Piero Zipoli

Piero Zipoli devant le hangar de son atelier à Windward
Piero Zipoli in front of the construction site of the Carriacou sloops of Windward, in Carriacou.
  • Name — Piero Zipoli, also writes Zippoli
  • Installed in — Carriacou, since at least 2012
  • Companies — Carriacou Marine, in Tyrrel Bay, and Sloop Cruises
  • Boats — Margeta And Windjammer
  • Function — Ambassador, Special Envoy of Grenada for Investment

Piero Zipoli, a business owner based in Carriacou, started with a boatyard for visiting sailboats. Today, he supports the traditional construction of Carriacou sloops and the training of young shipwrights in Windward.

2012: a shipyard in Tyrrel Bay

In March 2012, he acquired Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout, the dry dock in Tyrrel Bay, on the southwest coast of Carriacou. With Trevor and Earl Stanislaus, owners of the neighboring Carriacou Yacht Club, he combined the two businesses under one name: Carriacou Marine.

He expanded the club's convenience store to sell marine hardware, converted the upstairs restaurant into offices, redesigned the surrounding area, and installed a system to collect water from hull washing, preventing it from flowing into the bay. The shipyard maintains a capacity of thirty boats.

They can become our clients, too.

Piero Zipoli, showing a motor yacht amidst sailboats and wooden fishing boats, All At Sea, August 2012

He then described his construction site as a «boutique» construction site.

2015: on the committee boat

In 2015, during the tour of Grenada organised by the Petite Calivigny Yacht Club, he was the one who, at the helm of the committee boat, welcomed the competitors at the arrival of the Tyrrel Bay stage.

Cruises aboard a Carriacou sloop

From Carriacou Marine, he launched Sloop Cruises, offering tours of Grenada and the Grenadines aboard a traditional boat. His sloop, Margeta, was built in 2019 by Calvert Compton, one of the island's last master shipwrights. Its full story: Margeta.

Margeta à quai à Carriacou
Margeta, Piero Zipoli's sloop, docked in Carriacou. Photo: sloopcruises.com

2024: After Beryl, the gesture resumes

On July 1, 2024, Hurricane Beryl devastates Carriacou and sinks the Carriacou sloop Marie Stella. In the aftermath, Grenada announces its intention to establish a shipbuilding school, the Boat Building School. A site is selected in Windward.

Piero Zipoli first financed the roof that sheltered the construction site, then a first boat: a 46-foot sloop, built under the hands of master shipwright Callistus Enoe, son of Alwyn Enoe. The tradition was passed down through the generations. Discover this shipwright: Callistus Enoe.

Helping the Carriacou sloops is my way of thanking Carriacou Island for everything it has given me over so many years.

Piero Zipoli

The project is also a training project of the Carriacou Boatbuilding School, in partnership with the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs.

In August 2025, the ministry released a photograph taken on the construction site: Piero Zipoli posed with Carl Enoe, Alwin Enoe, Minister Tevin Andrews and Leonard McLawrence.

2025: Sloopcraft, learn how to build a sloop

Piero Zipoli is also involved in a new project: Sloopcraft. Created in 2024, this non-profit program aims to pass on the art of building a Carriacou sloop to those who come to the island seeking it, from beginners to experienced carpenters.

In January 2025, the main workshop was built on Tyrrel Bay beach: a large, open shelter, bathed in light and breeze. There, participants learned to identify different types of wood, handle tools, and then work alongside the carpenters of Carriacou. The courses ranged from short workshops of a few days to longer stays on a real construction site, with accommodation and meals included.

To participate in or support the project: sloopcraft.com.

August 2025: The Prime Minister's visit

On August 15, 2025, the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, visited the workshop. The next day, he wrote:

Yesterday at Piero Zipoli's workshop in Windward, Carriacou, we saw master builders shaping a vessel bound for Europe, a project that will showcase the remarkable craftsmanship of our people to the world, creating opportunities for future orders.

Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, August 16, 2025

He adds that every child in Carriacou and Petite Martinique should be able to learn this trade from a very young age.

January 2026: The road to school

On January 16, 2026, the access road to the Boat Building School in Windward was inaugurated. Minister Tevin Andrews then outlined the project's stages: the boathouse, the restrooms, the first boat, and now the road. The next stage will be the school building itself.

He also recalls how it all began. After becoming ambassador, Piero Zipoli asked him how he could be of service. The minister spoke to him about safeguarding the island's heritage, and the project was born from that conversation.

Summer 2026: Six Optimist sailboats built by young people

In the summer of 2026, the school grounds host a shipbuilding course organized by the Youth Division. Under the guidance of master shipwright Bernard McLawrence, young trainees build six Optimist dinghies from scratch, which they then paint themselves. Their launch must adhere to all the traditions of Windward.

The ministry presents the site as the result of a partnership with "Ambassador Piero Zippoli, Special Envoy of Granada for Investment".

Early 2027: Windjammer heads to Europe

The 46-foot sloop is named Windjammer. Its launch is planned for early 2027. It will then sail to Europe and be presented at a boat show in Germany, to showcase Carriacou's expertise and secure new orders for the shipyard and the sailing school. Its full story: Windjammer.

Le sloop Windjammer en chantier sous le hangar de Piero Zipoli, à Windward
Windjammer, the 46-foot sloop, under construction in Piero Zipoli's workshop in Windward, in 2026.

Three ships commanded by Grenada

Piero Zipoli has already secured an order from the Grenadian government for three additional boats. He plans to exhibit the first one at European boat shows to generate public interest and secure further sales.

A shared dream

Vincent, from the West Indies Regatta, would like to bring together the traditional regattas of the Caribbean: first the Carriacou Regatta Festival and the West Indies Regatta Festival, but also the Classic Regatta of Antigua, and perhaps others in the British Virgin Islands or Barbados. The idea is to better promote them and find resources to help the owners of the Carriacou sloops that participate.

Vincent and Piero both dream of a Caribbean where each island would have its own classic regatta, and where international sponsors would find it worthwhile, both in terms of visibility and cultural gesture.

How to contact him

Sources

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