Delta 1, Days 13 & 14: Expert Sailors Arrive to St. Kitts, and Island Exploring

Written by Sarah Leigh Enticott and Julian Reda

Edited by Meredith Evridge

Day 13

Wow, what a day! The Deltoids woke up early, enjoyed a breakfast of yogurts, cereal and oats, and then it was “shop time!” St. Barthélemy, also known as St. Barts, is one of the most expensive islands in the Caribbean but this didn’t stop students from browsing in the swanky shops. Most returned with post cards and souvenirs. Then, it was time for dedock the boats. Positions were assigned such as bow line, stern line, spring line, spotter and relay. The boats were dedocked with precision and skill, showing that the students really have come a long way.

We raised our sails as we rounded the corner and set off towards St. Kitts, following a bearing of 196 degrees. After a little while, the wind picked up and the waves grew bigger and bigger. The students were having so much fun riding the waves and keeping the boat on course. We decided to err on the side of caution and drop our sails. After a few hours, all the Deltoids excitedly announced that they could see land. We rounded the western side of St. Kitts and headed towards the capital of the island, Basseterre. From the sea, it’s a beautiful island with greenery everywhere. We could clearly see the fort on top of the hill, and colorful houses. While approaching the channel, we read up about the history of the island and then began setting up the lines for docking.

Once the boats were alongside each other, we settled into dinner routines and showers. Everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner of shepherd’s pie. For some, it was the first time eating this dish….plates were bare, so they must have enjoyed it! Boat meetings and Oreos were a fitting end to the day. Tomorrow, we would continue this adventure and explore St. Kitts.

Day 14

The day began with a breakfast of luscious french toast, and preparation for a long day of island exploration.  Day packs had to be filled with essentials, and wraps were put together for our picnic lunch. Once all was sorted, it was time to meet our guide for the day, Percy!

We started our journey on the roads of Basseterre. We headed through the town toward Wingfield Estate, a sugar plantation. We explored the forest around the plantation and even went vine swinging! After taking our sweet time exploring the grounds, we got back in the buses to continue our tour.

Our next stop was Brimstone Hill Fortress.  After a short orientation film that told the history of the fort, we had some time to take in the breathtaking views from the top of the citadel. We admired the bastions and forests below, and the coastline in the distance.

The final stop of the day’s journey was Shipwreck Beach.  The beach had volcanic sand made of ash. We spent a few hours chilling at the beach restaurant and frolicking in the shallow waters.

The exciting day came to a close with a dinner of pasta carbonara, a thorough boat clean and a quick boat meeting, reviewing that day’s highlights and looking forward to the next adventure-filled day.