Caribbean Beach News #1

ISSUE 1
DEC 11
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Tom; King of Pinel • Tintamarre, a lot of history on a little island • A tale of coconuts • Diving with
all walks of life • Is F the new J ? • Rachel in the Caribbean • Every reason for the Four Seasons
Bleu Emeraude 220x310_Mise en page 1 28/10/11 14:24 Page1
RÉSIDENCE
HÔTELIÈRE
-
VACATION
RENTALS
Du studio à l’appartement 2 chambres face à la mer des Caraïbes.
240, Bvd de Grand Case - 97150 Saint Martin F.W.I.
Tél.: (+59) 0590 87 27 71 - Fax: (+59) 0590 87 27 63
info@bleuemeraude.com - www.bleuemeraude.com
coordination
Caribbean
7
Coastlines
Tall Ships in the Caribbean; a youth sailing programme
Tom; King of Pinel
i
Beach of St. Barth, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Maarten & St.
Martin
ISSUE 1 - DEC 2011
New year’s eve, nautical style
WWW.CARIBBEANBEACHNEWS.COM
PUBLISHER
Jean Jarreau Media SARL
19
A tale of coconuts
EDITOR
Louise May
Every reason....every season; The Four Seasons Resort Nevis
editor@caribbeanbeachnews.com
ADVERTISING
A lot of history on a small island. Tintamarre, the
smallest kingdom in the world
advertising@caribbeanbeachnews.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Jan Roosens
Lisa Davis- Burnett
Tom Burnett
Montague Kobbe
Jean Martinique
Cécile Lucot
Alita Singh
Marslyn Lewis-Adams
Tornia Charles
Jean Jarreau
Captain Don Walsh
David G Concannon
David De Vries
Yvonne de Vries
From sea to shore; the Maritime
School of the West Indies
33
Update
Is ‘F’ the new ‘J’? The new F-Class is
coming
Covergirl Rachel Bigras in the Caribbean
The Calendar Girls in town
Necker Island is back and open for business!
St. Barth Cata Cup - F18 regatta once again a success
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Stephane Ferron
All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of Caribbean
Beach News magazine. The views, endorsements and
recommendations of the contributors to this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor.
Tales
43
Untouched
Diving with all walks of life
The Publisher’s Coconut
You might have noticed from the front page, this is Caribbean Beach News,
issue number ONE. “Finally!” you might think, and you’re right. We feel
the same way! Some of you might even say, “where do I know this name
from?” And again, you are right. Caribbean Beach News was “almost” on
the market quite a few times, starting all the way back in 1995.
It all started with an idea in 1994 to expand the existing “Orient Beach
News” which was distributed at the (still famous) nude beach in St. Martin
by Garry and Kerry, two crazy Aussies from Club Orient Watersports. I
had just started a video production company with them and we came up
with the idea to make “Orient Beach News” a magazine instead of just a
flyer. We wanted to create something about the other beaches on the island
as well.
Just before we were due to go to print, Hurricane Luis blew the office, the
water sports, a lot of businesses, Club Orient and all the beaches away (and
yes, a lot of houses, buildings and boats, too).
Somewhat later I gave it another try, this time without my two Australian
friends, but with some financial help from a few others like Doctor Rob
Aberson. (Thanks Rob!) This was just before Hurricane Lenny and yes, the
same thing happened.
I was undaunted and continued to pursue my plan to publish Caribbean
Beach News. Then, another hurricane hit. That slowed me down again, and
I abandoned the idea for a while.
Well, at this moment most of the Caribbean islands’ beaches are in great
shape and more beautiful than ever. With Caribbean Beach News, all the
information about those beaches and everything around them is now available to you in a magazine published every two months!
Information is, as the experts say, a two-way street. With Caribbean Beach
News (CBN) we are asking for feedback in any shape or form, both positive and negative. Articles on (almost) anything and everything will be accepted, considered and probably published. If you want to know what is
happening on the islands, from current happenings to future events, CBN
is a great resource.
This first issue is packed full of interesting articles. We’ve visited beaches
and the Four Seasons Resort Nevis and we are really pleased that world
renowned Captain Don Walsh and co-author David Concannon agreed to
share their incredible story and pictures about the Coconut Wreck. More
underwater adventure comes from Lisa and her husband Tom with their
scuba dive report. If you’re a sailing fan then you will certainly enjoy our
report on the yearly New Year’s Eve Regatta in St. Barth and the fantastic
news about a new sailing class that’s here to stay and win, the new F-Class.
No doubt you saw our cover girl, Rachel Bigras from Canada. Find out
what she was doing in St Maarten and we also catch up with the Hooters
Girls.
We hope to welcome you again and again, whether you are a tourist on a
cruise ship, a hotel or time share guest, the owner of a villa, on board a
mega yacht charter or as a permanent islander, we have something for anyone that loves Caribbean beaches! So enjoy the warm Caribbean weather,
the cool Caribbean waters and a hot Caribbean Beach News!
The Publisher
Caribbean
Coastlines
Coastlines
MCA
Left: The Tall ship Picton
Castle sailing in the Caribbean on her way home
to Canada after her fifth
circumnavigation around
the world.
MCA Recognized Courses
Master 200 ton Coastal
Master 200 ton Offshore
Master 200 ton Ocean
STCW'95, PWC ( Wave Runners ),
Mega Yacht Crew, RIB/Tender/VHF
course, GMDSS, Bareboat Captain,
ISPS, Stewardess course etc.
e-mail: info@MaritimeSchool.net
Middle: Tall ship’s Captain
Daniel Moreland ( Picton
Castle ) and Captain Kim
Smith ( Caledonia )
Tall Ships
Right: Youngsters at the
helm on board the sail
training vessel Eendracht
Free taxi boat service to all lagoon marinas!
in the Caribbean
By Jean Martinique
Photos courtesy of CSTA
Ever wondered where those majestic looking, old,
three or four masted tall ships that you see passing by from the comfort of your beach chair are
coming from? Ever wondered who sails on those giants of the
sea, climbing the yards and handling the acres of heavy canvas
sails? The Caribbean Sail Training Association can give you the
answer.
This non-profit association tries to attract sail training ships,
commonly known as “Tall Ships” to the Caribbean by arranging
reduced and sometimes even free dockage at the island’s ports
and harbours and sponsoring youth so that they can experience
a week of sail training on board these vessels.
