{"id":1133,"date":"2026-08-21T10:03:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T14:03:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westindiesregatta.com\/charpentiers\/alwyn-enoe\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T11:42:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T15:42:18","slug":"alwyn-enoe","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/westindiesregatta.com\/en\/charpentiers\/alwyn-enoe\/","title":{"rendered":"Alwyn Enoe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Alwyn
Alwyn Enoe. Photo published with the kind permission of Alwyn Enoe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A shipwreck, then a profession<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/strong>, and perfects a know-how brought to the West Indies by Scottish immigrants centuries earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Un
A sloop in its early days, on the beach at Carriacou.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

\u00ab"Caulking ensures the boat's safety: it protects it from the sea." \u2014 Alwyn Enoe<\/p>\nAlwyn Enoe<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twelve boats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/strong> produced by his hands during his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Plaque
The twelve boats of Alwyn Enoe, engraved on the plaque of the first Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded in 2019 by the Carriacou Regatta Festival committee.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On that day, the committee presented four Lifetime Achievement Awards. Alwyn Enoe received his in person. Three other shipwrights were honored posthumously, and their families received the award on their behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n