Fishermen try to move boats which have been crushed against dock in Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Caribbean this week. Among the widespread devastation, the cost to boating communities – whether for leisure or business – has been extremely high.

Calls are being made to the international community to assist the region with rebuilding infrastructure, restoring essential services, and helping communities get back on their feet. “We contribute the least to and suffer the most from the changing climate,” says chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Kenneth Bryan, “so we need the global community to help provide resources for improved building standards, better communication systems, and more resilient infrastructure to mitigate future hurricane impacts.”

Boats piled on top of one another by Hurricane Beryl

Damage on Carriacou, one of the Grenadine Islands. Three yacht images courtesy of Pierrick Quédinet.

Also among those calling for help is Acquera Yachting. As a yachting agency (providing services such as berthing, provisioning and ​onboard services), it says it has strong links and partners in the Grenadines.

‘Our agents keep us informed of the situation, which is very serious. While a few activities have survived, several houses, including those of our team members, have been lost. The inhabitants are organising on-the-ground relief efforts,’ the company says.

A catamaran is turned upside down on top of other boats by Hurricane Beryl

‘Our yachting community, which has been severely impacted, is taking swift action to provide aid. We are a close-knit community, and in times like these, it is crucial that we help each other. From here, we can make a significant impact by supporting their efforts. The situation is dire, and immediate relief is critically needed. Union Island has been particularly hard hit, with 90 per cent of homes either severely damaged or destroyed. Thousands of people are in emergency shelters, with essential services severely disrupted.’

Michelle Forbes, the St. Vincent and Grenadines director of the National Emergency Management Organisation, says that about 95 per cent of homes in Mayreau and Union Island have been damaged by Hurricane Beryl. Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, according to the Associated Press.

Acquera says a ‘trusted coordinator’ in Martinique has started a GoFundMe campaign to manage the relief efforts on Union Island and it’s urging the wider marine sector to help those impacted by the category 5 storm.

“Even as we protect life and property here in the western Caribbean, we stand in solidarity with the people of St. Vincent and the islands of the Grenadines who have been severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl,” says Bryan. “Their pain is our pain, and their struggles are felt across our entire region. When one member of our Caribbean family is affected, we all feel the impact. But together, we must unite and support each other through these challenging times”.

Boats damaged by Hurricane Beryl are flipped on their sides

“We have come through Hurricane Beryl unscathed,” says one sailor on Facebook, Tanya Ham. Her anchorage recorded gusts of 40 mph. “Our buddy boats and us sustained no damage although we did drag back further towards the mangroves at the height of the wind but fortunately the anchor reset. Others lost their holding and had to sit with their motors on into the wind for the duration of the strongest winds. Our hearts go out to the boats in Carriacou, the island above us, who suffered the full force of the hurricane, only 50 miles above us. Just devastating.”

Pile up of fishing boats after Hurricane BerylImage courtesy of Barbados Government Information Service.

Watch footage of Hurricane Beryl’s destructive power

Above footage shows The Jolly Roger (seemingly a ‘party boat’) which sunk when Hurricane Beryl landed in Barbados. Shared by Jacqueline Jones.

Above the fishing fleet in Barbados is buffeted by Hurricane Beryl. Shared by No Polluting.

Above – wrecked boats in Christ Church, Barbados. Shared by Dragonfly.

The moment that Hurricane BeryI hit Jamaica. Shared by MH Chronicle.

In August 2023, Hurricane Idalia reversed a river and ripped boats from moorings after making historic landfall in Florida and in February of the same year, a SailGP boat was ripped apart as freak storm hit Sydney, Australia. Prior to that, Hurricane Ian ‘threw boats around like toys’ as it battered Florida.

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