The Caribbean Sail Training Association ( CSTA ) was established some years ago as a registered non-profit / charity association with the aim to provide education and sail training for
young people of all nationalities, cultures, religions and social
backgrounds and especially for young people living in the Caribbean.
The ultimate dream and goal of the association is to one day acquire a Tall Ship and to run sail training and educational programmes at sea all year round. At the moment the association
helps and sponsors youth to go on sailing adventures on board
vessels from Holland, Belgium, France, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Bulgaria and other European countries as well as on
board ships from the US and Canada.
8
Maritime School of the West Indies
St.Martin French West Indies
Over the few last years, the CSTA has provided many youngsters
from several Caribbean islands the opportunity to sail on Tall
Ships, classic schooners and yachts, race trimarans and other
vessels, not only on sailing adventures around the Caribbean but
also in the USA, Canada and Europe.
The CSTA accepts requests from Caribbean maritime related
schools and institutions that are interested to place their students
on one of these vessels as a trainee. People living in the Caribbean are also encouraged to contact the association if they want
to participate in a sailing adventure on board one of the ships.
Applicants need to be at least 15 years old and not be older than
25 on most of the Tall Ships but sometimes older trainees are accepted on board other vessels and sailing yachts. All costs for the
training, including return airline tickets, are sponsored by the
CSTA for accepted trainees.
Official sail training vessels are invited to contact the CSTA if
they are interested in free docking and ship agency services during their visits.
The association happily accepts donations in order to support
the Caribbean youth and the ships.
For all information contact: info@CaribbeanSailTrainingAssociation.org
Web site: www.CaribbeanSailTrainingAssociation.org
Phone: +590590510495 or +1721 5231209 or +596 696 261612
www.MaritimeSchool.net
Info@MaritimeSchool.net
Plissonneau Shipping & Yacht Assistance
The Plissonneau Company was first established in Saint Pierre,
Martinique back in 1872 – at this time one of the busiest trading
ports in the Caribbean.
With the volcanic destruction of the town (and many of the
ships) in the harbor, the Plissonneau company then moved to
the new capital city of Fort de France in 1922 to continue their
role as shipping agents to vessels from all over the world.
From these early days the company has built up strong
commercial relationships with companies in Europe, on the
American continent and especially within the U.S.A.
Most importantly during this time Plissonneau acquired the
strength and resources to compete and succeed in this highly
competitive sector with their personnel learning through
experience the many diverse skills required of a top class
shipping agent.
In 1991 Plissonneau Shipping were identified as the leading
company among shipping agents in the French West Indies.
Recommended by many of the larger superyachts visiting the
Island and with increasing demand for their services from the
yachting sector, a subsidiary company has now been formed Plissonneau & Yacht Assistance - to act as an Official Yacht
Assistance Agent offering Superyachts the same highly valued
shipping services as they provide to their clientele of 30
shipping lines - 20 of which are cruise lines – visiting Martinique
all the year round.
The services offered by Plissonneau Shipping & Yacht
Assistance include:
A 24/7 standby service to attend to all the needs requested by
the owner or captain, such as customs and immigration
clearances, freight clearing and delivery, hotel and restaurant
reservations, transfers to and from the airport or elsewhere,
shopping, airline tickets reservation, garbage removal, supplying
of fresh water, fuel/diesel bunkering, support for yacht
maintenance, provisioning, medical attendance, banking
services, excursions or recreational activities, and much more...
9
Coastlines
TOMKING OF PINEL
Back to the Future
By Jean Martinique
This interview was supposed to appear in the
first issue of Caribbean Beach News that was
due to come out in 1995 but was cancelled due
to Hurricane Louis (read the story in the Publisher’s Coconut). Although many years old,
we’ve decided to finally run this timeless piece,
better late than never!
I still remember the day when I saw Tom for
the first time. It was on St. Maarten, somewhere around the end of the 1980s. Tom had
managed to get a small booth in the popular
Philipsburg bar, The Green House. At that time,
it was more or less the only good bar/restaurant in St. Maarten where food, dancing and
fun went hand in hand every night. It was also
the bar that later started the “Two-for-Tuesday”
drink parties that were often copied by other
bars but never with the same success.
The reason why I still remember that night is
because Tom stands out in my memory.
He was not only selling his sarongs and selfmade coral earrings, but he was enthusiastic,
friendly and smiling from the beginning of the
evening until the closing of the bar somewhere
in the early hours of the morning.
Through all the years, a lot has changed, but
Tom’s friendly attitude and unending smile
have not.
10
“Tom, the Travelling Vagabond” relocated to the
little islet off French Cul-de-Sac and became
“Tom, the King of Pinel Island,” and there he has
made his business. He is still selling his sarongs
and earrings, plus a lot of other jewellery, gifts
and souvenirs. And you better believe he’s still
the same enthusiastic, smiling “bon vivant.”
During the interview under the shady trees of
Pinel Island, he explained that he has been selling things all over the world during his many
years of travelling.
ing around and selling things on the beach.
After an evening of discussion at his home,
whilst trying to convince him without success,
just before closing the door he said that he really did not want to see someone selling goods
to all the tourists while they were sunbathing,
but he did say “the only thing I’m willing to offer you is a lease for a souvenir shop but that’s
certainly not what you’re looking for.”
I pushed the door back open and of course I
signed that lease (starts laughing)!
CBN: Where did the idea come from to start a
booth in The Green House?
TOM: It was a joke. I arrived here on St. Maarten
on board a sail boat with an owner who wanted
to go to St. Thomas. He sailed into St. Maarten
because there was a storm coming.
After a few days I decided to stay. I’m Dutch
and it was nice after all my years of travelling to
speak Dutch again here.
I learned to make earrings out of coral during my travels and I needed to earn money to
survive so the small booth in The Green House
which Dan, the owner, gave me was a blessing.
CBN: Is Pinel privately owned???
TOM: Apparently it was. The French Government now owns the island but this was not
the case before, I was told. The previous owner
still has the concession for the businesses here.
Whatever problem we have, if we ever have
one, we still go to the same man.
CBN: You moved to Pinel Island after a few
years?
TOM: Well, I was selling my stuff on the beaches
and on Pinel Beach a little later, but of course
only during the day. After a while the “owner”
of the island came to see me and told me that I
had to leave Pinel. He did not want people walk-
CBN: You used to shack-up here for a while.
TOM: (Outraged) Shack–up?!? I beg your pardon! I have four bedrooms here, man (gestures
to the four parts of the open air beach shop).
