TWO YEARS ON FROM BERYL IN THE SOUTHERN GRENADINES

Written by Katie Bloxham, SV Persephone

On July 1, 2024, Hurricane Beryl hit the Southern Grenadines as a Category 4 hurricane, damaging most of the structures on Carriacou, Petit Martinique, Union Island and Mayreau.  While the storm was well forecast, it intensified rapidly as it crossed the Atlantic.  People on the islands never expected to encounter a storm of this severity, and didn’t really even know what Category 4 meant.  Many of us will have read stories of homes and businesses lost, and the dire need for everything from water and power to clothes and kitchen goods.  We were proud to hear how our sailing community pitched in and helped shuttle supplies from less impacted islands.  

Having sailed in the area many times, we were anxious to see how people have recovered when we returned this season.  We were impressed by the fortitude of the local people!  Of course, being heavily dependent on tourism for their income, they have worked hard to be open for business, and this article is based only on the places we visited and accounts from the people we spoke to.

In the Tobago Cays, things seem back to normal, and the beach barbecue infrastructure looks better than it was before.  A lot of day charters come down from Bequia, so the beach by the Cut is hopping at lunch as well as for dinner.  As always, the water taxis will take your trash and bring you ice, although I suspect they are charging a higher premium than before.  The mooring buoys are in good shape and can be trusted.  The dinghy buoys inside and outside the Horseshoe Reef are in place and are getting plenty of use.  The snorkeling outside the reef is still good.   

On Union Island, we visited Chatham Bay, where there used to be numerous casual beach bars as well as a more substantial resort at the far end of the beach.  All of these were wiped out by Beryl, leaving only a few concrete slabs.  The beach and the area immediately behind it has been cleared, but the hillsides are still lined with dead tress.  The resort is mostly rebuilt.  Sunset Cove, and Seckie and Vanessa are up and running, although under tents instead of the wooden buildings I remember, and using a motley assortment of tables and chairs.   Both establishments were busy while we were there, and the food was as good as ever.  The bartender at Sunset Cove told me that she takes money from each paycheck and buys materials to rebuild her house - one bag of cement at a time.  This remains one of our favorite spots in the Grenadines, and we were glad to see that business looked good.  

Clifton is clearly in process of rebuilding and wants our business!  The island is trying to create a central area for visitors, close to the waterfront.  The bank is just behind, and there are several attractive stores nearby selling fruit, veg and a few essentials.  I wouldn’t count on a serious provisioning stop here but we were glad to get some essentials.  The mooring we were on looked somewhat makeshift and the captain remained on board while I went ashore.

On Mayreau, we anchored in Saline Bay.  We walked through the village, across the island and then back along the beach via the Turtle Trail.  This trail might be new - I hadn’t noticed it before - so kudos to whoever built it and maintains it!  About three quarters of the houses appear to have been rebuilt, and there is a lot of construction going on.  The dinghy dock has been rebuilt although has several sharp edges - we took care to use a stern anchor.  Some of the debris was removed from the island and the rest is taken to the dump at the eastern end of the island where unfortunately trash is still burned.  We spoke with Robert Righteous who owns a colorful bar halfway up the hill.  He told us that customers from the US had raised money for him and then visited the island for a week to help him rebuild.  His bar mostly resembles a tree house, but incorporates floors and some walls from the original structure.  Across the road, Dennis’s Hideaway is open for business.  Ranch Escapade had to be rebuilt from scratch, and is a great spot for lunch.  Salt Whistle Bay seems to be in less good shape;   there were fewer businesses than before, and those are operating with a few trestles and tarpaulin roofs.  The church at the top of the island has lost its roof and doesn’t seem to have received much attention yet, but the view over to Tobago Cays is still stunning.  Although there is a small desalination plant on the island, there is no public water supply and everyone is highly dependent on rainwater, stored in ubiquitous black drums.

If you are passing through the Grenadines, please plan to visit these special islands.  Eat and drink with local establishments, and tip generously.  Bring plenty of cash as the only ATM is in Clifton.  If you have photos of locals from prior visits, by all means share them since they may have lost their photo libraries along with everything else.  Be flexible and enjoy this beautiful area!

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