St Kitts, St Eustatius and Saba

St Kitts, official name St Christopher, has Basseterre as its capital, the same name as the capital of Guadeloupe. We had to go to Basseterre to clear out with Customs and Immigration. We chose not to spend a night in Port Zante marina and anchored for free near Deep Port, the commercial harbour. A week before our visit two local men in a small boat, who handle the dock lines for the cruise ships, were drowned when they were sucked into the bow thruster of a cruise ship. As there was a strong wind and large waves in the bay when we were there, someone official had deemed the cruise ship dock unsafe and “Thomson Dream” was tied up in the commercial port. We struggled to find a place to land our dinghy ashore, using a rope ladder to the Coastguard dock at first and then being told we must go into Deep Port to see Customs. We had a bag of washing with us as the laundry was just up the hill.

Deep Port, Basseterre, St Kitts

We clambered up rocks and boulders and Jeremy secured the dinghy to the remains of a wrecked dock. At Customs we were told that we had to go to Port Zante for yacht clearance. As we could not go in the dinghy the Customs Officer took us there in her car. Well we could hardly ask her to go to the laundry first, so that was how we ended up carting a bag of washing around with us while we cleared Customs, did some food shopping, ate lunch and walked about a mile or two back to Deep Port. It was now too late to have the laundry done the same day, so it was carried back to Sal Darago. We spent a rolly night at anchor and left at first light.

Cruise ship versus cargo ship

ST Eustatius, commonly known as Statia, this island is part of the Netherlands and has two currencies – the Netherland guilder or florin and US dollars. We chose US dollars. We motorsailed the 18 miles from Basseterre and picked up a marine park mooring off Oranjestaad. The port authority charged us 15USD and Senapa (the park authority) charged 30USD for using the mooring for a week. Yachts are supposed to use the moorings but they are allowed to drop a stern anchor to keep the bows into the swell. This we did and we were much more comfortable.

Kathy on top of the Quill

Oranjestaad has a lower town and an upper town. The laundry was even higher than the upper town where the original hospital had been built. Jeremy carried the bag all the way to find the laundry closed, although it was meant to be open. Fortunately, we had a phone number but our phones would not work on Statia. A kind man working nearby telephoned for us and the laundry owner drove over and took our bag. It was Friday and we could collect on Monday.

Jeremy showing the width of the roots of a giant silk cotton tree

Over the weekend, we hiked to the top of the Quill and went on a self-guided historical walking tour.  We climbed up to the rim of the dormant volcano from sea level, about 500 metres up. The path trifurcated: one into the crater 240 metres lower, one to a viewpoint 100 metres higher, but near vertical and the last one to the peak at over 600 metres and quite a bit longer. We chose the viewpoint and had a fantastic view of the north of the island complete with runway, and just before we descended a plane came in to land. 

The replacement underwater camera is working well

As it was still early, we decided to go to the base of the crater and this also was a scramble. There were several series of rocks where ropes had been placed to assist ascent and descent. The bottom was jungle with among other things snakes and huge buttress trees. We were back in town for a local lunch of goat stew served outside the defunct theatre by a women’s group for $10US each. We took our takeaway boxes to a point high above the harbour and ate our lunch gazing out to sea. By the way, it doesn’t taste like chicken!

The next day it poured with rain half-way through our tour. All the same, it was interesting to see the variety of historical buildings and the restoration that has been done.

Heavy rain turns the road into a river

SABA

Our departure to Saba, only 17 miles away, was delayed by the laundry. The owner would deliver it to the Senapa office within the hour, she said.  We know about island time, so we were grateful to receive it only 2 hours later. Saba is another Dutch island. How it was ever settled beggars belief! All the villages are way up in the mountains and until the port was built the only way for goods and people to land was at the Ladder, where 800 steps were cut into the rock. It’s still something of a challenge to land. Because the island is surrounded by a marine park, all visiting yachts have to pick up a mooring or anchor off in the designated area. Then you take your dinghy into the harbour. Nothing too unusual about that, except the south anchorage is open to the trade winds and the swell. Sal Darago was bucking like a rodeo horse. Somehow, Jeremy got the outboard on the dinghy and we wore our lifejackets to go ashore in Fort Bay. The harbour master charged us 20USD, Customs and Immigration were free and the marine park office charged us 12USD for 3 nights on their moorings and 5USD for a hiking map. Once safely back on Sal Darago, we motored two miles to the only other anchorage and picked up a mooring in much calmer Well’s Bay.