Depending from where the wind came from
we used to sleep on beach chairs there or there
(laughs).
Yeah, it was primitive, no water and no electricity. I did it for two and a half years with my girlfriend Maya, and it was fun.
CBN: Which people are your clients? Cruise ship
tourists, locals, hotel guests?
TOM: Not so much the cruise ship tourists. Most of the time they come here to
snorkel, taking the bus to Cul-de-Sac and then the ferry boat to Pinel, and most
of them don’t bring any money along.
I know that very often they are told that nothing is available on Pinel Island.
After all, they are taking them to an uninhabited island. Once those people are
here and they have to wait for the ferry to go back, they see the shop and are
disappointed that they never took any money with them.
No, most of my customers are from the hotels, with certainly the Argentineans
as my best customers. Of course there are a lot of American and European tourists and also local people. Many St. Martin ladies know that I have a huge collection of exclusive sarongs (pareos) and other beautiful beach wear.
I know that the cruise ships are trying to sell a lot to their passengers on board
the ship but still, they should tell people that there are indeed local souvenirs
and other things available here. They should let the passengers know that there
is a very good French restaurant (Karibuni) and a local chicken and ribs barbeque lolo here.
CBN: Talking about local souvenirs. I can see a lot of stuff here that I’ve seen in
Bali, Brazil and other places…
TOM: (A little apologising) Well…I have indeed some souvenirs from other “islands” (smiles) but most of those are still “Made in St. Maarten/St. Martin.” There
are several artists from Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia and other places who live
here on boats or in apartments. I buy from those people. They know how to
make nice souvenirs and for them it’s a means of earning a living. I used to be in
the same position, remember?
And I have a lot of stuff from local people here, paintings, shells, sculptures and
more.
CBN: Back to the past for a moment. What did you do before coming to the
Caribbean?
TOM: I studied in Holland and eventually became a gym teacher.
That had always been a dream. When I was only seven or eight years old I always
wanted to be a gym teacher, being able to work, help and play with children. I
did that for ten years and it was really nice.
I also had another dream and that was to become a trucker. I wanted to be
“The King of the Road” (smiles). One day I quit teaching and passed my exams
to be able to drive big trucks. After looking around for many weeks I was lucky
11
Coastlines
enough to find one company that had no problem giving a crazy guy like me a job and
soon I was driving heavy trucks all over Europe.
I still had another dream. That dream was to travel the world. I stopped trucking after
two years. At that time I was 35. I wanted to go to South America and I left with 600 US
Dollars in my pocket.
It was a fabulous time. I once had a pizza business in Chile, I starred in a film with Shirley
MacLaine, I made earrings in Venezuela and I always survived.
Now, three dreams later I’m here in St. Martin and I enjoy living here.
CBN: Does that mean that you’re not dreaming anymore, that you want to settle here?
TOM: Well, I have a good little business here on Pinel Island. My girlfriend also has a
small souvenir shop and my kids are happy too. I’m not ready to let this business go, but
I’m still travelling around a few months every year. As a matter of fact we work for nine
months and spend not too much money so that we can go travelling for two or three
months every year.
We’ve already taken a “World Ticket” a few times to Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia, Japan, The Philippines, Holland…
So we’re probably settled here, I don’t know for how long, but the travel bug is still there.
About the dream…I think that everyone always has dreams. We’ve always wanted a little nice, not too big, bar/restaurant, where people can have a lot of fun. Maybe one day
that could be an additional business. The shop on Pinel during the day and a funny bar
at night, that’s maybe an idea (laughs)!
CBN: Why is Pinel such a “magical” island?
TOM: It’s not only because of my shop, no (laughs).
Pinel Island has wonderful surrounding water. All the different Caribbean colours are
represented. The water here is also very calm and shallow. Parents can come here with
small children without being afraid. The kids can’t go off the island and there are no
dangerous waves. Parents can take their kids to the restaurant or go on their own while
the children are playing in the sea. Nobody here will come to tourists with discount
coupons or time share deals. Nobody will try to sell you pareos or bikinis on the beach.
It is quiet, and there is a very good, friendly atmosphere here. Pinel is not commercial.
CBN: There are quite some beach chairs and umbrellas…
TOM: Yes, that’s indeed so but, several times people have complained when they don’t
have a beach chair. That means that people actually want those chairs to be there. I
know that a deserted island looks better but you don’t have the choice. If you want to
provide a service to tourists you need chairs and umbrellas. Pinel also has a few other
beaches. If you don’t want the chairs you can go to one of the other secluded beaches.
That’s an additional advantage of Pinel.
But people want some comfort and facilities. We even have a toilet here now!
A watersports operation is another example. It makes noise and there is probably some
smell but tourists love the WaveRunners, so…
Again, Pinel is still a special island. It has some comfort but it certainly has not lost its
authenticity as of yet.
CBN: Does the name mean something?
TOM: Yes, it means crazy. That’s maybe why I feel good here (laughs)!
12
There was once a French doctor who invented a medicine against madness and the
medicine was called Pinel. All the institutions where they treat crazy people in Brazil are
also called Pinel. Pinel is an island where everything is possible.
CBN: Wait a moment, you’re not allowed to set up your tent here on Pinel.
TOM: Officially you’re not allowed to do that because it’s a natural reserve but local
people and kids often camp here.
Most of the time they are in the back of the island so nobody has a problem with it. If
tomorrow complete groups would come here it would be a different story. After all it’s
not a camping ground.
Most of the people staying over for several days respect each other. You don’t make big
open fires on the beach otherwise the next day all the tourists will be sitting in black
sand.
If you like to make a big barbeque there is enough space on the other side.
We’ve had a few problems some years ago with the young kids catching our local chickens to put them on their barbeque at night, we spoke to all of them and no one would
tell us who did it ( laughs ) but actually
everything is under control, no problems
at all.
At that moment a beautiful girl enters the
shop and Tom says, “O.K. That’s it! I have to
do some work now!
The King of Pinel is selling again. He still
looks 35 and he still smiles.
When I come back to his beach store, five
minutes later because I forgot to take my
shoes, a sign has been placed in them.
It says “FOR SALE.”
Writers note: This interview took place in
2005, a few weeks before Hurricane Louis.
I went back to Pinel at the end of October
2011 to take a few up-to-date photos of
Tom and his shop.
He only looks a little older now, but his
smile, jokes and happiness have not
changed at all.
His kids have grown up, they have successful businesses and he even has grandchildren.
