GRENADA

FYI

Bobby

Pmcduffee wrote:

>>
>
>>> >From: Robert \"Doc\" Adelman lawyers-guns-money@att.net
>
>>
>
>>> >Message-ID: <3F32475A.75418202@att.net>
>
>>
>
>>> >Pmcduffee wrote:
>>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Just back from a week on the Island Dancer to Grenada.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Had a great time, the boat is nice, though smaller that the
usual PH boats.
>>
>>> >12
>>
>>>> >> pax max, we had 12.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Weather was fine, though several tropical waves were to pass
over us.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> The Captain and crew were very accomidating to our diving
requests. We had
>>
>>> >a
>>
>>>> >> great time.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Dives were from a tender that had a decent ladder. Most dives
were drift,
>>
>>> >some
>>
>>>> >> were with a very good current. One site, that we dove several
times had a
>>>> >> significant down current, followed by a significant up current.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> What a ride (:))
>>>> >>
>>>> >> All in all it was a very nice trip. Met up with a few divers from a
>>
>>> >previous
>>
>>>> >> trip, as well as transposed crew members.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> It really is a small world out there.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I was very much surprised as to how much 'tropical' it was
there. As
>>
>>> >Grenada is
>>
>>>> >> so far south in the antillies.
>>
>>> >
>>> >Did the ship's itin include the islands just off the NE coast? How
much
>>> >of the time was spent doing the dives available to the dive ops that
>>> >cluster along the population center on the SW?
>
>>
>> We dove mostly to the NE Is'l of Grenada and then into St. Vincents.


That's the best of Grenada, to be sure!


>>
>> The dives were mostly if not all drift dives. Some were really a
hoot (:))
>>
>> Usual Carib stuff, but plentiful. I was surprised as to how tropical
Grenada
>> was, considering how south it is in the antillies.
>>
>> Mesquito city on land. Got bit through clothes at night.
>>
>> Actually a very good trip.
>>
>> Some negative responces are.
>>
>> No a boat safety briefing. Not standard for a PH boat. PH is the
operator, but
>> the previous owner still runs the operation.
>>
>> The boat was very nice considering it's smaller size, 80+ ft.



Wondering again out loud if that was the old Antares Dancer that plied
the Los Roques route... think someone answered that before, but I can't
remember. Two cabins on main deck, two small bunks each, other rooms
below decks? Smell of sewage?


>>
>> All dives were done from a tender. Back rolls for entry, and a
decent ladder
>> for exits.
>>
>> Nitrox is ava. The dive schedule is very tight which makes checking
your mix
>> difficult. Actually, it was not enforced by the crew. A major safety
hazard. Of
>> all the divers that were diving Nitrox, only my wife and I checked
and filled
>> out the nitrox logs. The crew/Capt. never enforced the checking of
the mix.
>> Since your gear is on the tender, you need to get onto the tender
during your
>> SI to check your mix. Timing from fill to dive was short, and needed the
>> presense of a crew member or be chastised.
>>
>> Still all was well planed, and had very good dive briefings.
>>
>
>>> >How did you do the air and how were the transfers (airport to ship)
>>> >handled?
>
>>
>> We went from Phx to Newark to San Juan PR. We stayed there one day,
and then to
>> Grenada on American Eagle. Possibly the worst airline on the planet.
Return was
>> the reverse. We padded the trip with extra days on each end due to
connection
>> times and cost.
>>
>> Personal note: If at all possible do not fly American Eagle or
through Miami at
>> all cost.
>>
>> American Eagle, a sub of AA, consistently overbooks. Miami as an
airport justs
>> generally sucks in whole and should be avoided at all costs


Agreed, but there are a couple of good Cubano style fast food joints at
MIA.


>>
>
>>> >
>>> >Tell it all.
>>> >
>
>>
>> --
>> I Call you My Friend, because You are My Friend.


-- Doc _(:)0 "I'm hiding in Honduras, I'm a desperate man, Send Lawyers,
Guns & Money...The sh*t has hit the fan" -Warren Zevon

won't make much difference what boat it is, since Hughes is pulling out early
october

BenDavison wrote:
>
> won't make much difference what boat it is, since Hughes is pulling out early
> october

Ben, you prolly answred this before, but:

a) what happened to the Los Roques Antares ?

b) where's this Grenada boat going ?

c) where'd they get the boat for Tobago ?

