HURRICANE BERYL: The island nations of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada were the worst affected by Hurricane Beryl at the start of July 2024. The Grenadines, Carriacou, Petit Martinique and Union Island were particularly hard hit. While the islands are recovering and all major marine services are back up and running (apart from on Union Island), cruisers should be aware that the islands are still in recovery mode and some services may still be limited or not available.
Located at the southwestern end of Grenada this large open bay is the unofficial HQ of the annual cruiser community and is often packed with boats which are at anchor, on moorings, at the marina or on the hard. The bay is completely open to the south so some continual rolling due to swells can be expected.
Pleasant setting; well-organized customs and immigration for inward and outward clearance; well-stocked chandleries; low-duty supplies and parts; boatyards and strong marine trades; adequate provisioning (although good supermarkets are a car-ride away); affordable restaurants and bars; good transportation including an international airport; healthcare; great hiking; local rum and chocolate; varied tourism options and international yachting events.
Cruisers VHF net runs Monday to Saturday VHF Ch 66 from 7:30 am. Standby, 68 during the day and night.
Approach from south-west with caution. The Porpoises - a group of rocks located about half a mile south of Prickly Point - are sometimes awash and difficult to spot, being about 3 ft above sea level at low tide. A reef extends the full length of the eastern shore. True Blue Point should be given a wide berth owing to shoaling just offshore.
There are three large-diameter concrete and steel post channel markers on the final approaches to Spice Island haulout and the Budget Marine dock in Prickly Bay. The cruising community in Prickly Bay are doing their best to maintain the lights on these markers and ensure they are lit. See this Facebook page for more details. Great care should be taken if navigating at night. A cruiser died in December 2017 after colliding at night with one of these.
If a tropical storm is forecast, this bay can become untenable and the moorings are not designed for holding in storm conditions. It is recommended to move your boat to a more protected anchorage to the east (Scotland Bay is a good choice), or even to Port Louis.
Get Grenada Swimming is a local volunteer opportunity for cruisers to help teach islanders how to swim. See Get Grenada Swimming for details.
11° 59'38"N, 61° 45'48"W (bay entrance)
Last updated: February 2025
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