His shop is busier than before; a lot of tourists are returning customers from the year
before, five years before or much longer. They come in, smile, hug and kiss him and he
remembers all of them.
Pinel has changed, not Tom. There are more restaurants, more umbrellas, more beach
chairs, WaveRunners and noise but it’s still a great island to visit, buy some souvenirs or
eat something with your feet in the white sand.
The only “KING” is still TOM
Visit Tom at: www.visitpinel.com
13
Coastlines
ST.
BARTHBEACHES
by Cécile Lucot
Ever wondered which beach is the best for water sports
in St Maarten or the where to find the best snorkelling
spots in Grenada? In each issue of Caribbean Beach
News we will bring you details of these beaches and
their facilities so sit back, relax and let us help you find
the ideal beach!
In each issue we will keep you updated and will add
more beaches on more islands making Caribbean Beach
News your ideal vacation companion.
ST. JEAN
The longest beach in St Barth is also the one that offers
the most choice of amenities
with restaurants, a sailing
club and being able to watch
aircraft take off and land
throughout the day.
BEACHES
GRENADA
by Tornia Charles
BATHWAY
MOLINIERE BAY
It is impossible to not fall in
love with this beautiful arc
of fine sand surrounded by
palm trees. Close to Gustavia, access to the beach
is easy and ideal for taking
even a quick dip.
This is without a doubt, Grenada’s most popular beach for
social activity. With its various
food and beverage facilities,
art and craft centre, shops and
parking facilities, this beach
is perfect for almost all social
activities and is ideal for everyone.
Home to the world’s first Underwater Sculpture Park, Moliniere
Bay or Dragon Bay as it is otherwise called is arguably the best
spot on the island for snorkelling.
With its colourful coral reefs and
other amazing aquatic creatures,
the Moliniere Bay is ideal for those
looking for that unique island adventure.
SALINE
MORNE ROUGE/ BBC
GOUVERNEUR
The most remote beach on the
island is also famous for its
beauty and its tranquillity. People come to the beach early each
morning to swim and walk and
both locals and visitors can be
found sunbathing throughout
the day.
A 20 minute walk from the
main road to this beach is absolutely worth it. The beach is
recommended for everyone as
the waters are very calm. The
beach is usually quiet unless
there is some activity.
DUSQUENE BAY
Filled with rich history, Dusquene Bay is a live testimony of
Grenada’s past. Petroglyphs can
still be seen along with a great
view of other small neighbouring islands. The beach is also a
great picnic area and popular
fishing spot for locals in the village of Dusquene in St. Mark. It
is perfect for small children and
families alike.
GROOMS
GRAND ANSE
Measuring almost 2 miles long,
the Grand Anse Beach is the most
popular beach for visitors on the island. You can hop on-board a water taxi, get a beach chair, browse
the Craft and Spice Market or explore your adventurous side with
a range of thrilling water sports.
With its amazing views and buzzing activity, Grand Anse Beach really does have it all!
MT. RODNEY
If you want to get away from it
all, Grooms Beach is definitely
the place to go. Small and secluded, this beach only comes
alive during special events.
Crashing waves, quiet surroundings and a great view of
the city are the only things that
will cross your mind while at
the Grooms Beach.
If you would like to explore the lifestyle of the locals, then you must
go to Mt. Rodney in the morning. Fishermen working together
to bring their catch in are not a
strange sight here nor is a game of
dominoes over drinks. After you
take a dip you can find a quiet spot
to relax or you can take a cool walk
to the historical Leapers Hill just a
few miles away.
LEVARA
PALMISTE
Levera has often been described
as a ‘turtle lover’s paradise.’
Whether you choose to go turtle watching at night or you just
want to relax on the sand, Levara is the place for you. Allow
the beautiful view and quiet
surroundings to captivate your
mind. It is perfect for couples
and nature lovers.
14
LA SAGESSE
Perfect for families and friends, La
Sagesse is ideal for large gatherings.
With beach chair, boogie board and
kayak rentals and a cricket field not
too far away, La Sagesse makes for
a great fun spot. Feel free to watch
or even join in a game of cricket
followed by a cool but refreshing
swim in the ocean.
Popular fishing area and hang
out spot, Palmiste Beach is a
frequently visited area for locals. With a few secluded areas
and close proximity to public
transportation, this black sand
beach is frequently used for
various social activities. This
beach is not ideal for kids as the
water is always rough.
15
Coastlines
ST MAARTEN BEACHES
& St Martin
by Yvonne & David de Vries
ORIENT BAY
GIBBS BAY
One of the most popular beaches on the island as it offers great
food, numerous amount of waterspors, clear waters, and half
of this beach is a nude beach.
A great place to have lunch on
either side.
ANSE MARCEL
Also known as Red Pond, this
beach is located in front of a
commercial development. A
lovely place to sit with a nice
easterly breeze in you face. and
a great view of St Barth on a
clear day. This beach can get
rough in which case not recommend for young kids.
Very popular beach, located
on the southern coast. Easily accessible via the recently
constructed board walk or
using the hotels as a throughway. Offers a lovely evening
sunset.
The favourite beach for travellers and locals, it’s sheltered and
mostly calm. One can easily be
captivated by its natural beauty
and be lured into a deep state of
relaxation.
BAIE ROUGE
PETERS HOPE
CORALITA
BAIE LONGUE
RAWACOU - ARGYLE
Located at the bottom of the
Peters Hope agricultural estate
is a black sand beach on the
west coast. With partial vehicular access a short hike is needed
to get to the private beach.
Find moments of pure serenity
here, indulge in the naturally
protected pond spanning 300 x
65 feet or take a lazy walk and
feel the silky sand between your
toes.
WALILABOU BAY
LAYOU
One full mile of water, sand
and sun. A great way to spend
a relaxing day at the beach, but
remember to bring your beach
umbrella! This beach has no
shaded areas and can get very
hot.
A pirate’s cove, made popular
by the filming of “Pirates of
the Caribbean” with evidence
edged in the remnant of the
decor. This sheltered bay offers
a spectacular scenic view with
excellent diving, snorkelling
and great relaxation.
Situated in the central area of
Layou, a mere 20 minutes drive
from Kingstown, this beach is
located on the south western
side of the island and is relatively calm.
DAWN BEACH
MOUNT WAYNE
BUCCAMENT
BEACH
This secluded beach offers a
small and private beach for
those who like to be in the
nude. This beach does not offer
any facilities.
