Montserrat Volcano

The eruptions, which began in July of 1995, destroyed the Georgian era capital city of Plymouth and almost 2/3rd's of the population of Montserrat were forced to leave the island. The eruptions continue today on a much reduced scale and has affected the docking facilities in Plymouth and the nearby W.H. Bramble airport, which is still closed. An exclusion zone exists from the south side of the island north to parts of the Belham Valley.


Monserrat Home buried by mud in volcano eruption

When visiting now on yacht charter the anchorage of Little Bay is open, depending on the weather, as there is no breakwater. Visitors are no longer allowed into the capitol city of Plymouth. However a great view of the volcano and the hot boulders spewing out of the center can be had from the now opened Montserrat Volcano Observatory where not only is a spectacular view of the volcano available; there is also a museum on the eruptions and island impact. And when touring stop to visit the village of Brades which now is serving as the capitol city, while construction proceeds for a new capitol city in Little Bay on the far northern end of Montserrat and out of range of any further eruptions.


Montserrat Volcano at Night

A new airport, called Gerald’s was opened 8 years after the 1995 eruptions which reconnects Montserrat to the rest of the world by air, however the easiest way for yachtsmen to visit Montserrat is by yacht, as the island is only 30 miles from Nelson’s Dockyard and Falmouth Harbor in Antigua, an easy day sail. And visiting the Montserrat while on charter is one of the few opportunities today to see a volcano in action. Watching the volcano after sunset is even more spectacular. Consider including an overnight stay in Montserrat in your next charter itinerary of the Leeward Islands.

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Yacht Katya

The Antigua Yacht Charter Show was well attended by worldwide Yacht Charter Brokers. And both crewed motor and sailing yachts were on display from 50' to 254' in three areas in English and Falmouth Harbor; Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua Yacht Club, and Falmouth Marina. Lunches and dinners were offered on many of the yachts for a Broker opportunity to sample the Chef's food and service on board.


Eagles Nest for Charter

Highlights of the show were the over 5 yachts there that were over 200', with Samar at 254' the largest in the show. The new 92' catamaran Rafoly was there along with several other large catamarans for review. There were a large number of yachts new to charter, that have crossed the Atlantic for the winter season hopeful of a good busy charter season. We were pleased to see of the sailing yachts: Swallows and Amazons a newly launched 77' CNB sailing yacht, Gadget, refit 64' Hinckley once owned by Walter Cronkite, Inukshuk and 82' Nautor Swan and Liara a 104' Southern Ocean. For the powerboats, we enjoyed Life's Finest II, a 135' Custom, Katya, a very attractive 150' Delta ,and Utopia, 204' Feadship.


J-Boat Ranger for Charter

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St. Kitts - Sugar Cane Fields

Both St. Kitts and Nevis were important colonial plantation colonies, first growing tobacco and then growing sugar cane for sugar production. And, along with the growth of the plantation life and work style came the increase in slave labor in these islands, with slaves brought to the Caribbean from Africa. The Green Vervet Monkeys, so called due to the greenish cast of their fur, inhabits much of Africa and were brought on these slave ships from Africa to the Islands, where they quickly adapted to the similar weather conditions. First brought in as pets or items of trade, these monkeys, over the years became feral and multiplied in the mountains and rain forests of these two islands to the point of being, sometimes, a pest to agriculture concerns on the islands.


Baby Green Vervet Monkey

Green Vervet Monkeys are vegetarians, and weigh anywhere from 8-18 pounds, standing anywhere from 10-18 inches high. While an actual count is impossible, estimates place the number of Green Vervet Monkeys living on St. Kitts at around 40,000 and the number of these monkeys on Nevis at around 30,000. Nevis offers a Monkey Walk for the interested, however if you hike into the interior on either island, especially at dawn or dusk, you will probably see one, if not several, of these monkeys living wild on the mountainsides of these two Caribbean islands, when visiting while on your Caribbean yacht charter.

