Sailing to Grenada: Helpful Information for Cruisers

We made it to Grenada!! We left Solomon’s, Maryland, in October 2023 with the goal of sailing to Grenada for hurricane season, and we made it all the way down here! Here are a few stats on our 8+ month journey:

In this article, I’ll discuss our sail from Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines to Carriacou (pre- Hurricane Beryl), our sail from Carriacou to Grenada, where we’ve anchored and docked in Grenada.

I’ll also provide several helpful tips for cruisers to help you get settled for spending the hurricane season here.

Sailing to Grenada

Sailing to Carriacou from Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

We truly loved our time spent in Bequia, and found amazing things to do in Bequia, but it was time to keep moving south to our final destination of Grenada for the summer hurricane months.

We sailed approximately 39 nautical miles from Admiralty Bay, Bequia, to Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. We passed by Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and along the way were greeted by a massive pod of dolphins welcoming us to the island! I have never seen this many dolphins at one time in my life! It was such a special sight to see.

Dolphins Sailing To Grenada

Once we arrived at Carriacou, we anchored in Tyrell Bay. It was a very full anchorage, with several local boats located closer to shore, but we had no issue finding a spot with good holding. 

Tyrell Bay has a Customs and Immigration office located next to Carriacou Marine. We were able to get checked into Grenada at Tyrell Bay, along with our dog, Mangaux.

Tyrell Bay Anchorage

• Latitude: 12° 27’ 30.12”N, Longitude: 61° 29’ 19.84”W
• Holding: Decent holding in a mixture of sand, coral, rock and seagrass
• Wind Protection: Protection from all wind except for westerlies
• Depth: 25-30 feet
• Water: In early June, while we were there, they were still under drought conditions, so there was nowhere to purchase water. We did make water with our watermaker here with no issues.
• Pump-out: No
• Laundry: Yes, there is a laundry service in town (we did not use it)
• Pet Friendly: Unfortunately, I will have to say no. While there are places to walk your dog, Carriacou is known for having poison out and about on the ground, and you must be very careful that your pet does not eat anything off the ground. Most restaurants are not dog-friendly, but we were able to walk Mangaux on the beach with no issues or concerns.
• Groceries: Yes, there are a couple good grocery stores, Alexis and RSV, to get fresh produce and other goods.
• Restaurants: Yes, there are several great places to eat here.
• Marine Supply Stores: Yes, there is a Budget Marine adjacent to Tyrell Bay Marina.

Sailing to Grenada from Carriacou

We spent about 6 days in Carriacou before sailing south approximately 32 nautical miles to the island of Grenada. We had a wonderful, broad reach and were able to sail the entire passage in approximately 15 knots of wind.

We also sailed right by Kick ‘Em Jenny! Kick ‘Em Jenny is a submarine volcano, located approximately 5 miles (8 km) off the north coast of Grenada (12° 18’ 00.6”N, 61° 38’ 24.5”W). She lies about 600 feet below the water’s surface and is surrounded by approximately 3,000 feet of water.

Lucky for us, it was an uneventful sail by Kick ‘Em Jenny!

Upon arrival in Grenada, our first anchorage was a mooring field located off the shores of Grand Anse. We knew we would be staying at the Grenada Yacht Club while both Scott and I flew home to see our families, so we wanted to check out the area.

I really wanted to figure out how to get to the grocery stores and get laundry done was since we would be spending the hurricane season here.

Anchorages and Marinas in Grenada

Grand Anse

Grand Anse was a great place to stay, as there are beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters  to go to, as well as access to the city of St. George’s, which has a great produce market, and several restaurants in either direction.

