Having decided we'd had enough of Montserrat and that the only golden sand beach in Rendezvous Bay around the corner was likely to be quite rolly, we set sail for Nevis Island, a distance of 27NM. The winds were between 7-10 knots from the SE, the seas slight and the mainsail hoisted to the second reef, with the staysail unfurled most of the way.
Peter was keen to catch a fish and the line was deployed from the stern. Most of the way the lure danced across the surface but then a hit! There was no zing, but the rod was bending and the tension on the line had changed....but was it a fish? The girls were furled the staysail without delay to help slow Trilogy and Peter reeled in the line until at last a blue fin tuna was confirmed. The fish was well hooked and had little fight left by the time it was landed. The fish was bleed, cleaned and filleted promptly and delicious fresh tuna was on the menu again!
Trilogy soon increased speed and before long we picked up a mooring off Pinney's Beach, just to the north of tiny Charlestown Harbour, the capital of Nevis. We arrived too late to catch the customs office on Saturday afternoon, so we stayed on board, except for a swim towards the shore. Pinney's Beach is about a 6 kms stretch of golden sand, lined with dense green foliage and at one end is a Four Seasons Hotel resort, complete with tall palm trees. Trilogy was well away from the resort and our vista was a beautiful ancient volcanic cone called Nevis Peak rising 3232 feet, which captured the clouds as they gathered. It is only 6NM to St Kitts island, which from Trilogy's mooring made it look like was joined to Nevis.
Columbus named this island Les Nieves (the snowy ones) because he also noted the cloud forms over the island and likened them to snowy peaks. Like many other islands, the last sugar plantation was closed in 1930. There are now only small landholdings and simple farming. The economic decline has only been partly compensated for by tourism. Some of the old plantations have been bought up and converted to resorts. The island has a population of around 12,000 inhabitants. Nevis is part of the federation with St Kitts, since its independence in 1983.
There was a fair bit of wind still blowing and we'd moored well off shore, but that didn't deter the swimmers from exploring. And find they did! About halfway to shore there was a submerged wreck in several metres of water. It was a long wooden boat, maybe 50 metres in length, with a tall prow. Alas, no gold or treasure to be found, but there were plenty of fish. A fresh tuna and rice dinner was prepared which we enjoyed below decks, as the wind was still a bit uncomfortable.
We awoke to a glassy sea! Eager for a swim in the smooth conditions, we headed back to the wreck for another explore and underwater photography. Breakfast followed and then we all piled into the tender for a trip ashore, tying up at the dinghy wharf in Charlestown. We quickly learnt that being Sunday, everything is closed in Charlestown, or almost!
While we waited for the skipper to complete formalities (yes, that office was open on Sunday) we were blasted by a crowd of locals having a cook up in the local cafe, to the sound of loud music. To add another blast, two other young men came and sat close to us with their music full throttle! The rest of Charlestown was silent, except for when we reached the end of the Main Street and found a small cafe open with a sign 'We will be open tomorrow at 09:00 to broadcast live cricket match West Indies vs England'. We stepped inside and again the noise was deafening! The TV monitor was mounted high on the wall and four men were perched on bar stools, clutching Carob beers and shouting animatedly for their heroes. We managed to communicate we would like some lunch and were served a delicious chicken, rice and salad meal, washed down with a Carob. It was the final of the T20 series and the excitement was intense as the West Indies needed to score well in the last over to win. An Englishman had joined in the scene and of course he was also glued to the screen. Can you imagine the jubilation from the locals when Samuels hit three sixes in a row to win the series!! The guys turned around and saw us Aussies cheering with them, as they danced and shouted for joy. The Englishman retreated to join us and waited for the scene to settle. The Londoner was ashore from a yacht and we enjoyed sharing notes on best places to visit. He had attended church at St Paul's Anglican Church at 10:00, the second oldest church on the island and the service lasted 2 hours, but he bailed after one!
After lunch, we made our way in the heat on foot to the other end of town, in search of the mineral springs, which we eventually found, almost by accident. A small structure down below road level had been constructed over a small tiled pool with wide steps allowing gradual entry. Just as well, as the water temperature was 108 degrees Fahrenheit and it took slow progression to ease in. The local man who cares for the pool told of almost miracle relief for joint aches and pains and the locals come day and night seeking relief. The springs have a long history and were part of the Bath House Hotel, the first hotel on Nevis. Many famous and not so famous people have come seeking healing from these waters. We certainly felt our legs and feet were rejuvenated.
Nevis Island is known as the Queen of the Caribbean Islands and we felt we needed more time to get better acquainted. Next morning Sydney, a 75 year old taxi driver greeted us at the jetty. As there was a small cruise ship visiting, the jetty had indeed changed, with tourism and port officials, live music and small local product stalls set up. We visited the Jamaican bakery for a snack and then the charming Cafe des Artes for a drink. How much more lively was Charlestown today! The Museum of Nevis History had plenty to say about Horatio Nelson, who controversially married a Nevis woman Fanny Nesbit in the 1780's. Sydney took us up the slopes of Nevis Peak and stopped at Golden Rock Inn for lunch. This old sugar cane plantation, with restored stone buildings and lush exotic gardens, was simply beautiful. We sat on a wide covered balcony overlooking the sea and had a delicious roti and salad lunch. Rotis are curried meat, chicken, fish or vegetable fillings, in a light pastry wrap. Sue chose a curried chicken and mango salad. Sydney dined with us on a lobster and salad sandwich on the house. Later we descended from the jungle to the coast, drove into another couple of old plantations, encountering wild but shy green back monkeys and wandering sheep on the roadside. We stopped at one of the oldest churches on Nevis, St James Anglican c.1759, that has one of three depictions in the Caribbean of a black Christ on the Cross. This church served the elite gentry plantation owners and many tombstones line the floor and walls of the church.
Before heading back to the jetty we drove into the spacious and manicured grounds of the Four Seasons Resort, which employs over 750 local staff, including Sydney's wife, who he married when she was 16. The final stop was Sunshine Beach, which we'd heard was a great destination for a meal and home of the 'Killer Bee' rum punch....one sting and you're gone! Donkeys had taken up residence on the roadside into Sunshine Beach and after a quick look at the somewhat ramshackle restaurants, we decided dinner on board with GNTs was a better option!