The Boats

We chartered two Beneteau 50' sloops, both in excellent condition and well equipped.   Their primary features included:

It came with a bimini top for shade topside in the cockpit, fully equipped galley, linen and towels, and all the required navigation and safety gear.   It was one of the few boats where there were few surprises and things worked properly when we got aboard, with few exceptions.

Captain's Log

We departed Newark airport around 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon before Thanksgiving and flew to St. Kitts with a connection in San Juan.  We arrived in the late evening and went through customs, took a taxi to the harbor, and dinghied out to our boats.  We were all situated shortly after midnight though we found the anchorage in Basseterre very rolly because of the ocean swells.  After a restless night of sleep, we divided the chores which included final provisioning, obtaining a rental car, checking out the boat, and making some minor repairs on the sail which was damaged during the delivery from Tortola.  By noon, everything was almost complete and soon we were exploring the north island in our rental cars.

St. Kitts:  On Saturday afternoon we visited the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park (cost $5 each).  The view from Brimstone Hill was quite spectacular and the history is very interesting.  In 1690 the first cannon was mounted by the British in an effort to recapture Fort Charles from French occupation.   By 1782 the Marquis de Bouille besieged the partially completed Fortress with 8000 French soldiers.  Less than 1000 men formed the local militia with the Royal Scots and East Yorkshire troops fought for a month before they surrendered.  The French allowed the defenders to march out with all the honors of war.  A year later the Articles of the Treaty of Versailles returned the Island to the British and fortifications were continued until 1794.  Much later, in 1852 British troops were reassigned and the Fortress was abandoned.  More recently, in 1965, The Society for the Restoration of Brimstone Hill was founded and eight years later the Prince of Wales Bastion was completed restoration.  Finally, in 1982, the George Museum was established.  Most recently, in 1997, the Adventure Club visited the fortress and had fun.

We discovered that the campus was quite expansive and we did not have sufficient time to explore it in great detail.  In the olden days, it would be very difficult to protect the island from the fort because there were many other places to land a large ship.  Troops could attack from the weaker, inland side of the fortress because the land was not as steep.  We were glad it was now a tourist attraction because it was fun to explore the stone buildings, walkways, and grounds.  The architecture of the Fortress included:

The Citadel is the showplace of the Fortress with a Western Place of Arms and three sentinel 24-pound cannons that guard the western shore.  Statia and other islands can be seen from this vantage point.  Fort Charles and other bastions of the Fortress can be seen.  The Artillery Officers' Quarters was once the finest residence of the Fortress, with spectacular views of the south coast of St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat.  The walls of the main ordnance store are six feet thick.  We continued our exploration of the sugar cane fields with our car.   The roads were quite rough and passage was uncertain at times.  We emerged not far from the Rawlins Plantation which was a large estate that included a bar, restaurant, and many small villas of various sizes and shapes.  The entrance is along fields of sugar cane and the grounds are magnificently manicured.  The bar offered some excellent umbrella drinks.  Their recent history is very interesting and can be learned quickly at the Plantation; however, it can just as quickly be forgotten at the bar.  The afternoon disappeared. There are other plantations and interesting sites but we were lucky to find our way back to town.  We ate out that night at Victors, a local favorite that offered native food at very reasonable prices.  Like many local restaurants, the food is excellent and relatively inexpensive.  As the festivities continued, our whole gang arrived at Victors during the early evening hours, and the restaurant was served by only one waitress.  Customers served their own drinks and a good time was had by all.   We headed back to the boat and made plans to move to a more calm anchorage the next afternoon.  It was another rolly night though we all made it back safely and were rocked to bed like babies in the cradle of a dinosaur.