Grand Anse (Gren-Moor) Mooring Field

• Latitude: 12° 02’ 27.6”N Longitude: 61° 45’ 23.9”W
• Cost: $15 USD ($40.50 ECD) per night. They do offer discounts for longer stays. You can pay through Dockwa or pay in cash when the boat comes around to collect. No anchoring is allowed.
• Holding: Our mooring ball was in good condition, with a lot of room between boats
• Wind Protection: Protection from the northeast through the southeast
• Depth: ~10-15 feet
• Water: Grenada Yacht Club and Port Louis Marina are nearby, and may offer water for sale. We made water from our watermaker while using this mooring field.
• Pump Out: No
• Laundry: There is a laundry drop off service located at Port Louis Marina
• Bathrooms/Showers: No
• Pet Friendly: Yes, we took Mangaux for walks on Grand Anse beach, as well as at the Grenada Yacht Club, using their dinghy dock. You can also walk pets around Port Louis Marina, using their dinghy dock.
• Groceries: Yes, there is a small Foodland grocery store, with a dinghy dock, located adjacent to Port Louis Marina.
• Restaurants: Yes, there are several located on Grand Anse Beach and in town, accessible from the dinghy docks at Grenada Yacht Club and Port Louis Marina.
• Marine Supply Stores: Yes, there is an Island Water World located between Grenada Yacht Club and Port Louis Marina.

Before heading into Grenada Yacht Club for a couple of months, we wanted to check out the anchorages south of here that we had heard so much about.

Woburn Bay

From Grand Anse, we sailed down to Woburn Bay at the southern end of Grenada. To get here, you must head east after reaching the south end of the island, which means some beating into the Trade Winds. We tried to pick a day with relatively lighter winds due to this.

We were not too impressed with Woburn Bay, but to be fair, we got there on a Saturday afternoon, when most restaurants and businesses are closed. We grabbed a mooring ball, although you can also anchor in this area. 

Since businesses are also mostly closed on Sundays, we decided to leave on Sunday and sail over to Prickly Bay. 

Woburn Bay Mooring Field

• Latitude: 12° 00’ 32.7”N Longitude: 61° 44’ 03.5”W
• Cost: Unknown. We asked The Cove for a mooring ball, but they did not have any available. We picked up a ball near The Cove, but no one came out Saturday afternoon or before we left on Sunday to collect fees.
• Holding: Our mooring ball was in good condition, with a lot of room between boats
• Wind Protection: Protection from the southwest through east
• Depth: ~25 feet
• Water: Clarke’s Court Marina and The Cove Marina are nearby, and may offer water for sale. 
• Pump Out: No
• Laundry: Dee’s Laundry is located on-site at Clarke’s Court Marina
• Bathrooms/Showers: No
• Pet Friendly: Yes, we took Mangaux for walks at The Cove Marina grounds using their dinghy dock and Clarke’s Court Marina using their dinghy dock.
• Groceries: Not easily accessible, but there is a ‘cruiser shuttle’ from Clarke’s Court Marina on Tuesdays and Fridays.
• Restaurants: Yes, there are several located on Grand Anse Beach and in town, accessible from the dinghy docks at Grenada Yacht Club and Port Louis Marina.
• Marine Supply Stores: Treasure Trove is a discount marine supply store located in Woburn Bay

Prickly Bay

Woburn Bay to Prickly Bay was a short 4 nautical mile sail. There are also mooring balls in Prickly Bay, but since we were headed up to Grenada Yacht Club in about a week, we decided to just anchor. It was getting crowded in mid-June, but there were still spots to drop an anchor.

We really liked the Prickly Bay anchorage as a whole, and there was a good sense of community there among the sailors. 

There are two main dinghy docks, one at Prickly Bay Marina, and one at Spice Island Boatyard and Budget Marine. There is also great beach access at Lance Aux Epines Beach, which Mangaux loved for his walks. 

We were also able to walk to some great restaurants from Prickly Bay, such as the West Indies Brewery, and the restaurant at Secret Harbor marina. 

However, while we were there, Prickly Bay turned really rolly on us. The wind changed to a southerly component and swells began entering the harbor after a couple of pleasant days. In order to avoid these uncomfortable conditions, we actually left the anchorage early and made our way back to the St. George’s area.

