Hurricanes and Grenada

[Sonosailor]

So Ivan hit Grenada with a vengeance! What will this change? I understood that Grenada hadn't been hit by a major storm since 1936, and that is why insurance agencies had allowed it to be considered out of the danger zone for hurricanes. Am I wrong about that?

Our agent told us we could store our boat in Grenada to wait out next year's season. I wonder what he will tell us this week. Anybody familiar with this ?

The reports about damage seem to be inconsistent. One report was that 90% of the homes in Grenada were damaged, while another said 90% were destroyed. Any body got factual data?

I remember the historic waterfront of St. George's. The ocean seemed to be only a few feet lower than the main street. That area certainly couldn't handle much of a storm surge.

[Talbot]

If you are concerned about a boat or crew in Grenada, then try Here

Good Luck

[GordMay]

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/big...8&first=64&fs=

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/big...h.jsp&first=72

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/big...h.jsp&first=72

http://www.redcross.ca/cmslib/images/dsc00303.jpg

[tenknots]

There was some damage to boats at Grenada Marine. I recieved this from a friend there a couple of days ago:

"For your information, the other marina--Spice Island--was devastated. All monohulls there are down, and I am told even some of the cats were flipped. Only five masts are upright among the jumble."

Don't know yet what the insurance companies will do - except that they won't lose money.

[Talbot]

tenknots once whispered in the wind:
Don't know yet what the insurance companies will do - except that they won't lose money.

I would not be so quick to judge on this. some companies will take it on the chin on the basis that they will be the ones with the business in the future, and as for not losing money, My father-in-law was a Lloyds name in insurance, until bankrupted completely by a series of hurricanes in the late 50's.

What will be interesting is to have a list of those insurance companies that try to wheezle out of payment, they need to be named and shamed, and their tactics revealed for others.

[Sonosailor]

Well, St. Paul/Cowan told us they will not insure us on our trip - 2 weeks before we are scheduled to leave. So now, I am hiring a surveyor to survey the boat for other prospective insurers. Wish me luck.

[harryrezz]

We used to moor our boat in a sheltered anchorage behind Hog Island on the southern tip of Grenada. thank goodness, two years ago we moved her to a little commercial boatyard on Carriacou, one island north, where she was safely on the hard in an area dug into a hillside when Ivan the Terrible roared through. Of the 30-odd boats in our old anchorage, only 3 survived. We are very familiar with the above Spice Island Marina - brand new facility - and, indeed, all the boats there fell like dominoes. Another new marina, Clarkes Court, had all their brand new docks completely destroyed, and several boats were lost there as well. In the lagoon in St. Georges, for those who are familiar with the area, about 25-30 boat wound up in a huge pile right in front of the dinghy dock for the Food Land Super Market. Devastation was terrible. 200 year old stone churches lost roofs and even walls, and 90% of homes were either damaged or destroyed.
All that said, after breathing a sigh of relief to hear that we were OK, our insurance carrier just happily accepted our next payment yesterday! We are with Offshore Risk Management, and while they're not cheap (we carry commercial insurance for our charter business), they have been reliable and fair.