.It usually comes in three flavors: beef, chicken and conch. I usually go forconch (Iambi). This is firm white flesh from a large sea shell and absolutely delicious. The chickenroti is often made from "back and neck" and full of bones; locals loveto chew on them, but if you have not yet acquired that taste, ask for"boneless."

Nearly every menu lists lobster in season. Lobster isdelicious, delicate and easy to ruin. Especially if it is frozen then broiled.For the best lobster, eat at a restaurant where you can select your own aliveand fresh from a pool.

Grenada is the world's second largest nutmeg producer. Buysome fresh nutmegs as soon as possible. You will find them in local markets andmany boutiques. If possible buy them as a "kit" with a little grater.The outer hard dark brown husk must be removed before grating. Nutmeg is notonly essential for rum punch but excellent for spicing up desserts, soups,pancakes, french toast and mashed pumpkin. Coffee grows in the islands and manylocal coffees will get you up and going. Grenada grows excellent cocoa. Much ofGrenada' s cocoa is sold abroad, but some is turned into goumet choclate by theGrenada Choclate Factory, and some makes it to the local markets as coca sticks.These contain the full fat content of the cocoa beans and make a rich drink,unlike commercial cocoa, which is a byproduct of making cocoa butter and is thecompressed cocoa bean with no fat left. Canned tropical fruit juices are nowbecoming available in supermarkets; flavors include soursop, papaya and guava.

In the market you can buy something locally called saffron,which is turmeric ~ a root which can be bought fresh or grated. It is good incurries and for coloring rice. True saffron (made from crocus) is only found inthe fanciest supermarkets. Hot sauces are a local specialty, with many differentbrands that make good gifts.

Most islands pack wonderful peanuts and cashews in recycledbeer bottles. Fish is smoked locally in some islands and is usually excellent.

We do not mention the many vegetables, such as tomatoes,sweet pepper, cucumbers and beans familiar from home. Cooking suggestions andrecipes assume basic cooking knowledge.

Coconuts are nutritious and cheap. Coconut milk (not to beconfused with the water) is often used in Caribbean cooking, much as one woulduse cream where cows are more plentiful than palm trees.

To make coconut milk, you buy an older "fleshnut" - one of the brown ones you buy in the market. Grate the flesh, addany water from the nut, and add ordinary water till it is covered. Leaveit for a few minutes, then squeeze the juices from the flesh into the water.Sieve, throw out the dry. The creamy liquid is coconut milk.

Breadfruit, plentiful and inexpensive year round, is asavior to the traveller on a budget. It is green, balloon sized, pockedand hard. Originally from the Pacific, it was imported here by Captain Bligh,but arrived late because of the mutiny. Watch it carefully or it will cause yougrief, too. It remains nice and firm for a day or two, but when it decides to gosoft and rotten, it can do so almost as quickly as Bligh could order a keelhauling. Best to cook it first and store after. Boil it (40 minutes in anordinary pot or pressure cook for 10), or bake it in the oven (about 40minutes). It will now store for some days in an ice box or fridge. Treat it likepotato: mash it, cut slices off and fry it, use it in salad or stews. Mash ittogether with an egg and some cooked fish, season, then fry to make wonderfulfish cakes. Buy one for a barbecue and cook it on the embers of a dying firetill you can slide a thin sliver of wood from opposite the stem up into thecenter. Cut it open and serve with salt, pepper and lashings of butter. Trymaking it like mashed potato, but mash with coconut milk instead of ordinarymilk, cover with grated cheese and brown.

Callaloo, an elephant ear shaped green leaf, grows on wetground such as the banks of small streams. Plentiful year round and inexpensive,available as bundles of leaves or in bags chopped and prepared for cooking. Ifyou get the leaves with their stems, it is necessary to remove the skin from thestem and from the center vein. Always boil callaloo for 30 minutes. Eating itraw or undercooked has much the same effect on your mouth and throat as oneimagines chewing on raw fiberglass would. The discomfort is temporary. Callaloomakes a wonderful soup and if you do not cook it for yourself, eat it in arestaurant at the first available opportunity. To use callaloo as a vegetable,just boil it with a little salt for at least 30 minutes. Like spinach it boilsdown to very little.

