Experience with Riggers in Grenada,Trinidad and Curacao

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by mbartosch

We can recommend GPS Rigging on Guadeloupe, Jean-Paul did a very good job replacing our forestay. Unfortunately it looks like his website is gone. Don’t know if he is still around.
Jean-Paul LEVERT
S.A.R.L GPS Rigging
Place créole, le lagon bleu
marina bas-du-fort
97190 GOSIER
APE 3315Z Capital 4000€
Police d'assurance groupama n°18000666
Siret : 539169185 00011
http://www.gpsrigging.com
info@gpsrigging.com
Mob : +590 (0)690 581 804
fax : 05 90 22 76 23

On Sint Martin we also received great support from FKG Rigging:
http://fkgmarine.com/
(Rigging job with the boom and hydraulics work)

Grenada, St George we got good service from Turbulence Sails in St George (canvas work, no rigging for us)

Hi, thank you so much for your post. I think we will go south and try and find your guys in Gadeloupe on the way to Le Marin.

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by CFS Klopas

The Northeast Caribbean has never experienced a recorded hurricane in June, if that's what you're nervous about: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/

Thank you for the link. It is helpful to have the background information it is good to know so long as this year is typical.

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by sck5

Check A & A Rigging in English Harbour. Small but exc. 268 562 5616

Thanks. I will try and find them as I am just in Falmouth Harbour and they may be helpful for a second opinion although I think I would rather be further south.

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by njoynthewater

Have no experience with rigging work down here in Grenada but we just arranged haul out and storage for our boat at Grenada marina and the yard advertises rigging work. We stopped in at the yard to make our arrangements and it has a good feel about it. People we have spoken to here give them good reviews. A friend is having their boat hauled st Clarke's court marina and they give that yard good reviews as do others we have talked to.

Thanks. We were in Clark Court earlier this summer and they were very professional.

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by KWISPEL

Le Marin in Martinique? Can't you sail with 1 sail? Slower, ... .

I think we are going to try Le Marin. Sailing slower is not a problem as it is mostly a beat / reach at the moment

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by Locquatious

We had a very bad experience with Turbulence in Spice Island in Grenada. The rigger decided to oversize the wire and hardware, but the toggle pins were too large for the chainplates. He tried to substitute smaller pins that would have bent and would not have fit the toggle holes. During the dispute he refused to work on our boat for a month and spewed insults. Finally one of his employees came up with a solution that met the hardware manufacturer's specifications, though the toggle pin was undersized for the oversized wire.

We saw other boats with his undersized toggle pin installation. He made more money by oversizing the wire but did not know how to do it properly.

Thank. Useful to hear your experience with Turbulence.

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by DMCantor

We have had exactly the opposite experience with Turbulence on Grenada. We have used them for almost ten years, and have always found them to be professional. About 40% of our standing rigging was installed by Turbulence, and I have full confidence in its integrity. By the way, we have also had good experience with them for sail repair and cockpit canvas.

No business connection with Turbulence except as a satisfied customer.

Thanks, also useful to hear your experience.

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by poiu

If you want A&A to do it check his movements first. He gads about in summer. Then realise also it’s the Carribean, so it may not happen anyway.

A very slim chance of hurricanes in June, even until mid Aug. No guarantees though, so be ready to flee at any time.

Thanks. I think itnis pretty common here that at the end of the season everyone sees it as their downtime and does other things ")

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by bobnlesley

I note it being the 'wrong way' for you, but we've used FKG in St Maarten a couple of times and yes, they were very good, very fast and very reasonably priced.
Heading south, I see that someone's already mentioned Le Marin at the bottom of Martinique. There was (2015) a guy who worked out of a shipping container in the marina that we used - sorry no recollection of either his or the business' name - who also proved very good but he spoke no English at all - I fortunately had a Quebecois friend with me to avoid things being lost in translation - but if you can bridge the language barrier, I'd suggest trying to find him.

Thanks I think we are going to Le Marin on the way down and as they have a lot of sevices I will look for the guy you mentioned. I am sure the port office and chandlery will be able to tell me if he is around.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by rlamoureux

Can you please give me an approximate monthly cost for storing a 55’ mono haul sailboat in Grenada? About 6-9 months. Some maintenance would be done as well

Thanks/Robert

Please start your own thread or PM an individual. Hijacking threads is frowned upon.

[blueblaze]

Originally Posted by sailingsimon

We have a problem with our Hood in Mast Furling and need to replace the swivel and maybe part of the foil. We are currently in Antigua however we are nervous staying here until the end if June and Antigua Rigging seem very expensive. Does anyone on the forum have experience of riggers further south such as Grenada, Trinidad, Curacao bearing in mind also we will need to ships parts from the UK.

We used the rigger in Trinidad two years ago. He’s a Swedish guy, very good. And Trinidad is duty free for bringing in boat parts.

[tedowens]

I strongly recommend Jonnas at Trinidad Riggers within Peaks Boatyard in Chagaramus, Trinidad. He re-did my rig last summer and did a great job for a reasonable price. He also replaced my roller furling. Trinidad is the best place to get work done. There are loads of skilled tradesmen at reasonable prices and quick turnaround.

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by blueblaze

We used the rigger in Trinidad two years ago. He’s a Swedish guy, very good. And Trinidad is duty free for bringing in boat parts.

Hi blueblaze, thanks so much for your reply. We have discovered that the lead time for parts is about six weeks. I think Trinidad is going to be our target providing the security situation seems OK, so your comments are particularly helpful.

[sailingsimon]

Originally Posted by tedowens

I strongly recommend Jonnas at Trinidad Riggers within Peaks Boatyard in Chagaramus, Trinidad. He re-did my rig last summer and did a great job for a reasonable price. He also replaced my roller furling. Trinidad is the best place to get work done. There are loads of skilled tradesmen at reasonable prices and quick turnaround.

Ted, many thanks for your advice. We aim to haul out at Peake if the security situation seems OK when we get down to Grenada and it is helpful to hear there is a good rigger there. We are building up a list of jobs

[Pete O Static]

I am in Grenada at the moment trying to get some rigging work done. There is a rigging shop in Spice Island Marina called Turbulence Rigging and I can tell you that my experience with them has been ridiculous.


It is like pulling teeth just to get them to come and quote anything. I paid them for a rigging check almost 4 months ago and still waiting for a quote to complete the repairs that need doing. I had them measure for interior cushions at the same time, still no dice. Every time I walk in the office it is in chaos and panic due to self induced disorganization.


I have given up on them and looking elsewhere. YMMV but this has been my experience. Might want to avoid.