Delta 2, Day 12 and 13: St. Kitts, Brimstone Hill and Shipwreck Beach!
Written by Sinéad Power (Day 12) and Reilly Addison (Day 13)
Edited by Meredith Evridge
As a new day dawned over Delta fleet, our sleepy crew remained in bed enjoying a much needed rest until nine o’clock! Nobody complained about the extra sleep as the past few days had taken so much energy. Students slowly rose and gathered in the cockpit to enjoy a breakfast of loaded eggs, prepared by staff!
Once everyone had enough time to get ready, it was then just a short dinghy ride to shore for some beach time. While some enjoyed the sea, sun and sand, others were drawn to Lime in the Coconut, a nearby artisan store selling quirky clothes, jewelry and knick-knacks made by local artists.
Back on boats, predeparture checks and lunch prep were started. We dropped the mooring ball, got underway and raised the sails, all led by our two skippers of the day. There was scarcely time for lunch clean as an hour later, we turned from a beam reach, going head to wind to drop sails. We motored into Port Zante to dock.
Next came our students’ favorite part of any dock day: deep clean before cleaning inspection! Everyone knuckled down and worked together, and both boats passed with flying colors. Keeping the small living space is essential to a strong frame of mind and we were all glad when the last item was put in its place.
Climbing onto the dock, a two minute ramble brought everyone to the shopping area where souvenirs included some pretty funky shirts (look forward to seeing them, parents!). No shop trip is complete without a few snacks before everyone returned to boats. Everyone had showers and started dinner prep.
We tucked into pasta carbonara before a thankfully short boat clean. After boat meeting, Zanzibar and Mayotte had time to relax and hang out, easily stepping across at the beam as the boats were rafted. After so much excitement ashore, they were a lively bunch, taking a little longer than usual to power down. Once everyone found their sleeping spots, the occasional whisper continued until the snores became louder than the chatter. The two crews slept soundly.
Day 13
Our morning started with fueling the boats. To do this, we had to de-dock and re-dock just across the marina, then after fueling, repeat to get back to our original docks. This morning’s docking was very difficult, with fluctuating windspeed, angle and a small dock slip to get onto. Nonetheless, with students on the helm, everyone did their job impeccably and docking went smoothly! We were proud of our budding sailors and the way they handled these challenges; so early in the morning, too!
The rest of the morning was made up of breakfast clean, and packing for the day. At nine thirty, our taxi drivers showed up to take us on a tour. We first went to an old sugar mill, and on a rain forest walk. Here, we learned some history of the Caribbean, and a bit about the sugar trade. Next, we drove to the Fort of Brimstone Hill and had some lunch while enjoying the views of the ocean atop the hill. The fort is very well intact, and presented opportunities to explore rooms, hallways and areas all around the fort.
Our third and final destination was Shipwreck Beach. On arrival, we were stuck huddling under overhangs, to get out of the pouring rain. But after fifteen minutes, it was sunny again like nothing had happened. We enjoyed the black sand beach, and occasionally would spot monkeys running across the roof, or playing tag with one another. The beach also had many hammocks, and a swim platform to relax on in the water. Some also chose to order virgin drinks and appetizers at the restaurant.
Nigh unto five, we headed back to our boats to start a dinner prep of chicken curry and get showers going. Dinner was fantastic, and everyone was happy to have a freshwater wash for the second night in a row! We ended our happy and adventurous day with boat clean, boat meeting, and bedtime for all under the stars.