Prickly Bay Anchorage

• Latitude: 11° 59’ 42.89”N, Longitude: 61° 45’ 46.68”W
• Holding: Good holding in sandy, slightly muddy bottom
• Wind Protection: Protection from the west through southeast, however, can be very rolly
• Depth: ~30 feet
• Water: Available for purchase from Prickly Bay Marina
• Pump-out: No
• Laundry: There is a laundry service at Prickly Bay Marina, as well as a couple of washers and dryers located at Spice Island Marine
• Pet Friendly: Yes, Lance Aux Epines Beach is a great place to walk the dog. You can also walk your dog around Prickly Bay Marina or from the dinghy dock near Budget Marine/Spice Island Marine. Note: Dogs are allowed in Budget Marine – and Manguax loves the air conditioning in there!
• Groceries: There is a small mini-mart located at Prickly Bay Marina. You can also walk approximately 1 mile (1.7 km) to Ram’s Supermarket and CK’s Super Valu Food Depot. There is a ‘cruiser shuttle’ from Prickly Bay Marina on Tuesdays and Fridays.
• Restaurants: Yes, several. And many of them are open on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Marine Supply Stores: Budget Marine is located next to Spice Island Marine, and they have a dinghy dock at this location.

St. George’s

It was a short 7 nautical mile sail from Prickly Bay back up to Grand Anse mooring field near St. George’s. We stayed here for a few nights while waiting to go into our berth at Grenada Yacht Club.

After a few hot days and nights on a mooring ball, it was finally time for us to get into our berth at the Grenada Yacht Club and hopefully turn on some air conditioning for a while. 

The dock hands there were very helpful in getting us into our berth, as it was the first time we had done the Mediterranean-style mooring. The dock hands had a person on the dock to catch our stern lines, as well as someone in a dinghy to help us secure the mooring ball. 

Grenada Yacht Club has both 220V and 110V power, however, the 110V power is only 50 hz, compared to 60 hz, which is what we have in the United States. 

Our newer air conditioner in the salon can run on either 50 hz or 60 hz and works fine, however, our aft air conditioner is an older model that only runs on 60 hz. We tried to run it, but it would repeatedly trip the breaker, so we just kept it off.

Grenada Yacht Club

• Latitude: 12° 02’ 46.9”N, Longitude: 61° 44’ 51.8”W
• Cost: $13.20 USD per foot per month; $0.70 per foot per day
• Slips: Concrete dock with Mediterranean-style mooring, where your stern is fastened to the concrete dock, and your bow is fastened to a mooring ball
• Power: $0.67 per kwh. They have both 110V and 220V power, however, the 110V power is 50 hz instead of 60 hz, which is what we are used to in the United States.
• Water: $.09 per gallon, which is potable
• Laundry: Yes, they have washing machines, but no dryers. You can drop off your laundry at Port Louis Marina, which is located across from the harbor, and pick it up later that day or the following day.
• Bathrooms/Showers: Yes, there are showers in one section and bathrooms in another. These are the same bathrooms that the restaurant uses. The showers feature salon-style doors, and just cold water. The cold feels good, as the restrooms are not air conditioned.
• Pet Friendly: Definitely. There are grassy areas at the marina, or you can walk outside of the marina a short distance to a park or ballfield.
• Groceries: Yes, there is a small Foodland across the bay near Port Louis Marina
• Restaurants: Yes, Spout restaurant is located on-site (Wing Wednesday – they serve $1 ECD ($0.37 USD) per wing, which is a great deal!)
• Marine Supply Stores: Yes, there is an Island Water World located between Grenada Yacht Club and Port Louis Marina.

Helpful Information When Sailing to Grenada

Sailing to Grenada is just like traveling to any other country in that you have to learn the ins and outs of it and find the unique things to do here. Below is some helpful information to help you upon your arrival to Grenada:

Customs and Immigration

The first thing you will need to do is clear in with Customs and Immigration. There are three Customs and Immigration offices in Grenada: one in Carriacou, and two on the main island of Grenada.

Scott checked us all in, as only the Captain is allowed inside the Customs and Immigration Office in Carriacou. He brought our vessel’s documentation paperwork, our clearance paperwork when we cleared out of Bequia, our Pet Import Permit for Mangaux, and both of our passports.

Checking our dog into Grenada was easy with a little advanced planning.

Our total cost to clear Grenada in Carriacou was $52.96 USD ($143 ECD). 

Carriacou

• Location: Tyrell Bay, adjacent to Carriacou Marine (see note above)

Grenada

• Location: St. George’s Harbor, adjacent to Port Louis Marina
• Location: Prickly Bay, adjacent to Prickly Bay Marina

Cruiser’s Net

There is a great Cruiser’s Net here in Grenada, that is broadcast over a repeater, allowing it to be heard over a great distance.

