Lagniappe: ST. Kitts and Nevis

5/15/2017 We left Statia at 0800 and motor-sailed to Basseterre, St. Kitts. Currently the only place to check in for St. Kitts is Basseterre. The anchorage there was horribly rolly. Greig on Lequesteau put his dinghy in so he and Greg could go check in. In the process of getting his outboard lowered to the dinghy, it was swinging wildly due to the rolling and took gouges out of the hull when it banged into it. As soon as the guys got back from customs and immigration, we upped anchor and headed the 5 miles south to White House Bay, arriving about 1615. This was a lovely, calm anchorage with about 8 boats anchored about. The next bay over, Ballast Bay has a channel into the salt pond where there is a new marina and exclusive housing development. We were able to fill our jerry cans with fuel to top off the tanks. The marina is building an immigration/customs office there which should be open in August. Then cruisers wont have to stop in Basseterre to check in, thank goodness. One of the boats in White House Bay was on a mooring. We recognized the boat, Morning After as the one we had helped in Antigua when his anchor dragged in a squall.
The next day Slow Dancing came up from Nevis where they were uncomfortable with the roll due to the swells. We snorkeled the next day on the south side of the bay near the rock wall.

Bluehead Wrasses

Yellowtail Damselfish (juvenile)

Lion fish: These fish are so beautiful and graceful to watch. But they are very destructive to the reefs, wiping out the fish population in a matter of weeks sometimes and they are very prolific. They are also poisonous but are very good to eat. We have never tried to catch them as the spines sting you with a venom if you don't handle them correctly. But we have eaten them in a restaurant and they were delicious.

Not sure what this orange and black coral is but think it might be a type of colorful sea rod. We just called it Halloween coral or tiger coral.

A Sea Slug

Sea plumes

Underwater landscape

We snorkeled again the next day over the wreck in the middle of the bay and on the north side near a rock wall.

Parts of the ship that sank here

Sergeant major fish

Sergeant majors swimming around the wreck

Star coral

Sun anemone

Close-up of sun anemone

Sergeant majors among the anemones

Close-up of painted tunicate

These corals look like modern art.

A Freckled Soapfish with just his head sticking out of his hiding space

Took several tries but finally got a photo of the Freckled Soapfish out of his hiding spot

Loads of anemones

Christmas tree hydroids (with little white "flowers") amongst the anemones and coral

Yellowtail damselfish

Lots of grunts

Sea rod coral

Smallmouth grunts

Squirrel fish hiding under the rocks. They are very shy.

5/18/2017 Buddy from S/V Morning After offered to take us on a tour of the island in his jeep. He has been living on his boat here for several years and knows the island quite well. We visited Romney Manor gardens and the Caribelle Batik shop, Fort George on Brimstone Hill and drove down the east side of the island. We finished up with a late lunch at Reggie's Beach Bar.

The gardens at Romney Manor. The manor is long gone but the gardens are maintained and the batik shop is located here.

They make some incredible art with the batik as well as fabrics

One of the ladies applying the wax for one of the new pieces of art

Fabrics drying in the sun

Ficus Tree

Views of Fort George on Brimstone Hill, St. Kitts

The floor was built so that little trenches or gutters drained the water to a central hole (orange grate in the middle) that funneled the water into a cistern

They were very proud of their fort and embellished it with fancy arches and columns.

LSU was represented at Reggie's Beach Bar

5/19/2017 We hauled the anchor and motored over to Nevis on a calm day. It is only about 7 miles from White House Bay, St. Kitts. Kitts and Nevis are one country but are semi-autonomous. If you check in one you don't have to check in again on the other one. However, you do have to let them know which bays you plan to go to including the other island when you check in. Nevis has mooring balls outside of Charlestown which you pay for in your fees whether you use them or not. We picked up a ball, went into town and checked out for the next day. Then we went touring around Charlestown. We visited the Hamilton House where Alexander Hamilton was born and lived his early years and then visited the Nevis History museum with the Horatio Nelson collection after lunch. We were able to walk to all of them and got to see the town in the process.