Windwardside from the top of Mount Scenery

On  Tuesday 15 Apr, we tackled the dormant volcano, Mount Scenery. It is 877 metres high and does not have a recognisable crater. The island goes vertically up from the sea and there are four centres of population. Nearly all buildings have red roofs, white walls and Saba green shutters. It is very Legoland. We took a taxi to Windwardside (a town) and started from there. This meant we only had to climb 477 metres, much of which is uneven steps - 1064 of them. We set off at 0900 and were quickly puffed! However, Cable and Wireless had provided some shelters with a bench for our recuperation. At the inevitable fork, one could follow the defined path to a telecom tower and viewpoint or stretch your legs over a quagmire path to the summit. We chose the summit first. It was very slippery and the final crawl was through a tight tunnel covered with mud from previous grasping boots. The view from the top was misty, but just, occasionally visible. After our descent, where I jumped and banged my knees together painfully, we set off for the telecom tower. Once again the view of toytown below was spectacular. Jeremy found a water tank near the tower and we both washed some of the mud off ourselves.

The intrpid duo standing on the trig point, Mount Scenery

Back at the join in the path was a bench where we had a sandwich and met with a couple who appeared to be an advert for GAP clothing (she being the obligatory bright orange with new, immaculate trainers). We explained about the path to the summit and they decided not to take it. 

Jeremy proves we were there

Setting off down the path with about 1000 steps left to go, I slipped and fell over. Fortunately, I only scraped my hand and was able to enjoy lunch in a restaurant at 1240 hours. We then decided to walk all the way back to the harbour, having forgotten that the road did quite a bit up as well as down. As we finished our ice creams in The Bottom, and started our final precipitous descent by road to the harbour, the heavens opened and we were soaked.

Kathy taking a tumble

So now we’re off to do some snorkelling in this world class diving paradise. We’ve already seen 2 turtles and a huge lobster and swum through a tunnel. Exciting stuff. Tomorrow, we leave for St Martin, the French side (back to Euros). Happy Easter everyone.

Nevis

Surprise, surprise! I bet you didn’t expect another post so soon. First of all some news. Our house in Lancashire was sold on 4^th April. We have mixed emotions about this – happy that the months of waiting are over, but sad that our family home of 34 years is no longer ours. We are now homeless and Sal Darago is the only roof over our heads that we own. Don’t feel too sorry for us, because we are in the Caribbean, after all.

Passing Redonda

The wind was light when we left Montserrat for the 34 mile passage to Nevis. We flew our sails but we had to motor as well. Our route took us close to uninhabited Redonda, which reminded us of Ailsa Craig in the approaches to the Firth of Clyde in Scotland.

The Bath House Hotel, Nevis

We cleared in at Charlestown where the three offices of Customs, Immigration and Port Authority are right next to each other, upstairs in the old cotton ginnery. Anchoring is not allowed unless all the moorings are taken, so we paid 160ECD (approx 40 pounds)to cover the cost of entry and mooring. No further charges are made in St Kitts, as both islands are one country, but we have to report to Customs in St Kitts 24 hours before departure to St Eustatius. The dinghy ride from the nearest moorings to Charlestown takes 15 minutes and it can be a wet one.

Approaching Nevis

We tried unsuccessfully to buy a dongle SIM at the Digicel shop so we’re still relying on free wifi and internet cafes. We did find time to visit the museums of Horatio Nelson and Alexander Hamilton.  Nelson married a local widow called Fanny Nesbit, whose family had a plantation in the north of Nevis. Hamilton (no connection to Nelson’s affair with Lady Hamilton) was born on Nevis, went to America and became the first Treasurer of the United States. Some think of him as one of America’s founding fathers.

We refused several offers of taxi tours round the island and took the local bus instead. The north going bus took us almost halfway round to Butlers, where we had lunch in an inexpensive local bar and restaurant. I tried conch water, a delicious stew of conch and vegetables. We walked a mile or two visiting the ruins of some sugar mills on our way to Zion. Here we caught the south going bus back to Charlestown. The cost of transport was 9ECD each, about 2 quid.