Sunday was a fun and relaxing day.  We toured the south island and found the cruising guide funny but true - "there are about 45,000 human inhabitants in the lower lands and the same number of greenback monkeys in the tall mountains and rain forests."  There were greenback monkeys all along the roadside.  As we headed south from our anchorage, we found Ballast Bay which was described as, "well protected and free from the ocean swells, except when they come from the south."  We were psyched to rendezvous at the boat by mid afternoon and anchor in Ballast Bay.  We continued south to the southeastern tip of the island where we discovered a quaint little beach, lounge chairs, and a view of Nevis.  A hammock was conveniently strung between two palm trees with a pleasant view of the beach and restaurant.  From my hammock, I noticed a monkey on the restaurant bar.   Then another.  A cat or two wandered aimlessly through the restaurant.  The proprietor filled a large plastic cup with beer and put it outside on a wooden table for the two monkeys.  Three monkeys.  They took turns drinking until their heads disappeared in the cup.  Then, a bigger cup.  A bowl.  A bigger bowl.   A family of very drunk monkeys.  A bunch of tourists laughing at the monkeys.   A bunch of monkeys laughing at the tourists.  It's lunch time.  Great fish.  Awesome view.  We're one with the monkeys.  Back to the boat. 

In the beginning, mom monkey looked curiously at the tourists.  The tourists all looked funny.  They came in different shapes, in different colors, and wore funny clothes.  Some walked slowly in the sun along the beach.  Some lay in lounge chairs.  Some sat at the bar and drank.	There were several monkeys interested in a beer feast.   The bar tender brought a cup of beer, then a small tub of beer, Then, another.   And, another.  The monkeys drank their weight in beer and were great fun to watch because they fell when they swung from trees and couldn't walk straight.	The beer feast continued until...  Wow!  I could relate to one monkey.  He clearly liked beer.  Couldn't walk, sit, or even fall.   He had to hold on to the table in a peculiar sort of way.  It was not long before his companions were also having trouble drinking, standing, and sitting.   Slowly they retreated to their trees and hung out on the ground.

Ballast Bay, next to White House Bay, is beautiful and well protected. We were the only boat in Ballast and had one neighbor catamaran in White House Bay.  There's an old dock ruins, an interesting old wreck just southwest, and a long stony beach.  We anchored close so our boat was 100 meters off the beach and enjoyed the afternoon swimming, a great dinner aboard, and a relaxing evening.  It's not very accessible to the road and the pebble beach is a little uncomfortable for bare feet but, none the less, it is a very beautiful beach and very secluded.  Few boats typically anchor there because of its remoteness but it was relatively calm and peaceful.  Early the next morning we set sail for Statia with the wind at our backs and following seas.  It took about 45 minutes to reach Basseterre enroute to Statia.  Then, it was an easy morning sail to Statia.   Overall,  most pleasant morning.

Statia:  Our sail to Statia was very pleasant.  The prevailing winds are from the east, typically varying from the north or south by about 30 degrees.  Our sail was quite blissful, with an 18 knot easterly wind and following seas.  We sailed a beam reach which was a very pleasant ride.  The passage took about three hours and the 26 ton sloop performed quite well in the ocean.  We could see Statia shortly after our departure from St. Kitts as the distance is only about 18 miles.  Statia is a small island whose volcano stands just under 2,000 feet.We arrived at Statia in the late afternoon on Monday and anchored close to shore.  There was a very slight swell and the anchorage in Orange Baai was comfortable.  The island has a Dutch history and remained neutral as a free port.   We found some very friendly people, several excellent restaurants, and a few interesting shops.  The big attraction for us was the hike up the volcano and some very excellent scuba diving and snorkeling.  There are some incredible reefs and hundreds of fishes.  Dive Statia is an excellent dive shop with experienced dive masters and excellent equipment at a fair price.