You can tune into the Cruiser’s Net Mondays through Saturdays at 0730 on VHF Channel 66 Duplex, on the International Band. 

The Cruiser’s Net covers topics such as weather, people arriving and departing, local business announcements, activity announcements, and people looking to buy, sell or trade items.

I highly recommend listening in to get a good feel for what is going on in Grenada, and to ask any questions you may have.

Cruisers Shopping Shuttles

As I learned listening to the Cruiser’s Net, there are organized shuttles for cruisers on set days of the week to take you to the popular shops that cruisers like to frequent – grocery stores and marine supply stores. 

A dedicated bus will pick you up and drop you off at the designated locations for $15 ECD ($5.55 USD) per person. A benefit of using the cruiser shuttle is that they will make room for all of your grocery bags. This makes it a great option for getting around Grenada for grocery shopping and boat part shopping.

No reservations are required for these shuttles.

Here is the Cruiser’s Shopping Shuttle schedule, as of July 2024:

MONDAYS

Pick-up Location and Time: The Cove Marina at 9:30 AM

Shuttle Destinations: Fuel run

TUESDAYS (full shopping, including ACE and Budget)

Pick-up Locations and Times: Clarke’s Court Boatyard at 9:30 AM

Prickly Bay Marina Car Park at 9:30 AM

Secret Harbor/Mt Hartman Bay at 9:30 AM

The Cove Marina at 9:30 AM (Bank, Veggie Shop, IGA and CKs only)

Shuttle Destinations: Bank (for ATM to pay drivers in cash), Veggie Shop, IGA Supermarket, CK Valu, ACE Hardware, Budget Marine

WEDNESDAYS

There are no regularly scheduled cruiser shopping shuttles

THURSDAYS

There are no regularly scheduled cruiser shopping shuttles

FRIDAYS  (full shopping)

Pick-up Locations and Times: Clarke’s Court Boatyard at 9:30 AM

Prickly Bay Marina Car Park at 9:30 AM

Secret Harbor/Mt. Hartman Bay at 9:30 AM
The Cove Marina at 9:30 AM (Bank, Veggie Shop, IGA and CKs only)

Shuttle Destinations:  Bank (for ATM to pay drivers in cash), Veggie Shop, IGA Supermarket, CK Valu, ACE Hardware, Budget Marine

SATURDAYS

A “FREE” Budget Marine bus by Survival Anchorage 

Pick-up Locations and Times: 

• Woburn Bay dock at 0930 AM
• Nimrod’s Rum shop at 0940 AM
• Clarke’s Court Boatyard entrance at 0950 AM 
• Secret Harbour at 1000 AM

Shuttle Destinations: Budget Marine and then, on the way back, stops at ACE hardware. 

Please note that this is NOT a free grocery shopping bus!

Meat & Meat has a free bus, please contact them 473-410-6662 to schedule.

Grenada Cruisers Facebook Groups

Another excellent resource for information when sailing in Grenada is to join any or all of the numerous Facebook groups for this area. Below are a few of my favorites:

• Carriacou Cruisers
• Grenada Cruisers Information
• Grenada Cruisers Buy, Sell and Trade
• Grenada Visitors, Travelers & ExPats (Caribbean)
• Grenada Cruisers, Coming Events and Advertising Page

When we got secured in our slip at the Grenada Yacht Club, it was a challenge for both me and Mangaux to get on and off the boat. They have a concrete dock, and we wanted to ensure we were far enough away from the dock to avoid hitting it. 

I went on Grenada Cruisers Buy, Sell and Trade and asked if anyone had a gangway for sale, as we had left our behind when we left Mobile, AL, in January 2023. It was within minutes that someone responded and sold us a gangway, just like the one we had before we left. They even delivered it to us! 

It is working out great, and I am easily able to get on and off the boat with Mangaux!

Sailing to Grenada: Island Adventures Await

We are really excited to have reached Grenada. We can’t wait to stay put for a while and explore this beautiful island full of waterfalls, beautiful beaches, hiking trails with the locals, and rich culture. Of course, we will be working on the never ending list of boat projects while we are stationary as well. 

Have you been to Grenada? What are some of your favorite things to do here? We would love to hear from you.

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