Callaloo Soup: 1/2 Ib chopped bacon, 1 pint water, 1/4Ib peeled shrimp, 2 bunches prepared callaloo (about 1 Ib), 5 sliced okras, 1sliced onion, 1/2 oz butter, salt, pepper, garlic, thyme and hot sauce to taste.

Fry the bacon and onion in butter, drain off excess fat. Addcallaloo, okras, water and seasoning. Boil for 40 minutes, then add peeledshrimp. Cook a little longer and serve. For a thicker soup, blend, then serve.

Plantains, to the uninitiated these look just likebananas, but try putting one in a banana daiquiri and you will soon know thedifference. Ask the market ladies to make sure you are getting what you want.Plantains have less sugar than bananas, and taste terrible raw, but when ripe,split down the middle and fried (a couple of minutes on each side) or bakedwhole (about half an hour), they are delicious. Plantains perfectly complementany kind of fish.

The local pumpkin is green, streaked with white, andhas an orange red pulp that is more akin to butternut squash than the Halloweenpumpkin. It keeps a long time unopened and is both versatile and tasty. Removethe seeds before cooking. Boil or bake till soft and serve with butter, or boiland mash with seasoning (include a little nutmeg) and a little orange juice. Ifyou want to make a meal out of a pumpkin, slice it longways down the middle andbake it. While it is cooking, fry onion, christophene, tomato and any leftoversyou might have, melt in a quarter pound of cream cheese and stuff the cookedpumpkin with this mixture. Pumpkin makes a delicious soup. Try it in arestaurant or make it yourself.

West Indian Pumpkin Soup. I small pumpkin, I choppedonion, 1 Tbs butter, 1 chicken stock cube, l/2 pint fresh cream (ortwo cans of cream), 'A glass white wine, salt, pepper, grated nutmeg. Skin andseed the pumpkin and chop into small cubes. Lightly saute the onions inbutter till cooked. Add pumpkin, stock cube and a minimum of water. Boil, usinga lid. When soft, blend or sieve. Add the cream and wine, flavor with salt,pepper and nutmeg to taste. If too thick, thin with milk or water.

Local avocados are absolutely delicious, and reasonenough to come down in the summer (available June to November, but peak seasonaround August and September). Never store them with citrus. They can be eaten asthey are, flavored with a little salt and lime juice, or stuffed with mayonnaiseand shrimp. If they get a little overripe, mash Island Foods them with lime, finely chopped onion, garlic and seasoning.This makes an ideal dip to enjoy with your sunset drink.

Okra is a spear shaped green pod with slimy green seeds.Avoid the large ones, which tend to be tough. They are somewhat slimy if boiled,much less so if sliced and fried. Good in soups.

Sweet potato and yam are sweet and tasty local root cropsthat take about 30 minutes to cook. Nice with pork. Try mashing with a littleorange juice.

Eddo, tania & dasheen are closely related brown hairyroots. They can be a bit dry, though mashing with oodles of butter and milkhelps. Ask the ladies in the market for suggestions.

Christophene has ridges, is pear shaped, comes in eithergreen or white and grows on a vine. Somewhat delicate in flavor, it makes anexcellent vegetable dish or may be added to curries or stews. Peel it and removethe seed. This is best done under water or with wet hands, as otherwise itleaves a mess on your hands that gives the impression your skin is peeling off.It is excellent just boiled with salt, pepper and butter and is even better putin a white cheese sauce. It may also be used raw as a salad ingredient. The seedtastes good raw.

(These may be eaten raw or combined in a fruit salad)

Mangos are delicious and available spring, summer and fall,but only rarely in the winter. They are harder to come by and more expensive inMartinique than in the other Windwards. There are many different varieties.Grafted ones are bigger, better and have fewer strings.

Paw Paw (Papaya) is a lush tropical fruit that containsdigestive enzymes, making it an ideal dessert. It starts green and is ready toeat when it turns yellow and becomes slightly soft. It is available year roundbut is delicate and hard to store. It must be eaten the same day it becomesready. Slice like a melon and remove the seeds; add a squeeze of lime or, evenbetter, add the flesh of a passion fruit to flavor.

