Day 8: Montserrat: The Emerald Isle Of The Caribbean. Sailing From Guadeloupe To Nevis
A full day of sailing — from Guadeloupe to Nevis, making our way past Montserrat and Redonda.
Day 8: Guadeloupe to Nevis (Past Montserrat and Redonda) 5 AM- 5 PM
Sailing past this sleeping dragon, Montserrat.
We were up in sailing by 5 AM, 540 actually out moving and leaving our mooring at Pigeon Harbor. This was one of those marathon sailing days. Starting at 5 AM, and hitting our next anchorage around 5 PM that evening. I'm the early riser of the group, so I was on the first watch from 5 to 10 AM.
A few hours in we sailed by the crazy island of Montserrat.
Montserrat is friggin' insane.
Montserrat, according to my eyeballs and left hand.
The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean: The Sleeping Dragon, Montserrat
Montserrat is nicknamed "The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean" both for its resemblance to coastal Ireland and for the Irish ancestry of many of its inhabitants.
On 18 July 1995, the previously dormant Soufrière Hills volcano, in the southern part of the island, became active. Eruptions destroyed Montserrat's Georgian era capital city of Plymouth. Between 1995 and 2000, two-thirds of the island's population was forced to flee, primarily to the United Kingdom, leaving fewer than 1,200 people on the island as of 1997 (rising to nearly 5,000 by 2016). The volcanic activity continues, mostly affecting the vicinity of Plymouth, including its docking facilities, and the eastern side of the island around the former W. H. Bramble Airport, the remnants of which were buried by flows from volcanic activity on February 11, 2010.
It was like sailing by a sleeping dragon. There was a steady light haze of smoke rising from the far end of the island where the beast lay sleeping.
Boulders The Size Of Houses, Miles From The Caldera
Sailing by Montserrat is an experience within itself. You can see the city of Plymouth, a faint line on the island, half devoured by Ash, slowly returning back to the earth. You can see boulders the size of houses (READ: THE SIZE OF FRIGGIN HOUSES) that flew several kilometers from the caldera. On our GPS system, there was a dashed ring around the island denoting the safe zone outside that area in case there's an eruption. I found myself almost tiptoeing across the boat. You could faintly smell sulfur in the air, too. Oh, volcanoes, what a thrill!
Goat Water
Also, fun fact: Goat water is the island of Montserrat's national dish. Goat water is a delicious, comforting stew that has all of the glorious aromatic spices the Caribbean is known for. I tasted Goat Water from a friend on St. Thomas and LOVED it, and during Carnival one year I went up to a pop-up food vendor and asked if they served Goat Water, and they said, "Goat Head Soup? Yes." So I ordered that thinking it was the same thing, and I'm here to tell you, tufts of fur later, it is not the same thing. Goat water is amazing. Goat Head soup is exactly what it sounds like. Don't do it.