After lunch, we hiked through town and up the volcano to the Quill.  It took us about a half hour to walk to the trail that lead up the volcano and another hour to hike the volcano trail.  As we got close to the top, the temperature cooled slightly and we were in the shade of a thick forest.  At the top, we had a choice of hiking along the ridge of the crater or down a path into the volcano.  We first descended into the volcano which was an easy hike down, but very steep.  It was well shaded and there was a thick forest with huge trees.  On the way back we lost our way and climbed to a peak facing north where we discovered a beacon fueled by a battery and solar cells.  Its purpose was to warn aircraft inbound to the airport.  On a clear day, which is typical, the island of Saba can be seen in the distance. The northern island was relatively flat and spotted with houses.  The airport is located in the north central part of the island.  Further north on the island is a fuel depot with a long dock leading westward for transferring fuel from oil tankers.  It was late afternoon and after a short rest at the volcano top we headed back down to town where we planned to swim and return to shore for dinner at the King's Well while Chris' crew planned to make happy hour ashore and dine aboard.  We planned to rendezvous at the bar after some folks returned to the boat for a late afternoon swim.   The happy hour at the King's Well was most excellent with drinks at half price.   The King's Well is well known for excellent German cuisine prepared by the proprietor and his wife.  Though, when things get busy, which is most of the time, the guests are free to mix their own drinks and keep their own running tab.   This worked exceptionally well as Veronique proved to be an excellent connoisseur and perfect for mixing rum drinks.  The restaurant is open on two sides with a gentle breeze with an occasional caw of their pet macaw.  After a long, relaxing dinner, we headed back to the boat and made plans for an early departure to St. Barts as we knew that this would become a favorite island.  Chris' boat planned to spend another day to climb the volcano and do some scuba diving.

St. Barts:  We departed Statia and sailed to St. Bart very early Tuesday morning and arrived at Gustavia in the early afternoon with a surprise - our rudder cables came off their pulleys due to slight stretching over the years.  The emergency tiller was sufficient to get us moored stern-to the dock where we repaired the cables early the next morning.  Gustavia is a lively port with colorful shops and a great variety of excellent, and expensive, restaurants.   Exploring the island by jeep or scooter is a favorite as the beaches shape the coast and bronze bodies add contrast to the bright white sand and turquoise water.   All beaches allow topless bathing and some are popular among nude bathers.   Crime is low.  Our first afternoon was spent leisurely exploring the town of Gustavia and the island beaches.  Some rented scooters while others visited town or read leisurely aboard the boat.  Everything on the island is very French and very expensive.  In the evening, we made a rendezvous at the Marina restaurant which had great food and reasonably high prices.  Located on the water in Gustavia, the restaurant specializes in seafood and French cuisine.  We made it an evening event and retired at a reasonable hour.  On Wednesday we continued to explore the beaches and town shops. That afternoon Chris' boat arrived at dock eager to checkout the colorful town.  Mooring at the dock required constant vigilance because there was no convenient way to span the distance between the stern and the dock.  Once, the dinghy had worked its way between the stern and the dock and the anchor dragged slightly, putting the dinghy at risk of being crushed when the next large wake came from a power boat.   Another time, someone jumped aboard barefoot and slipped, injuring his toe and requiring minor medical attention.  We were lucky and suffered no serious injury.   The most popular beach was Grande Saline Beach on the southern part of the island.  It is a wide beach with perfect white sand, some gentle waves, and a picturesque boat anchored off shore just like a postcard.  It is not crowded by any standards though privacy would be scarce.  Orient and St. Jean bays are both quite beautiful and easily accessible while the beach at Columbier is more remote and only accessible by foot path or boat.  There are several good snorkel and dive spots that are accessible by boat or dinghy.  One afternoon some of us discovered La Baleine rocks by dinghy.  It is at the inlet to Gustavia and has very good snorkeling. There were small boat moorings, some coral, lots of fish, and a ship wreck all within easy swimming.  We regrouped in the late afternoon for shore showers and then dinner and evening entertainment.  Our favorite restaurant was Les Trois Forces - an excellent French restaurant whose proprietor is also an astrologist.  We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday followed by our astrological forecast.  Friday morning we visited Gustavia for our last shopping spree.  Our plans were to depart the dock at noon for an evening anchor at Columbier bay.  By then, wee had snapped one dock line, frayed two more; and our dinghy was occasionally in danger of getting sandwiched between the boat and dock.  We checked out through customs and made ready to depart though it was tough prying the crew away from such a wonderful place.  We quickly arrived at Columbier which is a secluded bay with a perfect beach lined with palm trees and steep hills.  There are few houses here, one owned by the Rockefellers.  A small farm on the headland is the home of a pack of geese and a couple of peacocks.  The snorkeling here is good.