Eden Brown's Sugar Mill

The next day was Sunday, so off we went in Sal Darago looking for the moorings further north. We didn’t find any and almost went aground twice going too far inshore in our search. At Oualie Bay, we picked up an ex-park mooring and stayed the night. The wind was gusting up to gale force and there were plenty of wind waves but not much swell. We went ashore to a bar and restaurant called the Gallipot. It’s owned by an Englishman from Kent. We had Sunday lunch – lots of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, veg and gravy. This was our first Sunday lunch since last November and it was very good. The beers cost 6ECD each. On our way back we decided to have a beer at the Oualie Beach Hotel. After all, we were using their free Wi-Fi. Here the beers cost 11ECD each, the most expensive in the Eastern Caribbean, so far.

New River Estate

Now we are in St Kitts, only 3 miles across the Narrows. We spent last night in the calm and peaceful Shitten Bay (honest) and snorkelled in Bug’s Hole. Both are lovely, unspoiled anchorages, so don’t be put off by their names.

Montserrat

Jeremy and Pat up Indian Creek, Antigua

Sal Darago in Indian Creek

Pat treated us to a special meal at the Royal Antigua Hotel and Beach Resort, just behind Deep Bay. We put on our glad rags, landed on the beach without getting wet or falling in and had an expensive but very enjoyable meal ashore. Thank you, Pat. Her ankle was much better when we took her to the airport the next day. As soon as she’d gone the weather took a turn for the worse. It rained heavily, the wind blew hard, the swell increased, so we motored to Jolly Harbour for shelter. Here we filled up with drinking water and had a cooking gas bottle filled as well. A few days later we had a good sail with full main and genoa all 26 miles to Montserrat and anchored in Little Bay. We’d checked the weather forecast and knew we would be OK for 2 nights.

The jungle takes over in Joe's village of Corkhill, Montserrat

Health Centre in Corkhill

Montserrat remains British Overseas Territory. The port dues were a very reasonable 36ECD, approx 9 pounds. However, taxi tours of the island were the most we’d ever paid for three and a half hours at 150US. The charge would have been the same for 4 people but there were no other takers that day.

All that remains of the capital, Portsmouth

After the tour we could not begrudge Joe Phillip his money. He had lost his house when hurricane Hugo struck in 1987. By 1989 he’d rebuilt and lost it all again when the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted in 1995. Volcanic ash carpeted his village and all the residents were told to pack a bag for the weekend. They were never to return and Joe spent two and a half years living in a classroom with his family. He now lives in the north and has rebuilt once more. No-one expected the volcano to erupt. It had been dormant for 400 years.

The volcano is still smoking

The capital, Portsmouth, has been totally buried; not even church steeples rise above the layers of ash. Joe’s photographs of the area before the volcano became active are a poignant reminder of former days. The ash has stopped belching out for now, but the volcano continues to smoke. Fumes of sulphur dioxide are carried on the wind. When it rains heavily, large boulders join with mud and ash and slide down the valley where the golf course once was into the sea. New land is being formed and is soon covered with trees and vegetation.

The pool at the Montserrat Spa Hotel, Portsmouth

We met a Belgian couple from catamaran Zipper at Monty’s bar and dive centre. They reminded us that we had shared a table for dinner in Carriacou last April, when Pat was with us. Do have a drink at Monty’s if you go to Monserrat. The owner is an Englishman who has recently started this new venture close to the beach in Little Bay. We wish him every success.

Precarious new construction at Little Bay

Antigua and Barbuda

Kathy scrabbling up river

 Jeremy made a full recovery from the jellyfish sting. We enjoyed Pigeon Island in Guadeloupe snorkelling in the Jaques Cousteau National Park. We saw the underwater statue of the great diver, which was rather disappointing. We’d expected something grand. Perhaps it is more impressive if you see it underwater. From the surface, it appeared to be little more than a bust, which could easily have been mistaken for the base of a boat mooring.