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Gustavia, St. Barths

While dockage stern to in St. Barths for New Years is not a guarantee, there is plenty of room in the harbor to anchor and come ashore to the quay in the ships' tender. There you can mingle with the other yachtsmen, visit with friends, and make new friends. Of course the quay is not the only party on St. Barths. The more well known establishments like Maya's and Nikki Beach and even at the Le Select, the first bar on the island, made famous by Jimmy Buffet and "Cheeseburger in Paradise" all have a New Year's Eve celebrations in their establishments, and are busy all week. However to see a collection of outstanding yachts all in one place, be sure to be down on the quay in St. Barths on New Year's Eve.


Beach Front Restaurants and Bars

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Shirley Heights Jump Up

Shirley Heights "jump up" is every Sunday afternoon starting around 4:00pm. Enjoy local barbecue, and rum punch, while dancing to the Caribbean steel bands. And watch for a fabulous sunset from the "Heights" over English and Falmouth Harbors.

Shirley Heights was named after General Shirley, Governor of several islands including Antigua in the late 1700's. General Shirley had fortifications built on this site overlooking both English and Falmouth Harbor, remains of which are still there today, including gun fortifications and old military buildings.
Enjoy a true Caribbean Jump Up, with a great view surrounded by historic military fortifications on your next Caribbean charter stop in Antigua.

Originally called "His Majesty's Antigua Naval Yard", Nelson's Dockyard is a slice in time of colonial Caribbean naval history, and the only Georgian Period shipyard still in existence in the world. Building for this shipyard, started in 1725 to create a home for Britain's Caribbean Naval Fleet guarding the valuable colonial sugar islands at that time part of the British Empire.
Now a National Park, Nelson's Dockyard offers guided tours, or a chance to wander around the colonial buildings made of local coral rock and bricks and stones used as ballast for the many ships that sailed into the Naval Yard. Included in the buildings are the Officer's Quarters, sail loft, Naval Officer's House, now housing the Dockyard Museum, parade ground, careening wheel, and other buildings important to the maintenance and repair of the royal fleet.
Admiral Lord Nelson was senior officer of the Naval Yard from 1784-1787. At that time, the yard was a bustling area from where Nelson launched his forays against the French and Dutch. During this time, he met his bride Fannie Nesbit from the neighboring island of Nevis.
Nelson's Dockyard is now home to an international fleet of sailing yachts, many available for crewed yacht charter. Many of the Naval Yard original buildings now house support business for this modern sailing fleet. Also inside the dockyard is the Admirals Inn, with rooms, restaurant and tavern, and the Copper and Lumber Store Hotel and Restaurant, both evocative of colonial times and an excellent place to stay before or after boarding your yacht for your charter.


Admiral's Inn


Copper and Lumber Store Hotel

Shirley Heights
Shirley Heights was named after General Shirley, Governor of several islands including Antigua in the late 1700's. General Shirley had fortifications built on this site overlooking both English and Falmouth Harbor, remains of which are still there today, including gun fortifications and old military buildings.
Offering an excellent view of both English and Falmouth Harbor today, when facing west, this is also one of the best sunset views in the Caribbean.


View From Shirley Heights

Taking full advantage of this sunset for a "jump up" party, Shirley Heights is the location each Sunday for a sunset party including Caribbean steel bands, and rum punch, served from inside one of the old military buildings. Shirley Heights "jump up" is every Sunday afternoon starting around 4:00pm. Enjoy local barbecue, and rum punch, while dancing to the Caribbean steel bands. And watch for a fabulous sunset from the "Heights" over English and Falmouth Harbors.


Shirley Heights "Jump Up"

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Montserrat has had a fair share of news coverage over the last ten years due to the Soufriere Hills Volcano, which after lying dormant since prehistoric times, started a series of eruptions and seismic activities in 1995. The most notable eruption in 1997 caused lava flows down the northeastern side of the volcano.
Plymouth, the once capital of Montserrat, was forced to be abandoned and is now a modern day Pompeii. There is a both a land and maritime exclusion zone around the volcano area, however there are safe areas from which to view the volcanic activity that has occurred, and depending on the day, even the now ghost town of Plymouth covered in ash and volcanic debris can be seen. Volcanic tours are offered on shore for the full story of Soufriere Hills Volcano.
Montserrat is known as a hiking location, with a number of trails through the local rain forests, alongside fresh water streams, and through fruit plantations. These forests are home to certain rarely seen birds, including the Montserrat national bird, the Oriole. Montserrat is considered a serious Bird Watcher's location. For serious or novice Bird Watchers, guides can be hired from the Montserrat National Trust.
The Soufriere Hills Volcano has gifted Montserrat with pearly gray volcanic beach sand on most of their beaches, separating Montserrat from the neighboring islands with their white sand beaches.
As long as the Soufriere Hills Volcano remains in the present lull, Montserrat is a very interesting and different Caribbean island to visit during your charter.


