Montserrat

The section of island chain we’re exploring continues to involve short, comfortable sails from one island to the next.  It was just a few hours to sail from Nevis to Montserrat.

Many of the islands are volcanic in origin and distinctive on the horizon but none as distinctive as Montserrat.  It’s the one that continues to emit steam, ash and sulfurous gas.  Montserrat is the only one that has huge areas of land that are off limits to humans and a large area of coastline under a maritime exclusion zone.  The maritime zone extends two miles from shore along the southern half of the island and is due to possibility of pyroclastic flows  and falling ash.

Our cruising guides indicate the first European settlers here were Irish fleeing a Protestant St. Kitts in 1630.  They began small farms but eventually sugar and slaves came to the island making small farming more difficult.  Many then returned to Ireland but their influence continues today and the island is known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.

Today Little Bay is the main port for ferries and cargo and the only anchorage for cruising boats.   It’s small and can be quite crowded.  It took us a little time to get situated in a spot where we felt comfortable then remained on board for the evening.

We had been welcomed with flies upon arrival in the harbor and had closed all the screens to prevent more from entering the cabin.   We thought the flies were bad until just after sunset when we were besieged with tiny flying ants.  They were far worse!  That was the only time we have seen them.   We later learned from some cruising friends that the same thing happened to them at the same time while anchored many miles away in Nevis.  I guess those bugs share a calendar.  Haven’t seen them again since, thankfully!

We went ashore in the morning, cleared in with no trouble then met up with our cab driver / tour guide  for the day.   Joe Phillips operates order the name Avalon’s Tour and is the recommended provider by Chris Doyle, the author of our cruising guide.  Joe had done a great deal of research and preparation, he provided us with a great tour and history of the island.

Joe picked us up in Little Bay which has become the main town since the August 1995 destruction of Plymouth.  Our first stop on the tour was Montserrat Cultural Center, a performance hall used for many things including funerals.  The center has built from funds raised by Sir George Martin.  He had located a recording studio in Montserrat in the late 1970’s where many big names recorded.  The studio was named Air Montserrat and some of the performers who recorded there included Paul McCartney, Elton John and Eric Clapton.  The studio was destroyed in 1989 by Hurricane Hugo but Sir George has remained connected to the island and has raised funds for the people of Montserrat following the destruction caused by the Soufriere Hills Volcano in 1995.

Leaving Little Bay Joe began to tell the story of having lost his first home to Hurricane Hugo only to have to move from the newly built house once the volcano became active.  He explained that islanders would work very hard over time to build a home then occupy it for life.  He had borrowed to build the second quickly after the hurricane, this was uncommon at that time.  Once the volcano became active they had to leave for what was expected to be a few days.  As it turned out he and his family ended up living in a classroom for the next year and a half before building yet a third house.

The second house still stands in the exclusion zone with many others where the jungle has taken over during the past 18 years.  The people were never able to return to those homes and many left the island for good.  The pre eruption population was 11,000 people, it is now about 5000.

Throughout the tour Joe showed us photos and videos of pre 1995 homes, neighborhoods and buildings as we drove along those same places after the effects of the volcano and the passage of 18 years.  It was striking.

As we left the island and headed south the volcano was quiet so we were able to sail down the west coast of the island close to where the capital of Plymouth was abandoned and subsequently buried below ash and mud.  The city was in a wide valley.  Today only a few buildings are visible on the edges of the valley.

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As we made our passage between Montserrat and Guadaloupe we were joined by several friends.  We love to travel with these guys!