Day: November 27, 2016
Basseterre to White House Bay
This morning we all jumped into the dinghy and rode to the dinghy dock to take care of customs and immigration. Aidan was sitting up front and while en route he saw a black tip reef shark pass right under us. I wished we’d been in the water with it. It took most of the day to check in since the immigration lady was a bit sparse for most of the time, so while waiting, we meandered around the buildings at the cruise ship terminal.
One massive tourist trap – usually the kind of place we avoid like the plague.
We finally got out of there after enjoying a delicious Indian meal, and pulled up anchor so we could head to the southern end of St Kitts where it’s a bit less populated. Our destination was White House Bay. The bay we had spent the night in, Basseterre Bay, had been a good first stop for convenience sake.
On the way we got a good look at the country side, and are so impressed by the beauty of this island.
Many rounded rain forest covered hills calling us to come and climb them. We may still do that.
Once we passed the populated areas, deeper shades of green spread over the hills. Jude, Danny and Aidan made themselves comfortable on the bow while I manned the helm and dodged crab pots.
It’s all just a bit of heaven…
In the distance, our destination slowly drew closer, and every detail was exquisite. Behind the green mounds of St Kitts we could we a cloud covered Nevis Peak, on Nevis Island, which is an active volcano.
It appears that a church is busy being built across from where we would be anchoring. Though unfinished, it stands majestically against the breathtaking backdrop.
The anchorage already had four sailboats anchored in it, and looked so calm and inviting.
We quickly set the hook in mostly sea grass and sand, grabbed snorkel gear and went exploring. Close to shore many coral heads and beautiful rock formations were surrounded by schools of brightly colored reef fish. Just as the sun was setting we returned to Tanda Malaika, and snapped some photos of a fantastic end to a wonderful day.
We are so grateful for our health and for this time we are spending together. Love flows freely, and so does the unending beauty we are surrounded by.
Sint Maarten to St Kitts
On Friday morning we went to check out of the marina and they told us that if we stayed one more night our bill would be $150 less because we’d then get the weekly rate. So, we did. We went ahead and checked out with customs and immigration, and returned to finish up projects on Tanda Malaika.
The following morning we said our goodbyes to the many friends we’d made with staff members and cruisers, and set out to the draw bridge which would be raising at 10:30am.
Many boats were lined up and ready to leave, and the wind was blowing at about 20 knots, which made sitting in one place difficult.
Before long we were on our way, and excited for the sail. We knew the wind direction was going to be in our favor for the first time in a long time, and were stoked for that. While we were all out on deck working on fenders and lines, mischief was happening inside. The wind blew all the paper towel off the roll in the galley. It reminded me of when the creatures were little and unrolled the toilet roll.
Our sail was beautiful. We averaged 7 – 8 knots and the swells were around 2 meters. We passed St Eustatius, and the beautiful dormant volcano called The Quill, which stands 1,972 ft high. It is the second tallest mountain in the Netherlands and last erupted about 1700 years ago.
Shortly after that we heard the familiar zing on the fishing rod and just as Emma ran to grab it, we heard (the familiar) snap!
Something big had grabbed the lure and pulled all the line out and snapped it off. Danny and I agreed that we need bigger reels with more line. Even though we set the drag correctly, big fish are kicking our butts.
St Kitts looked so beautiful in the evening light, with gorgeous clouds and a rainbow. What a welcoming sight.
We had made it in 6 hours thanks to the consistent wind. Our plan was to anchor in a little bay close to customs check in.
Danny will be flying out on Monday for a couple days to transport the airplane to Venezuela, and will then fly back to us here. In the mean time, we’ll do some exploring.
Adventures of a Tribe 