TravelTalkOnline Forums Trip Reports (Read Only) Trip Report and Photo Archives Trip report day 4 - Grenada Workboat Regatta

Feb. 4, 2012
We walked down the beach towards the Spiceland Mall to get some breakfast. We stopped at La Boulangerie, which is located in the small complex near the main road. We had callaou quiche, pain au chocolat, coffee and tea (43 EC). The quiche was nice and cheesey, and the pastries were some of the best we’ve had in the islands. Today is the first day of the workboat regatta, so after stopping at the supermarket for some beer, water, and rum we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the beach. They are adding a third floor to the hotel and Sharon showed us some of the new rooms on the second floor in the area that used to be the dining room. These rooms are very large, and the kitchen and living room are open to the sea, allowing for nice cool breezes. We couldn’t go up to the top floor as the workmen were busy, but when completed the views from there must be stunning.
We walked down the beach to where the boats and tents were setup and picked out our spot for the day. We stumbled upon the workboat regatta unexpectedly last year, and what a great time it is. The first day is spent in elimination races, choosing the best teams from the different parishes, large towns, and out islands. The boats are all hand-built from wood and fiberglass with spars of various combinations of bamboo and aluminum. Torn sails are repaired with duct tape, and any available line is used to replace broken shrouds. The boats don’t have any keels to speak of and are usually kept upright by the men hiking out on lines lead to the top of the mast. This method doesn’t always work, especially in the heavy winds that were prevalent today. At one time we counted 5 boats capsized on the course. They have a rescue boat the drags them back to shore where they are bailed out and any repairs made to prepare for the next round. Later in the afternoon we met up with Dan and Em and their crew, they had gone to Seven Sisters Falls in the morning and also stopped at the Creole Shack for lunch in St. Georges at my recommendation. They were very satisfied with the food there, and said when they arrived the queue of locals was out the door, always a good sign. If you are ever in Grenada I would highly recommend this restaurant for local food at very reasonable prices; they are located above the supermarket near the bus terminal. Kim and I made full advantage of the many fine offering from the food stands at the regatta, which is held on Grand Anse beach. We had oil-down, meat pies, BBQ pork, and assorted snacks. The races were fun to watch and as the boats start from the water edge there were many mishaps caused by the high winds and breaking swells, all accompanied by the non-stop banter between the crews; and to make it more interesting their time is not stopped at the finish line but only after a crew member runs up to the judges stand and has a drink. It was a great way to spend the day, my time split between watching the races, swimming, and of course sampling all the fine local dishes. As the sun set we walked back to the hotel and sat on the balcony for a while before the long day in the sun got the better of us and we called it an early night.

The boats are lined up on the beach awaiting the races


Crossing the finish line


He's got some work ahead of him


Some boats don't fare so well