Voyage to Nevis, Part 1

Last year, we took our dear friends Anthea and Leslie to St. Bart’s and St. Martin/Sint Maarten. This was a particularly interesting trip because Anthea is partially paralyzed from a small-plane accident some 12 years ago. That said, I have never met anyone keener to experience new things, nor more aware of her limitations. She is very clear on what works and what doesn’t. As a result and under her guidance, we became adept at getting her into and out of the dinghy, into and out of Django, onto the various dinghy docks that litter our life, and all over the islands to see the sights. Les is her sturdy and devoted partner, solicitous and  careful, big and strong, watchful and always able to detect, in mid-manoeuvre, what adjustments need to be made. Anthea has an effervescent personality and more energy than a two year old. She proudly dubbed herself “disable-bodied seaman” and gave us merit badges for our efforts.

Our proud achievement.

Last summer was her 70^th birthday (we, alas, could not attend). She and Les hosted a three-day bash with 180 guests at their home in Mere, Wiltshire. They did all the cooking. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

When they arrived this year, almost the first words Anthea said to me were, “When are we going sailing?”  I hadn’t realized it was an annual commitment but, turns out, that’s exactly what it is. How lucky we are!

We had guests and commitments and a very sick engine and so on, so scheduling was difficult. We finally settled on Thursday, March 6, to Sunday, March 9 (WW and I had to be back for a week as rum bosuns, starting March 10). We talked about going to Les Saintes, south of Guadeloupe, but that’s a long way and we’d really just get there in time to come back. We pondered Montserrat (she’s been there already) and Barbuda (ditto plus it’s very hard to get ashore there, even for the able-bodied.) We finally settled on Nevis (pronounced NEE-vis), the southern island of the country of St. Kitts and Nevis, which lies about 42 miles WNW of Antigua. Les and Anthea have been there on Tenacious, a tall ship fitted out for disabled crew on which they have sailed a number of times, but it had been only a brief visit. Last year she learned the joy of visiting a place for several days, rather than the cruise-ship (even if it is a tall cruise ship) approach of one-day-wonder visits.

Map showing relative positions of Antigua (right) and St. Kitts and Nevis (middle left)

Also visible: Barbuda (upper right), Monserrat (fondly known as Monster Rat, middle bottom)

and Redonda (north of Monserrat, part of Antigua and Barbuda,

fondly known as Redundant).

Map of Nevis from Nevis: Queen of the Caribees, fifth ed.,

published 2005 by Macmillan Caribbean. Charlestown 

is on the west coast halfway up. 

On Thursday morning, at about 9:30, we collected Les, Anthea and the contents of their apartment from the fuel dock. They brought clothes, a collapsible wheelchair in bits, food for two dinners, their own sugar, tea and coffee, two kinds of homemade cake, jellies and fruit and chocolate and endless drinks, soft and hard. I had had to fight for the right to make lunch… They had two coolers of perishables and drinks, one large bag of dry provisions, two ditty bags and a roll-on suitcase for our four-day expedition. We all agreed: You can’t be too careful where the creature comforts are concerned.

We had a nice run over, making about 7 kts all the way with the wind right behind us. Anthea suffers from seasickness and wears a scopolamine patch. Last year she had an urky five minutes and was fine thereafter. Same thing this year, only this year she didn’t cuddle a bowl for the duration. We arrived at Charlestown, the capital of Nevis, at about 6 p.m., while there was still just enough light to see to pick up one of the public moorings all visiting yachts are required to use.

Anthea’s fisherman’s pie for dinner (salmon, smoked salmon, shrimp, tilapia topped with mashed spuds) served with steamed broccoli. Yum. We were all in bed by 8:30.