A great beach for the social holiday
maker. This seaside area is located
near several resorts, a restaurant,
and offers different watersport options.
HAPPY BAY
GRAND CASE
One of the hardest beaches to
get to from the roadside, but
once discovered it’s a true treasure found. No activities nor facilities, which makes it the tranquil place that it is.
16
INDIAN BAY
A lovely beach with nice snorkeling. The restaurant is popular, and so is the beach.
CUPECOY
by Marslyn Lewis-Adams
VILLA BEACH
This beach is located in front of
a resort, and for the right reasons. This waterfront has great
snorkeling, several restaurants
and a selection of watersport
rentals.
Located in Oyster Pond, Coralita beach was previously
part of the Coralita Hotel,
but now has no amenities to
offer. However, this beach is
by far the best place to snorkel.
ST VINCENTBEACHES
A popular beach due to its location. Centred right by all the
popular restaurants, including
the popular local ‘lo lo’s, this
not-so-blue beach is still a great
place to visit.
A large expanse of black sand
beach, lined with shaded trees
on the leeward coast, just 20
minutes from Kingstown, generally calm and is an ideal spot
for picnics.
BRIGHTON SALT
POND
Gaze at the picturesque view
of the volcanic rocks that peek
out of the water and dance
with the waves or become totally immerse by this secluded
cove of admiration.
A spectacular stretch of white
sandy beach, located 15 minutes
from Kingstown. Most of the beach
is enclosed as part of the Buccament Bay Resort and offers a tranquil and private swim in a warm
and inviting atmosphere.
CANASH/ BLUE
LAGOON
This stretch of alluring black
sand beach is warm and inviting for sea, sand or sun bathers,
dig your toes into the silky sand
while soaking up some sun and
enjoy the magnificent view of
the boats at the neigh by mariner.
17
Coastlines
New Year’s Eve, Naut
ical St
yle
By Cécile Lucot
Photo courtesy of www.HeliPhotoCarib.com
Every 31st December, this friendly parade brings together the sailboats anchored around
St. Barth’s to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of the new one. Organised
by Mark Del Guidice, manager of the “Forty 1° North Marina” in Newport Rhode Island,
in close collaboration with the Saint Barth Yacht Club, the Port of Gustavia and the local authority, this seventeenth edition of the New Year’s Eve Regatta will take place on
Saturday 31st December 2011.
The start for the around the island race is traditionally mid-morning in the harbour
of Gustavia, and the vessels will sail in the open sea along the beaches of Saline, Gouverneur, Toiny, Lorient, St-Jean and Flamand with a tack around Fourchu Island before
cutting across the finish line positioned not far from the entrance to the harbour.
On land, this beautiful sight of splendid sailing yachts can be watched from viewpoints
such as the Oscar Fort and Carl Fort in Gustavia, but also from the viewing platform
in Colombier, from the top of the hill at Grand Fond or from the road to Pointe Milou.
This last regatta of the season usually attracts about 40 - 50 boats and both residents and
visitors of many different nationalities. Whether it is in the class of 30 - 40 footers or in
the class of those over 100ft, vessels and crew race in a friendly atmosphere. This year, the
record of the fastest sailboat around the island held by Visione, a 147 ft white Baltic Yacht
who took the title in 2004 with a time of 1h 32 min 07 sec, will once again be at stake…
A beautiful regatta beckons!
Caribbean
Tales
www.HeliPhotoCarib.com
e-mail : info@HeliPhotoCarib.com
Phone : +590690629955 Office: +590590510495
18
Photo: SVG Air
Tales
A Tale of Coconuts
Spanish Treasure Ship?
Why would it be an important wreck? Well, it’s located along the sea-lane
followed by Spanish treasure fleets departing the New World. These ‘plate
fleets’ assembled in convoys at Havana, headed north with the Gulf Stream
to Bermuda, then turned east to the Azores and Spain. Could this be one of
those ships? While no one has ever located a galleon in the abyss, statistically some of these vessels have to be in these waters. Knowing that Spanish
treasure ships typically carried between half a million and a million silver
coins, Newport’s sonar image presented an exciting prospect.
By Captain Don Walsh and David G. Concannon
Photos by David G. Concannon
While searching for a U.S. space capsule lost in the deep,
sonar paints a tantalising picture of another lost ship that
just might be a Spanish treasure galleon. But it’s three
miles deep and so Operation Atlantic Sands is born.
What does this old English music hall song have to do
with historic shipwrecks? Well, it seems to fit this story
of a lost ship and its peculiar cargo.
In mid-1810 a small twin masted sailing vessel, just 90 feet (27.5m) in length and
22 feet (7m) in beam, leaves a Caribbean port, most likely Kingston, Jamaica. It’s
bound for a northern port with a cargo of coconuts and rum. Built of cedar, the
ship has fast lines typical of early American construction and is rigged for transocean passage. Speed is her primary defense against pirates, privateers and combatants in this time of the Napoleonic wars. It is very possible that she’s engaged
in the slave trade between West Africa, or ‘Guinea,’ and the Caribbean, and is now
heading north through the Windward Passage with trade goods, having delivered
her human cargo to Jamaica.
A few days out of port, the tiny merchant ship is caught in the grip of an early season hurricane. The fierce wind and waves dismast her and she founders, sinking
three miles (almost 5km) to the ocean floor. In 16,000 feet (4,877m) of water the
ship comes to rest on her keel on a massive dune of sand. For almost two centuries she lies there, undisturbed, in the heart of what is later called the Bermuda
Triangle.
Space-Time Continuum
More than 150 years after her sinking, the tiny ship receives some auspicious company. In 1961, the Mercury space capsule Liberty Bell 7 sinks nearby following
splashdown and successful recovery on the surface of its occupant, astronaut Gus
Grissom, who’d just completed one of man’s first space flights. Symbolising different eras of man’s never ending explorations, the two nearby ‘ships’ remain undisturbed for another 40 years.
Then, in mid-1999, underwater explorer Curt Newport goes to sea to fulfil his
dream of finding and recovering Grissom’s Liberty Bell 7. After many days of
sonar searching in the three miles deep water (5km), Newport identifies several
promising seafloor targets. After careful analysis of these he selects half a dozen
for closer scrutiny. For this purpose a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is used
and luck is with him; incredibly, the first target investigated is Liberty Bell 7! The
capsule is recovered from a depth of 16,043 feet (4,890m) on a follow-up visit to
the site, marking one of the deepest artefact recoveries on record.