Anguilla: Early on Saturday morning we set sail for Anguilla with a lunch stop at Tintamarre, a small, flat island just over a mile long off the northeastern coast of St. Martin.  There is a magnificent beach along the western shore where we found a small entourage of professional photographers and several Miss France candidates working hard in the bright sun.  We departed in the early afternoon for Anguilla arriving late at customs a few minutes before five o'clock.  The police said not to worry and come back the next morning, which we did.   After anchoring, we found the harbor to be quite picturesque and very comfortable.   We prepared for dinner, made our way to the shore, found another excellent French restaurant, and enjoyed the evening festivities.  There are several restaurants along the shore which would be worth investigating.  Back aboard, we slept well in anticipation of our night sail the following evening.  Sunday morning was spent exploring the waterfront and snorkeling at nearby Sandy Island.  There is really not much to do on Anguilla.  We thought of a taxi tour of the island but the taxi driver said that there was nothing woth seeing.  Anguilla is blessed with some very beautiful anchorages and coral gardens; however, the cruising permit is $150 which we though to be excessive.  Several folks took the verry boat to Sandy Cay which has a beautiful beach with swimming and excellent snorkeling.  At noon we began to prepare for our 90 mile night sail to Tortola.  We departed a little before 3 p.m. and the passage was relatively uneventful.  Our boat experienced two heavy rain showers while Chris' boat enjoyed clear weather.  We came upon the passage into the BVI's at dawn and arrived at the customs office in Roadtown on Monday around 8 a.m. - perfect timing.   We completed our checking in at 9 a.m. so that one crew member could depart on a business trip to China.

Tortola is the center of the British Virgin Islands. There are numerous restaurants, pubs, shops, and attractions. Chris' boat headed straight to the Baths as we went to Roadtown.  From the Baths, Chris went to customs on Virgin Gorda to check into the BVI's.  Then, in the early afternoon, they went to Cooper Island where they picked up a mooring.  We headed to the Baths immediately after customs on Roadtown.  The Baths combine beach and gigantic granite boulders to make playground for fish, snorkelers, and beach bums.  It is a marine park and a permit is required for mooring there.  We spent lunch and a leisurely afternoon exploring the underwater park.  We departed for Cooper Island late after many of the boats had left.  Arriving at Cooper in the late afternoon, we were not surprised to find all the moorings taken and many boats anchored in deep water.  We decided to make way to Trellis Bay where we would be sure to find moorings or safe anchorage.  After picked up a mooring in Trellis, we paid our mooring fee and I requested the tender to send over Anook, a most excellent craftsperson with beautiful jewelry.  Anook is a beautiful young lady from Canada who came to Trellis Bay to make earings, key chains, bracelets, and other nicely crafted momentoes.  Gifts were purchased.   Preparations for dinner were made.  Happy hour drinks at the Last Resort were had.  Dinner was great.  Sleep was peaceful.  As always, we found Trellis Bay to be very comfortable and well protected.  On Tuesday we relaxed in the early morning, packed our gear and started cleaning the boat.  We returned to the charter base in Fat Hogs Bay in the late morning and finished cleaning.  Some people visited town, some relaxed by the pool.   I went to visit another charter base to see the boat that I had chartered for our next trip.  Back at the boat, we made final preparations, took showers, and headed to the airport for our five o'clock flight home.  By midnight, I was at home in bed - a good time was had by all.  Next, some of us would meet at our picture party to exchange stories, memories, and pictures of our most excellent adventure.  Several of us were now planning our next sailing trip in Bora Bora in May of the following year.