Citrus (oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, etc.) occur mainlyin the winter. The quality varies from absolutely superb to dry and unusable.When you are shopping, buy one from the market lady to try. She will open itwith a knife for you to taste. This is the only way to tell how good they are.Local oranges are usually green. Despite the outside color the inside is orangeand ready to eat. Limes are generally available year round. They are essentialfor making rum punch and flavoring fish.

Guavas, available July to December, are green-yellow fruits alittle bigger than golf balls. They may be eaten raw or are excellent stewedwith sugar. They are used to make a sweet called "Guava cheese."

Cashew fruits (French Cashew, Plumrose), are pink fruits withwhite flesh, available June to August. Do not peel, but remove the stone.Delicious when chilled, good in fruit salad.

Pineapples are available most of the year and veryinexpensive in Martinique, but harder to come by and more costly elsewhere.Local pineapples can be absolutely delicious. Test for ripeness by pulling on acentral leaf. If it pulls out easily it is ready.

Passion Fruit are available May to November. A small yellowfruit with a slightly crinkly skin and very strong flavor. Makes an excellentdrink and locally made passion fruit concentrate is usually available in thesupermarkets.

Bananas, which are locally grown and naturally ripened, aredelicious. As well as the "normal" banana, there are many othersimilar looking fruits, some of which are good eaten raw, and some of which needcooking. Consult your market lady. "Eating" bananas make excellentdesserts; try the following: Skipper's Banana Flambe (for 4): 4 bananas, Vi cup darkrum, l/2 cup fresh orange juice, 2 Tbs brown sugar, a slosh of whiterum or vodka, seasoning of nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice.

Split the bananas in two and put in a frying pan, add thebrown rum and orange juice, sprinkle on the sugar and spices, simmer forabout 5 minutes. Pour on the white rum and ignite. (If vodka, you willhave to warm gently in a pan first.)

Bananas Celeste, from Leyritz Plantation (for 4): 6 ozcream cheese, 1A cup brown sugar, l/2 tsp cinnamon, 4 Tbsunsalted butter, '4 cup heavy cream (tinned OK), 1A tsp cinnamon, 4large bananas, peeled and split in half.

Mix the first 3 ingredients. Saute bananas in butter. Lay 4halves in a buttered baking dish, spread with half of mix and repeat. Pour creamover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamonand serve hot.

Soursop is available year round. It is a knobbly green fruitwhich is ripe when it begins to go soft. It is messy to eat because of all theseeds. It can be blended with a little milk and ice to make an excellent drink.

Sapodilla is a small brown fruit, available in the winter.You need a very sweet tooth to enjoy these as they are, but they make anexcellent addition to fruit salad.

Sorrel is a flower, available fresh around Christmas anddried the rest of the year. Pour boiling water on a couple of blossoms to makean excellent herb tea with a flavor not unlike "Red Zinger." Or boil abunch of the flowers with water, adding a lot of sugar and spices. Serve as adelicious iced drink.

Although seafood in the Windwards is excellent, it is notalways in the local supermarket. The main towns of most islands have fishmarkets, and the one in St. George's, Grenada, is good, as is the fisherman'scoop by Pointe Seraphine in St. Lucia. To get fish you often need to first catchyour fisherman. In the Grenadines you can try asking fishermen in camps or thosereturning from fishing trips. Try asking any of the local people where, and atwhat time, the fishermen usually bring in their catch. On arrival they signal byblowing a conch horn. The fish is sold straight out of the boats when theyarrive. Calliaqua in St. Vincent has a good little fish market, where the fishgenerally arrive at about 1600 hours. If you see fishermen untangling a bunch oflarge fish from a gill net, be cautious. Sometimes these nets have been left outfor some days, and by the time the fish reach shore they are only good forsalting. Among other fish you often find: Barracuda ~ a delicious white-fleshed fish. It is probablybest to find ones less than two feet long as ciguatera poisoning is possible,though very rare.

Dolphin ~ sometimes called "Dorado" or "MahiMahi." This pretty fish has white firm flesh, is excellent eating and isabsolutely no relative of "Flipper."

Snapper ~ an excellent white-fleshed fish. The red snapper ismost common.

Tuna ~ several varieties, dark fleshed, excellent flavor.

