Heading to Grenada for Hurricane Season? Stop in Antigua First.

TL;DR: Every June, hundreds of cruising boats make the run south from the Leewards to Grenada ahead of hurricane season. Antigua sits directly on that route, roughly 310 nautical miles north of Grenada. Before you lay up your boat for five months in the Caribbean sun, your gelcoat, vinyl, canvas, and rubber all need proper protection. Antigua Marine Solutions stocks the full Starke Yacht Care range and the Dura-Dressing Tire Kit. Stop in, stock up, and arrive in Grenada ready.

The mass exodus happens every year. Come late May, boats start moving south.

You see it in the anchorages. English Harbour fills up, then empties. Falmouth Harbour too. The cruising fleet that spent the winter island-hopping north is now retracing its steps, running down the Windward Islands chain with eased sheets and a plan. The destination for most of them is Grenada — the Spice Isle, sitting at the southern end of the Lesser Antilles just below the main hurricane belt.

The hurricane zone extends from Cape Hatteras south to Grenada, and every year come June, there is a mass exodus of yachts from the Caribbean ahead of the impending hurricane season. Most cruisers go south, and most of those heading south pass through Antigua first.

That makes Antigua more than a waypoint. It makes it your last serious provisioning stop before the Grenadines. And if you're planning to haul out and leave your boat on the hard for five months in tropical conditions, what you put aboard in Antigua matters a great deal.

Antigua Marine Solutions is here. We stock the full Starke Yacht Care product range — the same marine-grade detailing system used by professional detailers across the Caribbean — plus the Dura-Dressing Tire Kit for boat trailer tires on the hard stand. This post covers why Grenada is the destination, why Antigua is the stop, and exactly what to pick up before you leave.

Grenada sits at the southern end of the Windward Islands, just outside the main hurricane belt. Only four hurricanes have made direct hits on the island in recorded history. Its sheltered south coast offers well-protected anchorages, established boatyards, and a full range of marine services — making it one of the Caribbean's most popular and practical hurricane season destinations for cruising sailors.

The geography is the first reason. Grenada's position at the southern end of the Windward Islands makes it a gateway to the Grenadines and one of the most naturally protected sailing regions in the Caribbean. The south coast in particular, home to Prickly Bay, Mount Hartman Bay, and Clarkes Court Bay, offers deeply sheltered anchorages with solid holding and reliable access to services.

There have only ever been four hurricanes to hit Grenada during hurricane season, and if one is forecast to hit the island, there's enough time to sail south out of its path toward Trinidad. That safety margin matters to insurers and to boat owners alike. Many insurance providers will cover boats laid up in Grenada, which is a key factor for anyone planning to leave their vessel unattended for the season.

The boatyard infrastructure is the other major draw. Spice Island Marine Services can accommodate around 240 boats, with a 70-ton travelift, mast racks, tiedowns for hurricane season, onsite studio apartments, and a Budget Marine chandlery. Clarkes Court Boatyard and Marina operates a 242-ton lift, widely considered the largest in the Caribbean. Both yards are well set up for seasonal layups, with professional management and a full range of contractors available while you're away.

Labour rates in Grenada are notably more reasonable than in the US or many northern Caribbean islands, making it an excellent location for upgrades or more extensive refit work during the layup period. If your boat needs work done while you're home, Grenada is a smart place to have it done.

The passage from Antigua to Grenada is roughly 310 nautical miles, running south through the Windward Islands with predominantly eased sheets. Antigua is the northernmost point from which the run south becomes genuinely comfortable sailing. That makes English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour the natural staging ground before the Grenadines — and the logical place to provision, prepare, and pick up whatever your boat needs before five months on the hard.

Only after reaching Antigua can you head south and enjoy the majority of the rest of the trip to Grenada with eased sheets. Everything north of Antigua involves working upwind against the trades. Everything south of it is comparatively easy sailing. That asymmetry is why Antigua has historically been the pivot point for Caribbean cruising — and why the fleet consistently stages here before the southbound run.

Sailing south from Antigua to Grenada covers roughly 310 nautical miles, stopping in anchorages and harbours of islands including Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St Lucia, the Tobago Cays, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. It's a series of comfortable day sails and overnight passages, with no shortage of beautiful stops along the way. But once you leave Antigua, the chandlery options become more limited and significantly more expensive.

