As we departed St Kitts, we could see 'Icon of the Sea' docked in Basse Terre and it looked quite stylish from a distance. We had the foresail out straight away and had a lovely sail for an hour and 45 minutes to Charlestown on Nevis, passing a large, barnacle covered turtle on the way. We hooked a mooring buoy, off the beach north of the town and just south of the Four Seasons Resort and then headed to the dock by dinghy. We had been warned to use the beach, south of the dock, as the dock is a nightmare but it was actually fine and we could tie off to the new looking ladder to climb ashore. We had a real Caribbean welcome, with music and a kettle drum, as we entered the little port area. Although we had already cleared into the country in St Kitts, we paid a visit to the port authority, as we weren't sure whether we needed to pay for the mooring buoy or not. We were asked where we had come from and then charged 66 EC dollars and the price didn't change when we said we were staying 2 nights, so we deduced that the price was fixed however long we stayed. We purchased a St Kitts and Nevis flag, on a stick, which we could convert into a courtesy flag and then visited tourist information and explored the small town. The buildings are very colonial. Pete could smell ribs and decided we needed to eat out for lunch, so we went to Wilma's Diner and ordered the ribs luncheon. We were a little worried as we were the only diners but the food was plentiful and delicious, including the breadfruit. The fried plantain was also quite tasty when dipped in the sauce covering the ribs. Full to bursting, we took a walk through the town, passing the hot springs and onwards to find Charles Fort, which turned out to be inaccessible from land. However, we could see the ruins as we walked back to the pier along the beach. The beach was backed by mangroves, with egrets sitting in the bushes. Hot and sweaty, we returned to the boat to swim. The same 5 spreader yacht, SY Adele, came and anchored behind us again, just before sunset but had gone by the next morning. We slept really well, other than being woken by torrential rain.
Next morning, we were back in Charlestown before 9am and taking a taxi tour of the island. Kirklee was our driver and guide. The price was US$100, for up to 4 people, which was expensive with just the 2 of us but turned out to be money well spent. We visited the hot springs and bath house, which are open to the public, free of charge and then headed to the Montpellier Plantation, which is close by where Nelson married Fanny Nisbet. The plantation is now a luxury hotel, once visited by Princess Diana, with William and Harry. It had an understated opulence and the grounds were stunning, as far as we were allowed to roam. We felt slightly embarrassed walking around while guests were having breakfast. I took as much advantage of the free wifi while we there, as no passcode was required and we needed a weather forecast. We passed by the silk tree under which Nelson married Fanny Nisbet and the arrived at the botanical gardens, where we spent just under an hour exploring the gardens and the tropical house, which had parrots and cockatiels too. The English lady on reception was 77 years old and volunteered for 3 months in exchange for accommodation. She was very on the ball and friendly and definitely didn't look her age. From the gardens, we went to the Hermitage, the oldest wooden building in the Caribbean, which dates from the 1650s. The interior is set out exactly as it was when Nelson visited. Within the grounds, there are coloured, wooden cottages, where guests can stay and a lovely little swimming pool with sunbeds. It is on our list for an overnight stay at some time in the future! The taxi took us around to the Atlantic coast, where we visited and old sugar cane mill and passed the race track before continuing along the north coast, with views of St Kitts. Last up was the Caribbean coast, with an old church, before passing the hotel resorts on the way back into Charlestown. On our way we passed herds of sheep (tails down) and goats (tails up), as well as monkeys and donkeys. The 2.5 to 3 hour trip was closer to 3.5 hours, so we gave Kirklee a $10 tip. If you are visiting, his taxi has the registration plate PA90. We had forgotten to bring the boat papers, so returned to the boat for lunch and then had to go back to town to clear out, which cost a further US$26 or 66EC. We are not sure that we should have paid twice, once on arrival and again on departure. On our way back to the boat, we swung by the beach opposite and a Canadian guy helped Pete carry the dinghy far enough onshore, as he could see that I was struggling, the outboard being very heavy. He took us to his friend's bar, the cheapest on the beach and we bought him a beer. It really was cheap; 20 EC for 4 beers (Pete had 2!), cash only. Back on board, we swam to cool down and had another peaceful night without swell. We were going for a record for continuous nights now.
Next morning, we were away just after 0730 and heading south towards Monserrat.