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Nevis, a fertile volcanic island just 7 miles long and 5 miles wide, shares a sovereign state with the neighboring island of St. Kitts. Home to approximately 10,000 residents and 30,000 Green Vervet Monkeys, Nevis reflects the Caribbean from last century and colonial West Indies life.
Nevis was named by Christopher Columbus, who when sailing by in the late 1400's, thought the volcanic summit ringed with clouds looked like a snow (Nieves) capped mountain. Initially inhabited by the Arawak Indians, Nevis became an important tobacco and sugar cane commercial island in the 1700's. After a tug of war between the English, French and Spanish, Nevis came under English rule from 1783 until 1967. Nevis achieved independence with St. Kitts in 1983.
On shore, Nevis has a wide range of flora and fauna. One of the local island industries is making wines from various fruits and flowers, which they are happy to sell to any visitors. There are still a number of colonial plantation houses, mostly now lovely hotels, where the essence of yesteryear can be enjoyed along with an ice cold drink on the veranda.
Hike, bike, or rent a horse and ride along the many trails at the base of the volcano, always on the lookout for the Green Vervet Monkeys, originally brought to Nevis during the plantation days as pets for plantation families. These monkeys now run wild in this tropical paradise.
The capital city of Nevis, Charleston, has an antique core of old cobblestone streets and colonial buildings. On the waterfront, you can still see the quick sailing skiff trading boats bringing in supplies from neighboring islands under full sail. The Museum of Nevis History is worth visiting with displays from the Arawak Indian times through colonial plantation days. Be sure to visit the birthplace and childhood home of Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the U.S. Treasury and founder of the U.S. Coast Guard. Alexander Hamilton first traveled to the U.S. as Aide de Camp for George Washington in the American Revolutionary War. And, of course, the Nelson Museum, which tells of Nelson's life and times in the Caribbean and of his marriage to local Nevis resident, Fannie Nesbit. The Botanical Gardens of Nevis cover seven acres with roses, orchids, cacti, palms, and other local flora and fauna, and are well worth a visit for those with a botanical interest.
Overall, relax in the laid back lifestyle of Nevis, unhurried in today's world and absorb the old West Indies culture and plantation life of long ago.


Map of Nevis

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The lush green island of St. Kitts was first colonized by Europeans in 1623, and soon the island became an economic center in the Caribbean with very profitable sugar cane production.
St. Kitts is volcanic with very rich and fertile soil, a good rainfall, and fresh water streams, all of which is perfect for growing sugar cane. And in the 1700's, sugar cane, was the most valuable crop in the world. The high production of sugar cane on St. Kitts quickly made this one of the wealthiest and most valuable of all Caribbean islands during the colonial time period. Sugar cane provided sugar, molasses and, of course, rum. In 1772, there were 68 sugar plantations on St. Kitts. By the end of the 1800's, this production had slowed to a halt, as European beet sugar took over the cane sugar market. However the landscape of St. Kitts was forever marked by the sugar plantation industry, and to this day, is divided into various areas along colonial plantation lines, marked by road signs as you drive around the island.
Many of the plantations were abandoned, and ruins can still be seen, however a number have been saved and restored into lovely hotels and restaurants, where the colonial plantation experience is still alive and well.

Ruins on St. Kitts

St. Kitts (shortened from St. Christophers) forms a separate nation with Nevis. The central volcanic peak, called Mount Liamuiga, is the highest point on the island, and carries the ancient Indian name for the whole island. The approximately 45,000 residents are fairly equally matched in numbers by the wild Green Vervet Monkey living in the surrounding countryside.
Basseterre, the capital city, evocative of English Georgian architecture, is centered by the Circus, a roundabout modeled after Piccadilly in London. The harbor is overseen by the domed Georgian Treasury Building, once the entry and exit point for all wares in and out of the island. Today, downtown is a bustling island town, with local enterprises, but also lovely shops with island products.

