St Kitts & Nevis - Profile
Facts
- The Federation of St Christopher (more popularly known as St Kitts) and Nevis is part of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles.
- St Kitts and Nevis are rather off the cruising track. It is a tough return beating against wind and current to more popular Antigua.
- The rebuilding of Port Zante Marina at Basseterre following hurricane damage means a considerable improvement to facilities; breakwaters have been redesigned to make the marina much more protected from surge than formerly.
- Although they do not abound in scenic anchorages, the islands themselves are extremely attractive and their interesting past makes visiting ashore a worthwhile experience.
- Facilities are very basic on Nevis where there are plans to build a small marina at Fort Charles, at the southern end of Charlestown. Another development is planned at the old Newcastle harbour, on the NW side of the island near the airport.
Security
Based on reports to noonsite from cruisers, petty theft from yachts is on the rise in the Caribbean in general. Cruisers should take basic safety precautions and use common sense when leaving the boat or going ashore at night. Dinghy thieves operate throughout the Caribbean and best advice is to place your dinghy on deck and chain it overnight.
Free Cruising Guides have completed the Caribbean Security Index (CSI) review of 2013 and updated the country ratings. The latest update of the CSI contains new information that may be important to you to “route around crime.”
See this report athttp://www.noonsite.com/General/Piracy/caribbean-crime-caribbean-security-index-csi-review-of-2013
Check the Noonsite Piracy Pages and the Caribbean Safety & Security Net for information on the current island situation.
The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (safetyandsecuritynet@gmail.com) gather information by anchorage or by island, so sailors can plan their cruising in the Caribbean with an eye to appropriate behaviour and precautions wherever they decide to go. Should you have information about a security incident, as well as contacting Noonsite please also forward details to the Caribbean Safety and Security Net, as theirs is the most comprehensive source of Caribbean security incidents against sailors on the net. Please be sure to include boat name, date of incident and anchorage/port where the incident took place.
Last updated February 2014.
Weather
The islands are in the trade wind belt. There is plenty of rainfall on the hills, but it is less humid on the coast. The hurricane season is from June to November.
StKitts Weather Forecast.
For links to free global weather information, forecast services and extreme weather information see the Noonsite Weather Page.
Main Ports
There is no customs office at Zante Marina for the time being, but this is still the more convenient place to berth the boat and complete formalities in Basseterre which is best reached by taxi. There are plans for the clearance facilities to be reinstated at Zante Marina.
St. Kitts – St Christophe Harbour - 2014 update: Works are ongoing but seem to be delayed and marina seems quite far from being operational.
