Why is the waterfront harbour in St. George’s called the Carenage?

The waterfront in St. George’s is called the Carenage because it was historically the site where island schooners were careened—a process in which vessels were beached to be cleaned, caulked, or repaired.1

While the term "careening" is sometimes associated with unsteady motion, in this maritime context, it refers specifically to the practice of heaving a ship onto its side on a beach or shallow area to expose its hull for maintenance. Today, the inner harbour of St. George’s serves as a prominent yachting and charter-boat centre in the eastern Caribbean Sea.12