Newport’s acoustic search reveals several other interesting targets in the vicinity.
Particularly intriguing is one that sits upright on the seafloor taking the shape
of an older ship. Experts say it could be important but visual confirmation is required.
20
He resolved to investigate using a manned submersible and in early 2000
joined with Michael McDowell, an Australian entrepreneur, to mount an expedition to the wreck site. At the time, McDowell was head of Deep Ocean
Expeditions (DOE), a company offering tourist dives to famous deep seafloor sites including the RMS Titanic at 12,500 feet (3,810m), the WW II
German battleship Bismarck at 15,000 feet (4,572m) and the Rainbow Hydrothermal Vents near the Azores at 8,000 feet (2,438m).
...I’ve got a loverly bunch of coconuts,
There they are, a-standing in a row,
Big ones, small ones,
some as big as yer ‘ead.
Give ‘em a twist,
a flick of the wrist,
That’s what the showman said.
He said:
For these unique expeditions he chartered the 6,500-ton Russian research
vessel Akademik Mistivlav Keldysh and its two Mir submersibles, each able
to ferry three people to depths as great as 20,000 feet (6,096m), a capability
giving them access to 98 per cent of the global seafloor. Mothership Keldysh
and the Mirs belong to the Russian Academy of Sciences through its Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in Moscow.
‘Atlantic Sands’
The expedition was officially named ‘Atlantic Sands,’ and for reasons that
become apparent, was later referred to as ‘Operation Coconuts’. Newport
shared expedition leader duties with DOE’s Mike McDowell. Marine Archaeologist James Sinclair supervised site identification and mapping along
with artefact collection and conservation. Spokane lawyer Guy Zajonc was
expedition coordinator. Texas computer game developer Richard Garriott,
an investor who had previous diving experience in the Mirs, assisted in artefact recovery and photography. David Concannon, a Titanic diver and a
genuine Philadelphia lawyer provided on-site legal advice to the investors
and assisted in recovery operations. Don Walsh was a scientific staff liaison
and assistant with artefact conservation. As well, 13 Russian oceanographers
worked under the supervision of Dr. Anatoly Sagalevitch, head of Shirshov
Institute’s Manned Submersible Laboratory. Finally, a British television crew
came along to document expedition activities and results.
I’ve got a loverly bunch of coconuts,
Every ball I throw will make me rich
There stands me wife,
the idol of my life,
Singing, roll a bowl a ball a penny a
pitch!
TOP: David Concannon is a lawyer and expert on the law’s impact on international
exploration. He has been a wreck diver for most of his life, and he has made deep
submersible dives to depths ranging from 900 to 16,000 feet, including the first dive
of the century to the RMS Titanic and the final dive to the Atlantic Sands site.
MIDDLE: One of the Mir submarines being launched.
The expedition team assembled in Bermuda on June 27, 2001, and the next
day set course for the Blake Abyssal Plain and the target, more than 200
miles (322km) northeast of Abaco Island in the Bahamas. On July 1, Keldysh
was in position over Newport’s site. Four acoustic beacons were deployed
to a depth of 50 feet (15m) off the seafloor, marking the corners of a square
around the target and to be navigational references during the three-mile
deep sub dives.
BOTTOM: Captain Don Walsh USN (ret), PhD is a former submarine captain,
explorer and oceanographer. Designated US Navy Submersible Pilot #1, in 1960
he piloted the Navy’s Bathyscaph Trieste to the deepest place in the World Ocean, a
depth of 35,840 feet.
21
Tales
in digital high definition TV (HDTV) format. The advantage
to HDTV is that you can get high quality digital still and/or
moving images from the same source, which can be used to
compile a digital map of the wreck site and its artefacts in situ.
After documenting the entire site, Mir 2 recovered five coins
and a bottle to help identify the wreck. More photographic
records were made before the sub left the bottom on its long
ascent.
Both subs were recovered early the next morning. It had
been a long day, but it was not over yet. There was video to be
watched and the few recovered artefacts to inspect.
ish galleon and, more or less concurrent with this revelation,
‘Operation Coconuts’ entered the expedition lexicon. To be
fair though, coconuts were likely an exotic and expensive import in the American colonies in those days. But the best was
yet to come.
The first of these took place July 2; Mir 1 was launched first with
Mir 2 following about an hour later. Estimated dive time was 14 to
16 hours, allowing about five hours of bottom time at the wreck –
if it was there. McDowell, Newport, Sinclair and Zajonc were the
first four divers, along with the two Russian pilots, Sagalevitch and
Genya Chernaiev. The long descent took three hours and due to an
unusually strong current throughout the water column, the subs
landed more than a mile (1.6km) away from their target.
Monster Dunes
Worse yet, when the explorers reached the seafloor they encountered ridges of dunes more than 60 feet (18m) high. They were
unexpected and unlike anything anyone had ever seen or even
theorised to exist at this depth. The subs had to traverse this
‘mountainous terrain’ to get back to the transponder grid before
beginning their coordinated search patterns. On arrival, they discovered the transponders were hanging below the tops of the massive dunes, rendering them practically useless. Given these difficulties, no contact was made with the target. After five fruitless
hours of searching Mir 1 was out of power and had to ascend. Its
occupants, Newport, Sinclair and Sagalevitch, had seen nothing
but ocean floor.
Mir 2 was soon to follow Mir 1 when it detected a strong sonar
target. Moving quickly towards it with diminishing battery power
and little time left to investigate, McDowell, Zajonc and Chernaiev
22
first encountered what appeared to be rigging from a sailing vessel and some wood, perhaps remains of a mast or spars. Peering
beyond, Chernaiev then spotted a shape emerging from the darkness. McDowell recognised it immediately, exclaiming, “It’s the
bow of a boat!”
Operation Coconuts
Hardly a ‘boat’ at 90 feet (27.5m) long and despite significant deterioration of the wooden structure, the vessel’s overall shape and
size were evident thanks to the copper sheathing still intact below
the hull’s waterline. More than 200 years later this thin metal skin
continued to combat the ravages of marine worms, helping maintain the integrity of the wooden vessel. Base of a mast was located
well aft, indicating she was twin-masted although the forward
mast was gone. If the foremast had gone over the side in heavy
weather, it could have remained attached to the hull by its rigging.
The remains of mast steps and leather mast collars suggested the
tall rigging of a schooner and there was also a debris field spread
over the sand and away from the bow area.
