Born in 1943 in the village of Windward, Carriacou, Alwyn Enoe was considered in 2015 to be the last master of the island's sloops. He shaped his hulls with an adze, a sharp tool from the depths of time, knowing that each one would be judged not only on its beauty but also on its speed.
A shipwreck, then a profession
He began his life at sea, aboard the coastal vessels that connected the islands. Until the night one of them caught fire. Several crew members perished, including his best friend. Reluctant to return to sailing but living where water was everywhere, he became a shipwright in 1973, and perfects a know-how brought to the West Indies by Scottish immigrants centuries earlier.
He learned from Windward's veterans: Jassie Compton, Leo Compton, Zepherine McLaren, and Gordon Patrice. It was under Jassie Compton, in his early twenties, that he developed a passion for the trade. For years, he refused to abandon traditional timber framing, even working on modern construction sites to earn a living.
The method
Each boat begins with a hand-carved, half-hull model. Next comes the cutting and hauling of greenheart wood for the keel, white cedar for the frames, and then the construction right on the beach. No written plans are used: the shapes are memorized and corrected by eye.
«"Caulking ensures the boat's safety: it protects it from the sea." — Alwyn Enoe
Alwyn Enoe
His favorite part of the job remains caulking with cotton twine. The sound of the caulking mallet, once heard throughout these islands, signals the end of the work. For launching, the entire village comes to lay the boat on its side, then push and pull it to the waves.
Twelve boats
In 2019, the Carriacou Regatta Festival committee awarded him its very first Lifetime Achievement Award. The plaque, beneath the dedication, lists the names of twelve sloops produced by his hands during his career.
Lady Nadrina · Phiabiana Corion · Misty Blue · Lazer · Summer Wind · Agatha D · Jambalaya · Genesis · Ocean Nomad · Zemi · Exodus · Free in St. Barths.
Most of them are still sailing, sometimes under a different name, like Ocean Nomad, now called Navasana. Most are now chartered in the islands — Antigua, Saint Vincent, Anguilla — which provides them with a living and maintenance.
Jambalaya (2002), a unique 73-foot two-masted schooner, was built from a half-hull model sculpted by Jassie Compton — the forms of the largest unit to leave Carriacou at that time are therefore those of a Compton. Exodus (2013) provided the material for the film Vanishing Sail. Free in St. Barth (2015), financed by Thierry de Badereau, is his last boat.
Recognition
The documentary Vanishing Sail, directed by Alexis Andrews and released in 2015, brought it to the attention of people far beyond the Grenadines. In January 2024, King Charles III presented it with the British Empire Medal, for services rendered to entrepreneurship. He was among the few Grenadians honored at the New Year's ceremony. Upon receiving the medal, he made a point of naming those who had never received it.
«I am happy to receive such an award while I am still alive, as many other constructors like Jassie Compton, Zepherine McLaren, and Gordon Patrice did not receive such an honor before their passing.» — Alwyn Enoe
Alwyn Enoe, January 2024
What he is asking
«I think the trade can continue, but we need a school. We depend on the sea for our livelihood, and boatbuilding gives our young people a trade, a sense of belonging to their culture, and self-confidence.» — Alwyn Enoe
Alwyn Enoe
The Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs has since included the development of the shipbuilding zone in its budget, and plans exist with an investor to create a shipbuilding school and a museum. His son, Callistus Enoe, has taken up the mantle: in 2024, he began construction on a new boat in Carriacou, financed and housed by a local entrepreneur, Piero Zipoli.
Contact — Alwyn Enoe
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