Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are Rebuilding

Greetings from the windswept (and, now increasingly soggy, tropical waves keep coming and coming with more rain – and nobody has a roof!!) Grenadines!  Since Hurricane Beryl struck on July 01, 2024, the islanders have begun to rebuild.

Saint Vincent has had all power and communications restored and in the Northern Grenadines, both Mustique and Bequia are again fully functional with power and communication.

The islands of Southern Grenadines are closer to where the eyewall passed our longitude and suffered far more extensive damage.

In Canouan the Sandy Lane Marina suffered loss of both of the breakwater dykes and some of the piers and part of the dock electrical system were compromised. Work is going on and the new GM of Sandy Lane, Wayne Gough, reports that he hopes to be operational for the season.

The Canouan Jetport and the airport buildings are being restored by SVG Air in cooperation with a local villa owner, Villa Gumbolimbo, who also supplied Starlink comms to the Police Station as a public hotspot. The airport is expected to be back to full commercial operations in early August. Customs and Immigration have returned to the island. Communications and power are also
expected to be restored to most of the island by the end of next week.

Mayreau Situation is Precarious

The situation in Mayreau is more precarious. The iconic Roman Catholic Church, built in stone, in 1930, which served as a storm shelter for almost a century, fell victim to Beryl’s 150 knot winds. All taking shelter in the Church survived. The RC church, its neighbour, the Pentecostal Church and most of the private houses will need to be rebuilt.

Mayreau should have power and communications restored in early August, but repairs to the housing stock needing to take advantage of the power will take some months to achieve.

The Mayreau Beach Club, which served as a shelter both during the storm and afterwards, lost its docks and its tented restaurant; its villas are intact and the Mayreau Beach Club expects to be at least partially operational in the fall. There is a breach between the Caribbean and Atlantic sides of the island in Salt Whistle Bay that crews are trying to correct; they are trying to protect Salt Whistle Bay from Atlantic erosion.

Petit Saint Vincent

Petit Saint Vincent is still recovering from the shock and awe of Beryl. All staff survived and assessment teams have arrived to begin planning for restoration. No word yet on Palm Island plans.

Union Island

In Union Island the rebuilding will be more extensive, it is the most populous of the Southern Grenadines islands and was closest to the Beryl epicentre.

The Union Island airport is operational (for emergency and relief flights only), although the terminal buildings and tower remain in need-of-repair.

The Anchorage Yacht Club and associated buildings like the Marine Tech Centre and the JT Pro Kite Centre will need extensive rebuilding. The docks will need to be replaced.

The Bougainvilla complex survived the Beryl onslaught, for the most part, with some roofs missing and the west wall of the restaurant now ‘open’. The Bougainvilla is the nerve centre of aid coordination.  The fisheries dock and main commercial dock remain intact and are being used form intensive aid delivery.

Grenadines Dive reports that the Dive Shop is gone, as is Glenroy Adams’ house; but he did manage to save his boats. He plans to rebuild, better & stronger, and hopes to be open for the coming season for scuba adventures in Southern Grenadines waters.

Most of the rest of Clifton, most of Ashton, and destinations like Sparrow’s Beach Club, are all in need of extensive repair. The power station was badly damaged and some generators need replacement. The solar field is no more. Even if the power station is restored, most poles and transformers are missing and the buildings to which you connect the power lines are ‘absent’.

Planning for the 2024-2025 Season

Erika’s Ops

Erika’s is moving Union Island staff and office operations from Union Island to Bequia where we will continue operations for the coming season. Our main office will be at the Plantation House, in Admiralty Bay – and yes, we have a tender dock there too. Erika’s operations in Mustique, Bequia and Saint Vincent are operating as usual. Erika’s Canouan will be operational, whether within the Marina or closer to the main docks – we’ll see!

The Cruising Season

Should you forget about the Grenadines for the coming season? NO, not at all! Our beaches, sea and sun are still here, our anchorages still unspoilt, and our people would appreciate the custom! We have fishermen who will have fish, lobsters; farmers who will have produce, and businesses that are looking forward to serve and delight your guests. Indeed, we have had very positive responses from many vessels, brokers and owners that they intend to return to the Grenadines in the coming season to support the islands. Thank you!

Of course, there won’t be the level of services in the Southern Grenadines that you are used to; the JT Pro Centre (Kitesurfing), and Sparrows, have significant rebuilds to do and nowhere for their staff to stay; but rebuilding continues, and we have options for your guests in Mustique, Bequia and Saint Vincent as well, let us know, we’ll make the arrangements!

The Tobago Cays Marine Park will still be as beautiful as it has ever been (minus some palm trees), and word from Mayreau is that the Mayreau Beach Hotel villas will be operational and they are looking at rebuilding the restaurant and docks that were destroyed in Beryl.

The Northern Grenadines, Mustique and Bequia will be fully open and Saint Vincent,
long neglected by visiting yachts, will be standing-by to charm visiting yachts.  Rainforest hikes and walks are Saint Vincent’s key strength and the trails up to the Saint Vincent volcano, La Soufriere, that erupted three years ago, are open again and we had great success this past season with volcano summit expeditions.

We look forward to seeing you down in our waters over the coming season, give us your support and we’ll make certain your guests are delighted as usual.

To Assist In Relief Efforts:

We recommend this GoFundMe appeal:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-union-island-population-recover-from-the-hurricane

Cheers
The Erika’s team

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• Caribbean:  Hurricane Beryl – How You can Help

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