--
Doc _(:)0

"I'm hiding in Honduras, I'm a desperate man,
Send Lawyers, Guns & Money...The sh*t has hit the fan"
-Warren Zevon

The Tobago boat is the one that was formerly based on Grand Turk.

Chris

"Robert "Doc" Adelman, C.I.D." <lawyers-guns-money@att.net> wrote in message
news:3F4FB533.D9BFE0E0@att.net...
>
>
> BenDavison wrote:
> >
> > won't make much difference what boat it is, since Hughes is pulling out
early
> > october
>
> Ben, you prolly answred this before, but:
>
> a) what happened to the Los Roques Antares ?
>
> b) where's this Grenada boat going ?
>
> c) where'd they get the boat for Tobago ?
>
> --
> Doc _(:)0
>
> "I'm hiding in Honduras, I'm a desperate man,
> Send Lawyers, Guns & Money...The sh*t has hit the fan"
> -Warren Zevon

>From: bendavison@aol.com (BenDavison)

>Message-ID: <20030829155000.14188.00000101@mb-m18.aol.com>

>won't make much difference what boat it is, since Hughes is pulling out early
>october

Hmm, Itin is still through the end of the year.

What is your source?

Pat

--
I Call you My Friend, because You are My Friend.

>Hmm, Itin is still through the end of the year.
>
>What is your source?

My source is he Hughes company itself. To quote from the current email to the
readrs of Undercurrent;

Island Dancer in Grenada
==================
Peter Hughes is pulling out of Grenada on October 3, after just a
few short months. The folks there say that "since beginning the
owner has 'struggled' with meeting and maintaining Dancer Fleet
standards . . . however, recently, he decided to sever the
agreement because the size of the vessel (12 persons) is not
adequate to make the venture economically feasible (because of
the cost of meeting and maintaining our requirements)." Says one
Undercurrent subscriber, who complains that he shouldn't have
been booked if they knew the problems: "We actually had mushrooms
growing in our shower."

BenDavison wrote:
> Island Dancer in Grenada
> ==================
> Peter Hughes is pulling out of Grenada on October 3, after just a
> few short months. The folks there say that "since beginning the
> owner has 'struggled' with meeting and maintaining Dancer Fleet
> standards . . . however, recently, he decided to sever the
> agreement because the size of the vessel (12 persons) is not
> adequate to make the venture economically feasible (because of
> the cost of meeting and maintaining our requirements)." Says one
> Undercurrent subscriber, who complains that he shouldn't have
> been booked if they knew the problems: "We actually had mushrooms
> growing in our shower."

That is indeed too bad. A live-aboard would be about the only
recommendation I could give for diving Grenada. The dive ops, mostly
centered around the populous end near the airport have limited dive
sites. This, to a large degree, has lead to the Grenadian hyped
"popularity" of diving the ho-hum Bianca-C wreck (the ceuise ship with a
swimming pool) dive.
It has been my experience however, that more than one Hughes ship
would fit the categories as described above in terms of cleanliness and
maintaining anyone's requirements. If the only way to dive a location is
on a live-aboard, and you have to dive there, by all means, take your
sense of humor (and shower sandals) and go diving- ASggressor or Hughes.
Otherwise, wait for the Nekton to show up. (IMNSHO)
Wonder if the cook was growing the shrooms for dinner or pleasure?


--
Doc, C.I.D. _(:)0 C U @ DEMA


"I'm hiding in Honduras, I'm a desperate man,
Send Lawyers, Guns & Money...The sh*t has hit the fan"
-Warren Zevon

>From: "Robert \"Doc\" Adelman, C.I.D."

>Message-ID: <3F5A1F15.9F1C6376@att.net>

Again too bad.

>BenDavison wrote:
>> Island Dancer in Grenada
>> ==================

>> Peter Hughes is pulling out of Grenada on October 3,

The diving was good, and the crew was great, and familiar (:))

Yes, th boat had a way to go to get to the usual pH standards, but it really
wasn't to far from it. Although I did have a major safety complaint.

The diving that we did on the nw end of Grenada, and to the Isl North and into
St. Vincents was very nice indeed.

Typical Cacib, but nice.

Pat





--
I Call you My Friend, because You are My Friend.