Perhaps the most stunning find was the ship’s principal cargo of
coconuts that carpeted the bottom of the hold, which ran about
two thirds of the ship’s length. Many of these were eaten hollow
by albino crabs, evident at the site. Ballast rocks could be seen beneath this layer of coconuts so no precious treasure would likely be
found here, just a food commodity. Sadly, our find was no Span-
Time Capsule
Forward in the hull was a large collection of bottles, mostly
of the type used for rum, gin or beer. Many were still corked
and appeared to be fluid filled. The bottles had been stowed
in a separate hold beneath the forecastle, but with the bulkheads gone, the bottles were now mixed with coconuts and
cedar framing.
Moving aft, the Mir 2 crew was fascinated to discover the remains of a below deck compartment at the stern. Evidently
this was where the captain/owner lived and kept his valuables. Here, sets of dishes, tableware, a chest, navigational
equipment and a mahogany and brass telescope were piled
neatly on the deck. Of particular interest was a large pile of
silver coins, spilled out from a worm eaten wooden box. This
was likely the ‘cash box,’ its content used for buying and selling cargo in ports of call.
Based on the configuration of the ship and the navigational
equipment found in this area of the wreck, it was apparent she
was a merchant ship trading between the Caribbean islands,
America, Bermuda and perhaps Europe. But the ship’s identity remained elusive.
Photo Reconnaissance
The crew in Mir 2 did not immediately begin recovering artefacts. Instead, they first photographed the entire wreck site
Team members reviewed several hours of images in an attempt to identify their find. After all, this was the deepest
historic shipwreck ever discovered, and, relatively speaking,
was in excellent condition for a 200-year old wooden sailing
vessel. By 4 a.m., a plan was in place for the next two days of
dives on the wreck. The primary focus would be on the stern
area and its large collection of artefacts. Because only one sub
could work there at a time, the other would investigate the
forward end of the vessel and the seafloor in the immediate
vicinity.
Trove of Artefacts
During the next dive day on July 4, a significant number of artefacts were recovered. The Mirs brought up nearly 500 Spanish silver coins from the cash box. About 160 of them were
Spanish silver dollars, called ‘pieces of eight,’ the remainder
various denominations down to a half-real piece. All were in
excellent condition but with some detail obscured by the iron
oxide deposits resulting from their long exposure to seawater.
Newest of them was a shiny specimen dated 1810; evidence
the wreck was not likely older. Some coins were drilled with
holes, a telling sign they may once have been worn on necklaces by slaves.
At first it seemed surprising that the ship carried Spanish
silver coins minted in Mexico City. In fact, though, Spanish
colonial coins were not out of place on such a trading ship.
In the early 1800s, Spanish pesos were the true ‘coin of the
realm’ in the New World. Everyone used them – the Spanish, French, Dutch, British and Americans – because of their
consistent size and shape. In fact, they were legal tender in
the United States until the late 1850s.
Other important finds were an intact mahogany, ivory and
brass octant (used before the sextant was developed); a mahogany and brass telescope; several bottles, one marked
23
Tales
LONDON in raised lettering; a section of rope; two flintlock pistols; and a
bolt of silk cloth stamped “NIS NOT TO BE SOLD” in deep blue ink. There
was a lively debate over this silk. Could it have come from a 200 year old ship
three miles deep? All of this team’s members were veterans of Titanic expeditions and they knew textiles had never been found outside that wreck site.
The ship’s box compass was also located, but deemed too delicate to recover. Still, the artefacts, generally, were in a remarkable state of preservation.
The octant was clearly marked with the name of its manufacturer, ‘Spencer, Browning & Rust, London’, its flat brass index arm establishing date of
manufacture before 1790. One of the pistols bore the ‘broad arrow’ insignia
on its barrel, a mark of ownership (at one time) by the British Crown. Could
this have been a British ship? We couldn’t tell. There was no clear evidence of
the ship’s name other than a fragment from a wooden box bearing the word
‘Roxbury.’ Was this the name of a company, a partial address, or maybe the
ship’s name? It remains a mystery.
On July 6, the third and final dive day, many more artefacts were collected,
including another intact octant, nearly 800 more coins, an intact sand hourglass, and a leather boot. But the star of the show was a small gold snuff box
– maker’s marks indicating it originated in Paris – containing 13 gold coins,
mostly Portuguese escudos, minted in Rio de Janeiro, along with a couple of
French and Spanish gold coins. All these coins were widely used as currency
throughout this region. It was reasonable to expect a few gold coins in the
wreck since they would have been the equivalent of today’s $100 bill, and
necessary for larger trading transactions. In fact, this ship’s cash box carried
coins worth the equivalent of more than $10,000, a significant sum to carry
on board a ship in the Caribbean, even today!
Classified Ads Selling Slaves
Perhaps the most intriguing discovery was an intact piece of newspaper
wrapped around the gold coins inside the snuff box. Unfolded, the paper
revealed printed ‘classified ads’ from late 1809 listing for sale slaves at various
Jamaican workhouses. For example, on October 3, 1809, the following slaves
were offered for sale at the Kingston Workhouse:
“JOHN, an Angola, 4 feet 11 inches, no visible
brand-mark to Bless, Oarnett, Hardy, & Co
sent in by his masters.
JAMES, a Mundingo, 5 feet 11 ½ inches, no visible
brand-mark, country marks on face and breast
has a large navel and an ulcer on right leg, to
Mr. M’Donald, who lived on a mountain near
Spanish-Town, but is at present off the island;
Committed by Richd. Chamberlain, Esq.”
This small piece of paper offered up some clues. It certainly proved that the
ship or a member of its crew had been in Jamaica in late 1809. Could this
paper have been a receipt, along with the proceeds, of a slave transaction? In
fact, was the ship heading north to colder climates with an exotic shipment
of coconuts and liquor after dropping off its human cargo in Jamaica? Possibly, the ship worked the ‘Triangle Trade’ between Britain, the Caribbean and
West Africa? The ship’s rakish lines, the presence of slave coins, the newspaper and additional evidence found after the expedition all lend credence to
this theory. Without knowing more, however, we can only speculate.
By the end of the expedition, there were more than 100 artefacts and 1,315
24
coins recovered. On the return trip to Bermuda, each artefact
(other than individual coins) was carefully numbered, catalogued
and digitally photographed under the supervision of Jim Sinclair.
The catalogue is on disk and a copy remains on board the Keldysh.
