Sauteurs Breakwater safe haven for boats as Dorian approaches

by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada

• Sauteurs Breakwater assumed safe haven by St Patrick fishermen
• Grenville fishermen believe their boats are safer on the water
• Sauteurs shoppers rush to gather last-minute items

Fishermen in the northern parish of St Patrick are keeping an eye on approaching Tropical Storm Dorian, but say the Sauteurs Breakwater will act as a safe haven for their fishing vessels, eliminating the need to drag their boats ashore.

“The fishermen here don’t have to move their boats, because the harbour is more or less safe,” said one fisherman in the town who wished not to be named.

At around 5 pm Tropical Storm Dorian was located near latitude 11.5º North, longitude 54.2º West. Grenada and its dependencies are on Tropical Storm Watch.

Dorian is said to be moving toward the west near 14 mph (22 km/h), and this motion is forecast to continue through tonight.

Earlier this afternoon, Kalico Shopping Centre at Main Street, Sauteurs was quite busy. According to employees, shoppers were rushing to gather last-minute items such as bottled water, crackers, canned goods and flashlights in preparation of the approaching weather system.

Vondell Lalgie, a fisherman from Grenville, indicated that for every approaching weather system, fishermen in the town of Grenville will haul their boats ashore and place them alongside the fish market. However, he believes that area is still not safe and that a more sheltered location should be provided. “Normally we all haul up our boats on the shore and strap them down properly, but it is still not safe here because based on normal weather when the tide [is high], water normally ends up all here, so it is not safe putting our boats in this region here. I find the boats are safer if they are streaming outside rather than onshore.”

The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) states Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to intensify to near hurricane strength by the time it passes the Windward Islands on Tuesday, and become a full-blown hurricane as it moves near Puerto Rico.

Dorian presently has sustained winds of around 60 mph. In order to be classified as a hurricane, the storm must have sustained winds of at least 74 mph.