Not surprisingly, Antigua has plenty of skilled craftsmen available and a full range of marine services — one of the reasons sailing mega-yachts make Antigua their home for the season. The same infrastructure that serves the superyacht fleet serves the cruising sailor. English Harbour, with its historic Nelson's Dockyard, and Falmouth Harbour next door have everything a boat needs before a long passage south.

We're here, and we have what your boat needs for five months in the tropics.

A boat left on the hard in Grenada from June to November is sitting in tropical sun without moving, without maintenance, and without the natural protection that regular use provides. Gelcoat oxidizes. Vinyl cracks. Canvas degrades. Mold finds every damp surface. The damage that builds up over a five-month unattended layup can easily cost more to fix than the products needed to prevent it.

Applying a protective wax or polish before storage adds a shield against UV light, helping the gelcoat resist fading and chalking during storage — the result is a brighter finish, less surface deterioration, and fewer long-term repair costs. The logic is simple: seal the surface before it goes into storage, and it comes back in far better condition than if you left it bare.

Ending the season with a clean, buffed, and waxed boat removes any acidic or corrosive salts left on the hull after hauling out, and wraps the surface in a protective layer that prevents UV damage and makes the boat easier to clean on return. Experienced cruisers who have done multiple hurricane season layups know this step isn't optional.

Mold is the other major threat. A boat that's closed up and left in tropical humidity for five months is a breeding ground for mold and mildew on vinyl cushions, canvas, life jackets, ropes, and interior surfaces. A proper mold prevention treatment applied before haul-out dramatically reduces what you come back to in December.

The cost equation is straightforward. A set of Starke products applied before haul-out costs a fraction of what compound work, vinyl replacement, or canvas repairs cost after five months of unprotected storage. Prevention here isn't just smart. It's significantly cheaper.

This is the practical part. Here's how to think about your pre-departure protection stack, product by product.

Gelcoat correction and preparation. If your hull has oxidation, scratches, or swirl marks from the season's sailing, correct them before you seal. Starke Elevate medium-cut compound removes 1200–1500 grit scratches and moderate oxidation, finishing clean enough that many detailers go straight to sealant afterward. For darker hulls or boats needing a mirror finish, follow with Starke Ignition finishing polish to eliminate swirl marks and build maximum gloss before sealing.

Gelcoat sealant and UV protection. This is the most important product on the list for a boat going into storage. Starke Hyper Hold Pro SiO2 polymer sealant bonds to gelcoat and marine paint, creating a waterproof, UV-blocking barrier that lasts up to 3–6 months in Caribbean conditions. Apply it before haul-out and your gelcoat is protected through the entire layup period. No carnauba wax is going to hold up for five months in Grenada's sun. A bonded SiO2 polymer sealant will.

Mold and mildew removal. Before you button the boat up, treat any existing mold or mildew with Starke Mildew Clean. It's a spray-on, no-scrub formula that removes mold and mildew from vinyl, canvas, rubber fenders, and fiberglass without damaging the surface. Deal with it now rather than discovering what five months looks like in December.

Long-term mold prevention. Once the boat is clean, apply Xanigo Mold and Mildew Preventer to all susceptible surfaces. Xanigo uses a patented organosilane compound that bonds molecularly to surfaces and blocks mold and mildew growth for up to 90 days per application. One treatment covers the first three months of your layup. A second application mid-season keeps protection active through to your return.

SiO2 maintenance spray. Pack a bottle of Starke Replenish for when you return. After five months on the hard, a Replenish application will top up the hydrophobic layer on your Hyper Hold Pro base coat and bring the gloss back before you splash. It also gives you a quick maintenance option during the season if you check in on the boat.

Trailer tires. If your boat is going on a trailer or sitting on a hard stand, the tires on the trailer are baking in Grenada's sun through the entire layup. Standard tire dressings wash off and need constant reapplication. The Dura-Dressing Total Tire Kit uses a waterproof polymer coating that bonds to the rubber, doesn't sling or brown, and holds for months. Apply it before you park, and the tires come back in better shape than tires left bare.

Browse the full range of marine detailing products at Antigua Marine Solutions, or connect with certified marine detailers in Antigua if you'd prefer a professional detail before haul-out.

Applied correctly before haul-out, Starke Hyper Hold Pro SiO2 sealant lasts 3–6 months in Florida and Caribbean conditions — covering most or all of a standard June-to-November layup. Xanigo Mold and Mildew Preventer provides 90 days of active mold protection per application. Together, they give a hauled-out boat continuous gelcoat and surface protection for the full hurricane season.

