Hurricane Ivan

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Chaguaramas Bay, Trinidad
Thursday, Sept. 9

Cruisers here in Trinidad have started a collection program, we are all going to help our fellow cruisers in Grenada. Some are actually sailing up this weekend to help others whose boats are sunk and destroyed to give them a place to stay. The anchorages we were in last week are gone. The marinas have been wiped out. The boat yards look like a dominos game, everyboat on the hard has fallen on the boat next to them. Thousands and thousands of dollars all lost or destroyed. It is so sad. A lot of friends have lost their boats and 2 have lost their lives. We are collecting food, water, batteries and other supplies and have chartered a cargo ship to bring supplies to the boater community up north. The government can't help the cruisers; they told them they are pretty much on their own. But, that is not true, the cruising community sticks together and will reach out and help any other cruiser who needs help. That is one of the reasons we love cruising so much. People care so much for one another. We just hope the Grenadian government will let our ships in to distribute the supplies. We will keep you posted.

Grenada "the spice island" has been hit hard, people, homes, trees have been hit and hit hard.
We are fine. Dave had the foresight to get us "out of Dodge" so don't worry about us, but thank you for your concern. Miss you and love you.
Fran

Chaguaramas Bay, Trinidad
Friday,Sept. 17

Hello friends and family,
We are safe and sound. Hurricane IVAN passed 80 miles north of our dock in Chaguaramas Bay on the N.W. coast of Trinidad. We had high winds and rough waves but Sorrento was well tied and we just bounced around.

The real horror story comes from Grenada where many of our friends were anchored. Grenada was considered a safe harbor below the usual hurricane belt. These cruisers felt secure in southern Grenada and confident that IVAN would take the usual track to the north. It was a tragic miscalculation. Eight-five boats were sunk and all the others were damaged to varying degrees. There were three deaths and a few minor injuries but most people survived; shaken-up but unhurt.

The Trinidad cruisers initiated a hugh relief effort to supply fuel, food and water to the Grenadan cruisers whose boats are too damaged to get underway. There are no goods and services left on Grenada. Violence and looting are rampart. The island is on the edge of chaos. Only a few hundred feet of water separate the boaters from the roving gangs of looters. The situation is grim and will remain so for a long time. (go to www.imagehaven.com for photos).

We did not feel safe in Grenada (hurricane wise). Two weeks before IVAN, we got hit by tropical depression EARL at Carriacou island on the north side of Grenada. We figured if it can happen once, it can happen again. So we sailed for Trinidad. And tragically, it did happen again.

First there was BONNIE, CHARLIE, FRANCES, then IVAN and now with JEANNE bearing down on Florida, it looks like we picked the right year to leave Miami.!!

Be Well, Fran and Dave