An easy way to cook most fish is to cut them into steaks orfilets, season with salt, pepper and herbs and saute them in butter or, betterstill, barbecue them. When you get bored with that, try the following:

Baked Fish: One whole fish, scaled, finned and gutted, l/2Ib butter, I onion, 1 tomato, juice of one lime, salt, pepper and garlic.

Make about 4 incisions, 14 of an inch deep, across thefish on both sides. Take the butter and mash it with a fork into a bowl tillsoft, add the lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic to taste, rub this all overthe fish and get plenty into the incisions and inside the fish. Place iton a sheet of tinfoil. Thinly slice the tomatoes and onion. Stuff some insidethe fish and the rest over the outside. Wrap in the tinfoil and bake in a mediumoven for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.

Shirley's Fish Soup (feeds 4, quantities veryapproximate): About a 4-lb fish, preferably a whole dolphin or barracuda, cutinto pieces, 2 Ibs potatoes, 1 Ib tania, 2 green figs (cooking bananas)quartered, one big onion (chopped), 118 Ib butter, juice of 3 limes, coconutmilk made from 2 coconuts, salt, pepper, chives, thyme (ask for"Sive and thyme" in the market), 2/3 liter water and up to a teaspoonof local hot sauce.

Saute the onion and chives in the butter, along with thethyme and seasonings. Add the water and lime juice and simmer for about 20 minutes.Add the vegetables and coconut milk, boil till just cooked. Cut up the fishand add, cooking for a few minutes. Serve. To West Indians the head (eyesand all), goes in and this is thebestpart. Butif you don't fancy it, leaveit out. If making coconut milk is too much trouble, try adding creamat the last minute instead.

eviche: 1 Ib very fresh fish, I finely chopped onion,1 chopped tomato, J/4 tsp local hot sauce, lime juice, saltand pepper.

Filet the fish and cut into small pieces. Put in a nonmetalliccontainer with the onion and tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with lime juiceinto which the hot sauce has been mixed. Let stand in the fridge or ice boxovernight, drain before serving.

Caribbean faux gravlax: One 3 to 4lb tuna, 'A cup sugar, 1Acup salt, tablespoon of peppercorns, !4 cuf> dill, ifavailabk.

Mix sugar and salt, add grated peppercorns and dill. Filetthe fish. Lay half of the fish in a shallow dish, spread the other ingredientson top. Put the other filet on top making a sandwich. Gently place in azip lock bag. Return to the dish, place aflat board on top (must be smaller thanthe dish) with aSlb weight on it. Keep in fridge and turn every twelve hours. Itis ready after 24-36 hours. Slice very thinly. If parasites could be a danger,freeze after slicing. Freezing does not impair the flavor.

Conch is a mollusk that lives in a huge spiral shell linedwith a beautiful pink. The whole animal is called a conch, and "Iambi"refers to the meat. If you are buying from a fisherman, get him to remove theshell. Then hold the conch up by the claw, remove all the thin skin and slimethat hangs from the bottom, remove the eyes and mouth, cut open the gut andclean and remove the tough brown skin. Lastly, remove the claw. You should beleft with a slab of white to slightly pink meat. Chop this up and tenderize byhammering. If you want to be sure your conch is going to be tender, cut it upand pressure cook it for 45 minutes. One of the best ways to cook conch is in acurry.

Curries are very popular in the Windwards, due to the EastIndian influence. Although simple, a curry can be made into a feast if you serveit with an array of garnishes in small bowls, to be sprinkled on top or eatenbeside the curry. Side dish suggestions are as follows: grated coconut, crushedpeanuts, chutney, chopped onion, yoghurt, chopped mango, chopped tomato,raisins' soaked in rum (drain before serving) and chopped cucumber soaked invinegar mixed with pieces of fresh ginger (remove ginger and drain beforeserving). Curry should be served with a bowl of steaming hot rice.

Kristina's Curried Conch: I cleaned and chopped conch perperson, I chopped onion, 2 crushed cloves garlic, 1 tsp fresh grated

ginger, I cup coconut milk or coconut water, I can drained tomatoesor 2 peeled fresh tomatoes, 1 plantain, I tsp thyme, I tsp turmeric,Start with I Tbs curry powder and work up from there as strength can varyenormously..