Outside of Basseterre is the fortress of Brimstone Hill including the citadel of Fort George. Built out of black volcanic stone, also called Brimstone, this massive structure, covering 38 acres, is the largest colonial fortress still in existence in the Caribbean and well worth visiting. Said to be the Gibraltar of the Caribbean, this fortress saw a long and varied history, well told on daily guided tours of the fortress, which is now a national park.
It is also well worth driving around the island through the lush green fields, sugar cane fields, and rain forests. Stop at the well known plantation house inns, such as the Golden Lemon Inn, Ottley's Plantation or Rawlins Plantation for lunch or a cool drink.

Ottley's Plantation

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Saba, the smallest island of the Netherlands Antilles, was heavily influenced during colonial times by a several centuries of Dutch rule. Indeed, while English is spoken by everyone, Dutch is still the official island language. In fact, the name Saba is believed to be derived from the Dutch word for "shoe", which was, at one time, the main industry on the island. Although also a haven for pirates, the most notable native Saban pirate being Hiriam Breakes, who famously quipped "Dead Men Tell No Tales, " Saba has a rich and varied history.
Saba, a small island of only 5 square miles, rises straight out of the sea to the top of Mt. Scenery. Covered with tropical rainforests, the virtually round shaped island has few safe anchorages, and sometimes an overnight stay is not possible.
The island residents numbering only around 1500 trace their roots back to a handful of families with Dutch, Scottish and African heritage. Farming is difficult in the steep rocky island terrain and therefore, the few inhabitants tend to take to the sea, and many find their way to other Caribbean islands to live.
There is one road on Saba, called "The Road", which connects the harbor with
"The Bottom", one of the four villages on the island to the top of the peak of Mt. Scenery. The Road is full of hairpin turns as it rises to the top of the island, making the drive its own adventure.
Saba is a well known dive location, however the diving is not for the faint of heart and hiring a local dive guide is recommended. As the island plunges straight into the sea, diving is right around the perimeter of the island with a great diversity of underwater marine life and coral.
In the 1870's a young lady from Saba was sent to a convent in Caracas, Venezuela and there learned the difficult craft of "Spanish lace". On returning to Saba, this craft was taught to the local women and a cottage industry of lace making was born. Now known as Saba Lace, be sure to look for this as a special remembrance of this unique island.

Diving In Saba

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Gustavia
St. Barts, also known as St. Barths and St. Barthelemy, is located in the French West Indies and, at eight miles long, is one of the tiniest islands in the entire Caribbean.
St. Barts is a duty free port, and shoppers will be delighted with the range and number of shops. The highest concentration of shops is in Gustavia, followed by St-Jean, with its several shopping centers. It is wise to allocated more than a single afternoon to see what's what and where's where.
There are fourteen beaches on St. Barts, all blessed with gleaming white sand. Few are crowded, even in peak season. All are public and free. Nudism is ostensibly prohibited; however, topless is not unusual.
Two beaches divided by the Eden Rock promontory are Grand Cul de Sac and St. Jean. Flamands is a huge stretch of white sand fringed with lantier palms. The beaches at Marigot, Lorient, and Petite Cul de Sac are secluded and quiet, Gouverneur is serene; Saline is well worth the hike over the sand dune. Hardest to get to is Colombier, reachable by your yacht by a half- hour hike down a scenic path.
St. Barts offers many fine restaurants, offering just about any type of cuisine you can imagine. In fact, there are nearly one hundred places to get something to eat in St. Barts: from exquisite gastronomic restaurants to humble burger joints and take-away delis.

Eden Bay, St Barts

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Anguilla Beaches
Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory, 16 miles long and 3 miles at her widest point. Boasting 33 white sand beaches with crystal clear waters, a contemporary international style, and extraordinary vistas, Anguilla may be the highlight of your cruise after you drop anchor to explore this idyllic tropical island.
Visit art galleries, tour historic sites and museums, go horseback riding, dance to island beats, snorkel, or simply bask in the sun and enjoy quiet sunset strolls. The pinnacle of gastronomic delights include over 70 dining experiences presented by a cadre of world renowned international and award-winning local chefs. For pampering, resorts and independent spas offer the latest in spa and wellness facilities, services and treatments.

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