Deep Bay to the right, the lagoon to the left

Deshaies in the north west of Guadeloupe was our last port of call. We decided to hike up a river and return by road. Our cruising guide told us a five year old had hiked this with no problems. The child must have been unusually tall and strong because I found the two hour trek quite strenuous as I stepped from rock to rock, sometimes scrambling and slipping. It was a lovely, shady experience with many waterfalls and pools. Next time, I’ll take a spare pair of socks!

St Johns Harbour, capital of Antigua

The passage from Guadeloupe to Antigua is about 40 miles. We motored all the way in almost calm seas. We couldn’t believe it after all the extra strong trade winds we’ve had. We checked in at Jolly Harbour where we met up with our Canadian friends, Ann and Barry, from Cat’s Paw IV, last seen at St Helena in February 2013. It was great to catch up with them, exchange news and play bridge. Then we had to move on to St Johns to meet my sister, Pat. We took her to nearby Deep Bay, which has a quiet, sandy beach and an inner lagoon. The Grand Royal Antiguan Resort takes up only a small corner of the beach. In contrast, Dickenson Bay, our next stop, was a mile or so of resorts, sunbeds and sunshades stretching along the sand. It was a good starting point for the 25 mile passage to Barbuda. The wind and swell were near perfect for a good sail. Pat helped with the steering and hauling the lines. We had a lunch stop at Cocoa Point, where there is an exclusive resort with a private airport. No yachties allowed.

Off snorkelling on the south of Barbuda

We eyeballed our way through the reefs on the south coast and spent two wonderful days snorkelling in clear water, going ashore only once to walk in a wilderness of old dry scrubland, finding empty beach huts and shelters. One of them had two upholstered sofas and picnic tables made from pallets giving the impression that the owners would be returning soon.

Jeremy and Pat on Barbuda's 11 mile beach

We needed some provisions, so we motored round to Louis Mouth, the nearest anchorage to the only town on Barbuda, Codrington. The next day we could not safely go ashore as a ground swell was crashing on the beach and the breaking surf was 10ft high. After 24 hours the swell had abated and we went ashore prepared to get wet.

The sea, sand bar, lagoon and Codrington in the distance

We hauled the dinghy over a narrow sand bar to the inner lagoon, jumped in and motored into the wind for 2 miles. Pat and I changed in the toilets at Codrington; Jeremy dried out in the sun. We found the well-stocked supermarket and had lunch in a local restaurant. Soon it was time to depart, so Pat and I put our wet clothes on and we returned to Sal Darago without incident. It is possible to call a water taxi for the lagoon crossing. We chose not to pay the 50USD charge for this service.

Two great birds on an island

 On return to Antigua, we spent a night at Great Bird Island, protected from the Atlantic by a reef. The snorkelling was good and a short walk on the island led to two deep sink holes. A few small tourist boats call here and some enterprising locals have set up clothing and jewellery stalls on the beach. The next day we went to a massive boat haul-out facility at Crabbs Point to fill up with drinking water. There is a shortage of water on Antigua at the moment. We were able to fill up with non-potable water but had to go to a shop to buy bottled drinking water. After a bar lunch in Parham, we returned to Deep Bay for the night and Jolly Harbour the following day. Here, we took on diesel at the fuel dock and water. A rusty looking brown liquid filled our containers and we were not charged for this “water”. Fortunately, the supermarket had plenty of bottled water.

Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua

After a night in Carlisle Bay on the south coast, we anchored in Falmouth Harbour. We spent an hour or two looking round the historic Nelson’s Dockyard, which is the only remaining working 17^th century dockyard in the Eastern Caribbean. After a steep walk over the hill to Pigeon Beach, we refreshed ourselves at the beach bar before walking back to Falmouth on the road. Just a few yards from the dinghy dock Pat slipped on the dirt track and fell full length, twisting her ankle badly. With support, she made it to the dinghy dock, placing her foot in the sea as we motored gently back to SD. Soon she was resting on deck with an ice pack on her ankle having taken pain killers. The accident did not prevent her from thrashing us at Trivial Pursuit that night! Today, her ankle is much better, but she is staying on board to rest it. She returns to the UK on Thursday, so we all hope she will be walking all right by then.

Walking to the beach from Fort Berkeley