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Old 09-04-2019, 16:23   #1
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You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

Martinique, St. Vincent, Bequia, St. Lucia, Grenada

For those of you who have provisioned in these four islands or at least purchased there, can you sort least expensive to most in a provisioning location for a 2 month sail? I can stop at any of these islands for my major provisioning but can’t find which one has the lowest cost. Have you gone to each of these islands and purchased and can give me a comparative insight? Also, I am interested in if you found that x island has excellent prices on wine/beer chocolate but not on groceries but Y island has the best overall selection/prices? What I read is that Martinique is the most expensive of all of these choices but then the rest I have no clarity. Last, I have found that some of these islands have frozen food grocery stores. Have you used these for meats etc? And last, Where and when are the best food and fruit markets?

I have the flexibility of choosing 1) Grenada Ft. Louis Grand Anse (IGA) or 2)Port Elizabeth Bequia 3) Kingstown at Young Island St. Vincent (Massy) 4) Vieux Fort, Anchored using taxi from Laborie (Massy) or at Rodney Bay Massy and 5) Martinique at Le Marin (Carrefour or Leader)

Please don’t make any comments on safety at any of these locations. It is not necessary. Thanks in advance for your help!
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Old 09-04-2019, 18:05   #2
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

I would hit the Mega J in Castries, St Lucia. It's a taxi ride from Rodney Bay, but it is a bulk store very similar to Costco and worth the trip.

For fruits and veggies, they're all about the same in terms of quality and price. Bequia has a market right on the dock that probably wins for convenience.

But you mentioned wine... Martinique cannot be beat for wine.
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Old 09-04-2019, 19:26   #3
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

We are sailing from Grenada next month & having a tough time trying to figure out where to provision in St George’s? Someone said there was a Rite Way which we’ve used in Tortola a few years back. They were good👍🏻 Sunsail just takes us straight to store.sunsail.com and prices are high... any information from sailors out there for Grenada would be great 👍🏻
We’ll be following your post..
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Old 09-04-2019, 23:56   #4
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

We have been out 12 years and one of the fun things is exploring each location and what you can find and not find. We wander we look we compare and then wander some more.


Not sure what you mean by provision but we found people eat all over the world and you can find food and what ever almost anywhere. When we started we provisioned for the millennium but then had some stuff go out of date (ate it anyway) but really stopped doing that. Now our provision depends on our plans. If we are going to stay in one place we provision for a few days - if going to be moving a lot provision for a bit longer but not much.


But again we like to explore and we ask locals and other cruisers we meet. And we walk into and out of a lot of stores comparing prices.
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Old 10-04-2019, 03:36   #5
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

When we charter in Martinique we provision at Carrefours. They have a van that will pick you up and bring you back to the boat.
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Old 10-04-2019, 09:27   #6
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

Day to day stuff, can get anywhere but if, like us, you like to fill the bilges and lockers every few months then Martinique or St George’s are your best bet.
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Old 10-04-2019, 09:29   #7
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

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When we charter in Martinique we provision at Carrefours. They have a van that will pick you up and bring you back to the boat.

===


Yes, my choice would be Martinique also. Carrefours is good, and overall infrastructure and services are the best in both the Windwards and Leewards.
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Old 10-04-2019, 09:35   #8
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

St. George's being St. Vincent?
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Old 10-04-2019, 09:45   #9
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

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Originally Posted by JayH View Post
I would hit the Mega J in Castries, St Lucia. It's a taxi ride from Rodney Bay, but it is a bulk store very similar to Costco and worth the trip.

For fruits and veggies, they're all about the same in terms of quality and price. Bequia has a market right on the dock that probably wins for convenience.

But you mentioned wine... Martinique cannot be beat for wine.
^ what JayH said.

Another vote for Mega J in Castries, St. Lucia. We did our provisioning there for our 10 day bareboat charter.

Bequia for convenience, as said above.

And definitley Martinique for French wine
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Old 10-04-2019, 10:05   #10
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

I try not to worry too much about prices, that will drive you crazy.

I have been to all of he islands you list except st.Lucia in the last few years.

My favorite place to provision was LeMarin in the south of Martinique.
Leader Price has a dinghy dock that you can bring your grocery cart to.
The quality of the French food (and wine) is fantastic. There is also a Carefour supermarket within walking distance.

The market in St.Georges Grenada should not be missed. It is huge, colourfull, vibrant. Excellent local fruit and vegatables, not expensive. You can tie your dinghy to the wall in the carenage and walk through the tunnel to get there.
The fish market here is also very inexpensive, but it is hit or miss as far as selection, they have whatever came off the boats, selection changes hourly.
The women in the stalls will prepare the fish as you like, amazing to watch them work with machetes.

The market in Bequiia is nice, but the vendors mostly come by ferry from St.Vincent so it is more expensive.
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Old 10-04-2019, 11:08   #11
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

Grenada: IGA is relatively expensive. Go early in the day to get eggs.
Martinique: the French gov subsidizes food in the "offshore territories" so that they are similar to prices on the mainland. When you are in Martinique you are in France. The prices are very good. The Wine prices are bottom cheap. You can get champagne (real champagne) for less than 15 E (I once aid 11 E for surprisingly good champagne). A "1er Grand Cru Classé for around 12-15 E, you can't get close to that bargain anywhere else (except Gwada, which is also a French offshore territory). Another advantage are the selection and quality of cheeses, that alone is worth the trip. And everything else is so good. A reserve regarding Leader, it is really cheap there but the quality isn't what you'd expect from the French.
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Old 10-04-2019, 11:18   #12
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

Nobody recommends , Kingstown in at Vincent ??
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Old 10-04-2019, 11:53   #13
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

Just did the trip 6 weeks ago. Le Marin best overall. Forget Rodney Bay price robbers. Liked shopping in Bequia for the ambiance. Overall it is more expensive once outside Martinique. Beer is expensive everywhere. Rhum cheap all over. Beware of fresh seafood. Negotiate well or you will pay a lot. Overall park of the ambiance of the islands.
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Old 10-04-2019, 11:56   #14
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

I am familiar with Lider as they were in Chile when I lived there. Your commentary about the wine and cheese made me hungry. I will start in Le Marin so I will for sure take the dingy dock and go to both Lider and Carrefour.
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Old 10-04-2019, 12:42   #15
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Re: You provisioned in the Windwards? Can you help me sort out where?

Haven't been there yet.....following!
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