Saute the onions and garlic till tender andtranslucent. Add the herbs and spices and curry powder. Blend them in.Add the rest of the ingredients and let them simmer for about 20 minutes.

This same recipe will work for meat, chicken, fish or shrimp.In the latter two cases, cook the other ingredients first and only add the fishor shrimp at the last minute. If you wish to fill out the curry somewhat, peeland chop and add two christophenes. They will take about 15 minutes to cook.

The local lobster is a spiny variety without claws. It isillegal to buy lobsters with eggs (they sit in orange clusters under the tail),or during the summer when they are out of season, or those less than 9 incheslong. Fines of $5000 are not unknown for first offenders.

Lobsters are best boiled alive. Submerge them rapidly inboiling water and they will quickly die. Tie up the legs and tail with string soyou don't get splashed with boiling water. Boiling time is 10 to 20 minutesdepending on size. We like to buy smaller ones (about 2 Ibs) and put them with apint of cold water in the pressure cooker. Close the lid, bring them up topressure and cook for about 2 minutes.

Put the cooked lobster face up on a cutting board and, witha very sharp, tough knife, split it in two from head totail. Serve with hot garlic-lime butter. Keep the shells and any odd bits; withthese you can make an absolutely delicious bisque (you can also use shrimp headsand/or skins). This way you get twice the value for money out of your lobster(or shrimp).

Seafood Bisque (Serves 4 as a first course or lunch):Shells from 3 Ibs of lobster (or the heads from 2 Ibs shrimp),9 Tbs butter, I liter water, [/i cup whitewine, 2 Tbs tomato puree, I chopped onion, 2 clovesgarlic, I bay leaf, 2 Tbs flour, 1 egg yolk, l/2 cup cream.

Saute the onions, garlic and lobster sheik in 6 Tbs butterfor about 15 minutes. Add water, wine, tomato puree and bay leaf. Bring to theboil and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain. Mix the rest of the butter with 3Tbs flour, add to the stock and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirringconstantly. Adjust seasoning (salt, pepper).Mix egg yolk with cream in a small bowl. Pour a smallamount of soup in it and stir. Then pour it back into the soup very slowly,beating constantly. Taste again and serve immediately. Garnishwith left over bits of lobster or shrimp (if any).Reheat very gently, as boiling will ruin it. Serve withgrated cheese if you wish.

The French are very particular about their meat, and you canget first-class meats of all sorts in Martinique, both in the supermarkets andat the butcher's. They tend to sell it fresh rather than frozen, so it is easier to assess what youare getting. For those on a budget, kidney and liver are excellent buys; chickenlivers are very reasonably priced. Pork tenderloins are less expensive thanbeef, just as delicious and very tender. In Grenada you can often find them inthe supermarket. The big standby is chicken. Chicken is imported to all theislands in 5-lb boxes. You can get everything from breasts to backs and necks.

Barbecued Chicken (for 6): One 5-lb box chicken parts(whichever kind you like or can afford), l/2 Ib peanut butter, Vi Ib(local) marmalade, 'A cup oil, !4 cup orange juice, 3 oz mustard,I tsp curry powder, salt and pepper.

Mix all the ingredients together well except the chicken, andput in a baking pan. Marinate the chicken in the mixture, then bake in themarinade for about 35 minutes in a medium oven. Remove and finish cookingthe chicken on the barbecue, basting well with the marinade.

St. Lucian Pork Tenderloin (Ivan Howell): 4 Ib pork loin,1 oz chopped onion, I chopped sprig thyme, 3 crushed cloves garlic, '/2 tspsalt,I oz chopped celery, lime juice, 2 whole cloves, dash of Worcestershire, IVi Ibschicken, l'/2 Ibs pork sausage, sprig of parsley.

Clean, butterfly, and flatten pork. Season with next 8ingredients. Chop sausage and boned chicken, spread over pork. Roll, wrap infoil, and bake for 45 minutes or until done. Remove foil and place panover flame, add I Vi cups water, I oz more chopped onion, salt and pepper. Cook10 minutes. Mix 1 Tbs comstarchin a little cold water, add to pan and allow tothicken slightly. Serve slices of pork roll in a pool of natural gravy.

	Введите условия поиска Отправить форму поиска на сайте все яхты Web