In intense sun conditions like South Florida, the closest climate equivalent to Grenada, Starke Hyper Hold Pro delivers up to 3–6 months of durability per application. Apply it in late May before haul-out, and the protection runs through to November. For a boat that's going back in the water in December, that's a full layup covered by a single application.

The mold protection math works similarly. Xanigo's 90-day protection period means one application covers June through August, and a second application in September covers through the return. If you can check on the boat mid-season, that's the time to apply the second coat. If the boat is fully unattended, the first application will handle the high-risk early months when Grenada's humidity is at its worst.

Compare this to the cost of doing nothing. A hull with five months of unprotected UV exposure will typically need a full compound and polish job on return. Vinyl that wasn't treated for mold can require replacement rather than cleaning. The products to prevent all of that cost a fraction of the remediation work. The maths here are not complicated.

English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour have been welcoming cruising sailors for centuries. Nelson provisioned here. The fleet that races Antigua Sailing Week stages here. And every year, the southbound hurricane season fleet passes through on its way to Grenada.

We're here to make that stop count. Antigua Marine Solutions is Antigua and Barbuda's exclusive Starke Yacht Care dealer. We carry the full product range — from cleaning and compounding through to sealants, mold prevention, and maintenance sprays. Everything your boat needs to go into storage properly protected is available before you leave.

Once you arrive in Grenada, GrenadaSearch.com is your resource for finding local marine services, boatyards, and everything else the island has to offer. It's a complete business and tourism directory for the Spice Isle, including the Boating and Marine category for chandleries and yards.

Take care of the boat in Antigua. Enjoy Grenada.

**Shop Starke Marine Products in Antigua**

Is Grenada safe from hurricanes?

Grenada sits at the southern end of the Windward Islands, just outside the main hurricane belt. Only four hurricanes have ever made direct hits on Grenada in recorded history, which is one of the primary reasons cruisers choose it for hurricane season layups. That said, no location in the Eastern Caribbean is completely immune. If a hurricane is forecast to track toward Grenada, there is typically enough warning time to sail south toward Trinidad overnight. Most insurance providers accept Grenada as an approved hurricane season location, but always confirm your specific policy before committing.

What route do most cruisers take from Antigua to Grenada?

The passage from Antigua to Grenada is roughly 310 nautical miles, running south through the Windward Islands chain with predominantly eased sheets. Common stops include Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St Lucia, the Tobago Cays, and St Vincent and the Grenadines before the final run down to Grenada's south coast. Antigua is the key pivot point: everything south of Antigua is predominantly comfortable downwind sailing, while everything north involves working to windward against the trades. Most boats staging for the run south will anchor in English Harbour or Falmouth Harbour for a few days before departing.

What should I do to protect my gelcoat before hurricane season storage?

The correct sequence is: correct any existing oxidation or damage with a compound like Starke Elevate, refine the surface with a finishing polish like Starke Ignition if needed, then seal with a SiO2 polymer sealant like Starke Hyper Hold Pro. Applying a protective coating before storage adds a shield against UV light, helping gelcoat resist fading and chalking — the result is a brighter finish, less surface deterioration, and fewer long-term repair costs when you return. Don't haul out without sealing first. The UV and heat in Grenada over five months will do measurable damage to unprotected gelcoat.

How long does Starke Hyper Hold Pro last on a boat sitting on the hard?

In intense Caribbean and South Florida conditions, Starke Hyper Hold Pro delivers up to 3–6 months of UV and salt protection per application. For a boat hauled out in late May or early June and returning to the water in November or December, a single Hyper Hold Pro application applied before haul-out provides continuous protection through most or all of the layup period. A boat sitting stationary on the hard is also exposed to less abrasion than one actively sailing, which tends to extend product durability further. Apply in the shade, allow to cure, and your gelcoat is covered for the season.

Where can I find marine services in Grenada once I arrive?

GrenadaSearch.com is Grenada's complete business and tourism directory, with a dedicated Boating and Marine category covering local yards, chandleries, and marine services across the island. For boatyard options specifically, Spice Island Marine Services and Clarkes Court Boatyard and Marina are the two primary facilities on Grenada's south coast, both with established hurricane storage infrastructure, large travelifts, and a full range of contractors. Prickly Bay, Mount Hartman Bay, and Clarkes Court Bay are the main anchorage areas for the cruising community during hurricane season.