Story 13/2

Percy said he would give us a tour around the Island, pointing out areas of interest, with highlights of Fort Brimstone and Rawlins’ Plantation, where we could stop and have lunch.
We set off northwards along the west coast road with its interesting ‘speed bumps’. Large drainage channels straight across the road, which if you hit one at speed, it would probably kill you.

Admiring the views and a large collection of nesting egrets required a number of stops but we arrived at our first feature, Romney Manor. A 10 acre estate and with a giant saman tree, which is said to cover an acre itself Here was also the home of Caribelle Batik. After viewing a

About a thousand British and local militia defended it and were allowed to surrender with full military honours, after a month. A year later it was returned to the British by the Treaty of Versailles
We spent a long time wandering around this large historic bit of colonial history, which is now being well restored and looked after by the inhabitants of St. Kitts. In the meantime Percy was resting in the shade. I had a drink with him and he looked at his watch. A look of panic appeared on his face. He made a phone call and announced we had to get on the move. We guessed that it was getting late for lunch at Rawlins!
What followed was a great drive through old sugar plantations until we arrived at a superb garden on a hill, with sculptured palm trees and a terraced plantation house. A couple were just leaving, so we were the only ones there.The opening was Rum punch all round, followed by a West Indian buffet lunch laid out especially for us. No price was mentioned, but we did not care. It looked far to good to miss and we were not disappointed. I think Barrie went around the table three times! We all had our mony’s worth! Afterwards we settled down with drinks on the terrace and could have stayed there until now. Percy was spotted in the garden but, when asked, appeared in no hurry to leave.
We finally decided we had to go and Percy drove us back down the Atlantic side of the Island. This side is more rugged and wind swept with less population and we were soon approaching Basseterre from the ‘back side’.

demonstration of the process we found it was a good place to buy some very colourful garments at reasonable prices.
We eventually arrived at Brimstone Hill Fortress. This is now a National Park and World Heritage site. It was built by the British with African slave workers, and it saw quite a lot of action in its time, the most notable being when it was attacked by 8000 French in 1782.

Good as his word, Percy pulled into Rams supermarket and, while Alison and Barrie picked up the provisions, took me to the Custom house to ‘clear out’ for the next day.
Percy had given us a great day, getting us back as it was getting dark, and was worth his asking price!
As the sun set we noticed there was no cruise ship in.
This had been our lucky day !

Going north from Basseterre is, by Caribbean standards, a relatively long voyage. The ‘active’ day before made us decide to take it easy and sail up the east side, anchoring off near the north point of St Kitts, before leaving for St. Barts the next day.
Leaving just before midday in a light breeze, we were on the lee side of the island, we drifted north for an hour before motoring the last few miles, then anchored off the small town of Sandy Point at around 2 o’clock..
On going ashore, ‘help’ with the tender was provided by a young boy beach combing with his dad, then we climbed the path to the town. The contrast with the day before could not have been greater. We looked into the first ‘bar’, a single room shed, but with a bottle of beer for $1.40 EC.
($1 US= $2.8 EC)
We had a walk up the town and visited a couple more bars but were advised by a local lady to be back in our ‘room’ before dark. We took her advice, although to be honest we were not intimidated and every one seemed very friendly.

Sunday 13th. November Sandy Point to Baie Colombier St. Barthelemy (St. Barts) CHART

We were back to our habit of making an early departure, and under way before nine o’clock. With a great sail heading almost due north in an easterly, force 6 wind, we soon sighted St Barts and left St. Kitts behind us.
By midday were approaching the coast.
I believed that to follow the ‘rules’ we should ‘clear in’ again, as St. Barts is French, However Alison said that, at the Sunsail briefing, they told us it was not required. The entry port was Gustavia but we wanted to go to a small bay on the east corner. So we headed straight for the small bay, Baie Colombier.
Unfortunately as we approached, another black cloud developed and the rain descended. Not as bad as the entry to Port Zante but pretty heavy.
There was nobody to guide us this time but the bay was obvious with some boats already in. In this bay it is illegal to anchor to protect the sea grass and buoys are provided. We identified a mooring and I got a rope around it but I could not reach the ring on the top. Barrie dived in, swam forward and passed a rope through it.
I said, from now on there would be no excuse, and that was the best way to tie up to a buoy, even in European waters!!!!

We had decided to make our way towards Anquilla but if we made a stop at Tintamarre, a small island near to Ile Pinel, we need not get under way early and could have a restful morning.
The wind was still NE and a beam reach had us there in two and a half hours.
There were a couple of boats already anchored when we arrived but they soon left, leaving us alone for the night.

