The Patrice family

In Windward, on the island of Carriacou, the Patrice family has been building and sailing sloops for generations. Their iconic boat, Glacier, was handcrafted by the family on the village beach. In 2023, three generations of Patrices were still sailing together on her.

Glacier, the family's boat

According to Pure Grenada, Grenada's tourism board, Glacier is a Carriacou sloop hand-built in 1979 by the Patrice family on the Windward shore. Sail-World described it in 2023 as a boat "built, owned and sailed by three generations of the Patrice family".

Glacier's racing record spans over twenty years. In 2003, Calvin Patrice's boat won the large decked sloop class at the Carriacou Regatta Festival, then finished second in 2004. In 2007, skippered by Cheesman Patrice, Glacier took second place in its class and won the round-the-island race. In 2008, under the command of Kenrick Patrice, the sloop won the large decked sloop class.

Glacier also competes against modern sailboats. At Grenada Sailing Week 2022, Benson Patrice's boat finished third. On February 1, 2023, during the Carriacou race in Grenada, Glacier won the day in the classic sailboat class, ahead of much newer boats, and then finished third overall.

In 2010, Calvin Patrice had Glacier lengthened and widened on Windward Beach to gain even more speed, according to Frank Pearce in the Caribbean Compass. Sailor Jill Schinas, who photographed the construction in April 2010, attributes the boat's construction to Bernard Compton. His exact role, perhaps related to this enlargement, remains to be determined. The full story is told on the fact sheet. Glacier.

Calvin "Iron" Patrice, the eldest

Calvin Patrice, nicknamed "Iron," is the patriarch of the family. In 2007, Caribbean Compass listed him among the elderly shipwrights still very active in Windward, building boats and racing regattas. In 2003 and 2004, he was presented as the owner of Glacier.

In 2019, journalist Jan Hein recounts that the oakum caulking of the sailboat Vendia, under repair in Carriacou, was done by "one of the local guys, Calvin Patrice." She specifies that he was 83 years old at the time.

In February 2023, Calvin was still sailing aboard Glacier during Grenada Sailing Week. Pure Grenada presented him as the oldest man in his village, stating he was 85 years old. While the two ages don't quite match, both sources place him in the mid-1930s.

Benson "Power" Patrice, the owner

Benson Patrice is better known by his nickname "Power," or "Cap Power." In 2023, Caribbean Compass reported that he owned three Windward sloops: Power Surge, Power Play, and Glacier. That same year, Sail-World described him as a traditional shipwright.

The Grenada National Trust counts him among the recognized practitioners of traditional shipbuilding in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, as part of the inscription of this know-how on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage.

At the 2023 Carriacou Regatta, after Glacier's defeat in the round-the-island race, Benson worked late into Saturday night to modify the boat before the races over the next two days. The result was immediate: Glacier won all three races. Benson didn't mince words about the regatta's organization.

In January 2022, Benson also raced another sloop at Grenada Sailing Week and won two races with Love Roses.

Its two other sloops each have their own entry. Power Play was destroyed by Hurricane Beryl in July 2024. Power Play, Power Surge.

It's not very well organized; they deserve a bad grade for that. The sailors need to be more involved in the preparation.

Benson «Power» Patrice, quoted by Caribbean Compass, October 2023

Kenrick Patrice, the skipper

Kenrick Patrice is Benson's brother. He's the one who helms Glacier on big occasions. In 2008, he led the sloop to victory in the large decked sloop class of the Carriacou Regatta Festival.

In 2023, at the Carriacou Regatta, Kenrick helmed Glacier during the buoy races. According to Caribbean Compass, the boat sailed perfectly and won all three races, followed each time by Windward Pride.

Family ties

Only two sources provide information on the relationship between these three men. Caribbean Compass wrote in 2023 that Kenrick is Benson's brother. The same year, Pure Grenada described aboard the Glacier "three generations of men from the same family": Calvin "Iron," then Benson and Kenrick, and then Perez, presented as the grandson.

Calvin therefore belongs to the generation preceding that of the two brothers. No source consulted explicitly states whether he was their father or their uncle.

The other Patrice de Windward

Other family members appear in the sources, but their relationship to Calvin, Benson, and Kenrick is unknown.

  • Gordon Patrice, a shipwright, has since passed away. In 2019, his family posthumously received a Lifetime Achievement Award on his behalf from the Carriacou Regatta Festival. In 2024, Alwyn Enoe listed him among the great boatbuilders who died without receiving recognition during their lifetimes, alongside Jassie Compton and Zepherine McLaren. According to information provided by the association, Gordon Patrice built the sloop Pipe Dream.
  • Cheesman Patrice, cited in 2007 among the active marine carpenters of Windward, and skipper of Glacier at the Carriacou Regatta Festival that same year.
  • Joan Patrice, also recognized as a practitioner of traditional shipbuilding by the Grenada National Trust.
  • Ricky Patrice, photographed on February 6, 2018 in Windward carrying a pitch pine board towards the rear of a 65-foot cargo ship under construction.
  • Peter Patrice, named as the builder of the small 28-foot decked sloop: Rosealyna P.
  • Patrice Petroc, winner in 2007 of the small decked sloop class with Rosalina. See the profile: Rosealyna P.

Sources

Back to list of carpenters

Contact — The Patrice family

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