Tuesday 15th. November Tintamarre to Road Bay, Anquilla CHART

The trip to Road Bay was another short one but involved going around the SW tip of Anquilla and a possible beat up the coast. So we made another early start and were under way before nine. LETO was quickly ‘in the groove’ again and we were at Lower West End Point ( a very imaginative name ) in a couple of hours. A beat up the coast and we were in Road Bay

This was a well sheltered anchorage with a good dingy dock, and the clearance port for Anquilla. We had been briefed that the procedures here were a little more complex and costly, than the other Islands
You require a cruising permit to visit any of the anchorages outside Road Bay. It is valid for one day and expires at midnight, so if you anchor overnight you have to pay for two days We therefore planned to stay the night at Road Bay and visit Prickly Pear Cays the next day before carrying on back to St Martin.
The Customs and Immigration Office was very conveniently by the Dingy Dock. An official lady cleared us in and out, after requesting five copies of the crew list. Because LETO was over 20 tonnes (20.23) we had to pay a mooring fee for Road Bay of $50 EC (less than 20t. it would not apply! )

She apologised that there was no customs officer in the office that day so we would have to visit Customs down the road to clear with them after seeing the lady sitting in the other corner of the office. We saw her and filled in the same forms as we had with the first lady. She charged us for a Marine Park mooring fee of $40.32 EC and said we would get the cruising permit from the Customs, who we should visit straight away.

We decided we needed a drink, visiting the beech bar next door.
This bar seemed to be a great place for live jazz, but unfortunately, not that night. It was a pity we were approaching the end of the holiday, or we may have made another call at Road Bay.
After the beer we walked along the beech to the ‘Port’ a few hundred yards away, to visit Customs. To get in the ‘Port’, ‘Security’ insisted in signing us in and giving us passes. After more forms, we were cleared by Customs and given our Cruising permit for a further $150 EC. We departed handing in our passes at the gate.
Everybody was very nice but this was the biggest ‘job creation scheme’ we had experienced.

Prickly Pear Cays had been recommended as the place for snorkeling and seeing reef life, we also had it in mind to leave Bob here, so we were up and away early. We passed Sandy Is. This is just to the north of Road Bay and rises around five feet from the surface. It had a few tables and chairs, a wreck, and no sign of people as we went passed.

Sunsail had told us were we must anchor at the Cay and then use the tender to go around to the reef. However, when we had anchored it looked easier to land ashore, then walk across to the other side. Once there, to our surprise we found a couple of beech bars, one closed, but the other with a guy opening up. Nobody else on the beech. Alison and Barrie tested the water but it was rough with a strong current and we decided to go back to the leeward side. Here we found a large number of conch shells on the beech, selecting a few to take home with us. We had landed the tender in a small inlet in the rocks; launching back into the surf produced by the swell was ‘interesting’.
Barrie swam back.

Bob’s ashes had been given to us after his cremation , with the request we scatter them somewhere over the Caribbean.
He loved sailing. After surviving, with Barrie and I, the sinking of Classic Wave. he had organised and been looking forward to this trip,
Therefore we thought we would take him sailing for as much of the time that we could, and it was now within a couple of days of us going home.
He had covered the miles that you have read about and was with us all the way in spirit, and we know he would have enjoyed every minute. It was however now time for him to go. This bay was typical of the sun, sand, palm trees and turquoise water of the Caribbean and we laid him over the surface to sink and mingle with the coral. It will be a peaceful resting place.
The event was officially recorded on the back of the extract from the cremation register, The time and place with the position: 18. 15. 79 N
63. 10. 52 W
It was then placed in the container that had held his ashes, with a piece of coral and a small conch shell, then launched from the stern of LETO. It will probably drift for a long time. The wind and current is to the east with open sea all the way to Mexico. If it should run ashore or be picked up, there is a note for the finder to telephone Barrie.

The anchor was raised and we set off on our return to St. Martin, rounding the point off Anquilla, before setting course for Grand Case Bay. The wind again had some, south in the east, and we had to lay in a couple of tacks to safely enter the bay, arriving at 15.45. It was another typical, superb, sheltered anchorage where we again were able to moor close to a convenient dingy dock, with a beech bar in the sand at its head. We had a beer then back to the boat for some food and back to test a few glasses of the local style of rum

Thursday 17th. November Grand Case to Oyster Pond CHART

This was the last sailing day and Barrie was determined to make the most of it. From Grand Case, to get around the top of the island meant tacking into the prevailing wind. By now we had found that LETO performed well, and she did not let us down, rounding the northern most point within an hour. It was then a beam reach to Oyster Pond. The green buoy soon came into view. Sunsail had told us to call in on the VHF before entering. As we mentioned earlier, the way in could be difficult in a strong wind but conditions were not bad on this occasion. We called and Sunsail told us to come in, stressing: Red Right In. We had by now realised we were in the ILHA B system! Barrie picked up the red markers and we were soon alongside the fuel berth.

Vince came to greet us and check that we had had a good time. He topped LETO up with fuel then took her back into her berth. We decided to have a look at some of the other Sunsail yachts in preparation for our next visit, particularly the big Lagoon Catamarans.
The last evening had to be a meal ashore, and Captain Oliver had just the place in the Marina.
Following another excellent meal we had a look at the sharks under the floor, in Captain Oliver’s private aquarium, before a final visit to the Dingy Dock Bar for a nightcap
The next day was only to pack our bags, tidy up Leto and give her back to Sunsail. We left Oyster Pond at midday for the Airport, wondering if the LIAT flight would

be on time. It was not, but we had time to spare and they got us to Antigua in time (just) for the First Choice flight home. No upgrade this time and it was not as comfortable in the back, as it was on the journey out. However we arrived early on Saturday morning to a bright, but cold Gatwick Airport. Alison left us and we picked up Barrie’s car for him to drive us home.