Historical and Scientific Insight
At Bermuda, noted underwater explorer Teddy Tucker came
aboard to view the imagery and artefacts. From the shape of the
hull, as defined by the copper sheathing, Tucker guessed it was an
American-built brig or brigantine, most probably trading between
American, Caribbean and Bermudan ports. Post-expedition research determined that Tucker’s educated guess was not far off: the
ship appears to have been an early ‘Baltimore Clipper’ ship. Tucker
was excited by the condition of the artefacts, saying he’d never seen
an almost ‘mint state’ Spanish silver coin recovered from a shipwreck in his 50 plus years of exploration underwater.
While the Atlantic Sands Expedition did not find a fabulous treasure ship, it did yield unexpected and exciting historical and oceanographic research. Scientists had theorised that massive deep
ocean dunes could exist, but nobody had ever seen them before.
These features required strong ocean currents at the seafloor three
miles down to move this much material and maintain the form
and orientation of the dunes. This revelation overturned prevailing theories that ocean currents diminish in strength as depth increases and near the seabed.
She is (to date) the world’s deepest known wooden shipwreck, and
the fourth deepest wreck known to exist.
Old Meets New
The Atlantic Sands Expedition represented the spirit of exploration
at its best. This was not a well-publicised investigation of a famous
shipwreck. Instead, it began as a follow up to the recovery of an
important relic of man’s exploration of space, and ended with the
discovery of another ship from another time, engaged in the exploration of a New World. The little vessel we explored represents the
great majority of the countless number of shipwrecks that litter the
ocean floor – the ordinary working vessels that hauled goods and
people from one point to another.
But perhaps the most important outcome of this expedition was
the demonstration of modern undersea technology capability:
there are millions of shipwrecks on the ocean floor we can find,
investigate and recover if the will exists.
The ship offered a valuable glimpse into early 19th Century maritime trade in the Americas. That she carried two octants and other
navigational equipment meant she navigated out of sight of land.
Her steeply raked bow and lack of armaments tells us she relied on
speed as a primary defense in dangerous waters. Post-expedition
research revealed there were four major hurricanes in 1810 – in
June, August, September and October. The best guess is that the
ship left the Caribbean in early summer, allowing sufficient time
for new silver coins to make their way from the Mexico City mint
to a ship subsequently lost in this particular area of deep water.
This was an exciting, though not financially profitable, find for the
investors. It is doubtful that anyone will dive here again. Even a
deployment of unmanned ROVs would cost more than the value
of the vessel’s contents. Still, this was the deepest shipwreck ever
investigated in situ and from which artefacts have been recovered.
The original antique octant
from the Coconut Wreck is
on permanent display at
the Galleries Jean Jarreau
located at Marina Royale
19-20, Marigot, St.Martin,
together with many other
shipwreck and vintage
artifacts.
Visit their web site: www.
GalleriesJeanJarreau.com
Contact us for all your Life Raft
needs.
We provide Life Raft Servicing,
Repair, Rental Rafts, New and
Second Hand Rafts
Check out our web site for more
information and drop off locations
Official Life Raft Service Station in the Caribbean
St.Martin-St.Maarten
Phone: +590690744330
e-mail: info@LifeRaftsEtc.com
web site: www.LifeRaftsEtc.com
25
Tales
Every reason....
...every season
By Alita Singh
Photos by Don Riddle
From the ultramarine, cool clear waters of the Caribbean Sea to
the slopes of velvety green Mount Nevis, Four Seasons Resort Nevis offers a haven of life’s pleasures to indulge in, relax, to make
romance soar or to strengthen family ties.
The sunlight flicks and dances off a glassy Caribbean Sea. A tiny
traditional Caribbean fishing boat moors alongside the bleached
wooden, covered pier of the Four Seasons Resort Nevis. As the
fisherman gives a toothy grin, his greeter is the resort’s Executive
Chef Andreas Donnerbauer who is eager to see the day’s catch.
Not far off is a group of equally excited resort guests whose main
choice for lunch just made it landside in the fisherman’s cooler.
Four Seasons Resorts worldwide are known for their deep community involvement and the flagship in Nevis is no exception.
The latest addition to this synergy of community and commerce
- “Ocean to Grill” - is an extended partnership with the local fish-
ing community whose fresh catch is snapped up daily by Donnerbauer. This partnership gives guests the opportunity to have their
pick of fresh fish directly from the fisherman for lunch and have it
grilled by Donnerbauer in a cosy beachside hideaway. The fish is
served with delicious sides made from locally grown ingredients,
like the flavourful coconut raisin salad.
“Getting the fish any fresher than this would mean we have to
cook it in the ocean,” Donnerbauer says smiling as he continued to
describe the resort’s other freshest endeavours. There are no special orders; whatever fish is caught by the fisherman is available
for lunch. “I am seeking quality, not quantity.”
“Dive and Dine” is another initiative combining the thrill of diving
with lobster gathering. Guests can explore Nevis below the waves
and select a lobster apiece to serve as their lunch topside. Back on
land, the crustaceans are grill to perfection.
The aim for Donnerbauer is to make the resort’s Caribbean fusion
restaurant - Mango’s - 100 per cent self-sufficient with produce
and seafood coming from St. Kitts and Nevis and their surrounding waters. Mango’s is about 50 per cent self-sufficient with resort
staffers raising herbs and vegetable in their kitchen garden to sup-
4
SEASONS
The
plement supplies from main farmer Ras Mansa. The availability of in-season fruits and vegetables is reflected in a change of menu.
For an easy lunch the 100 per cent Nevis in the Cabana restaurant is the perfect choice. The menu features a watermelon shooter,
an amuse course from the chef, followed by pickled local conch delicately kissed with lime and a grilled six-ounce spiny lobster
tail with braised ground vegetables and mango butter. For the closing act, dig into a cloudy soft passion fruit cheesecake – it’s an
award winner!
Craving more Nevis as you lounge on the beach? Infuse your body with a “Nevito” – the Nevisian take on the classic mojito. It’s a
combination of grapefruit flavoured Ting, Appleton Rum, lime, pineapple and a secret ingredient.
A cabana of one’s own
The Four Seasons Nevis takes comfort, luxury and beach dwelling to new heights with the addition of four beach cabanas designed to look like miniature Creole gingerbread cottages. These cabanas, added for the resort’s reopening in December 2010
after a two year closure, live up to their names: Soca, Reggae, Calypso and Merengue.
Sitting juxtaposed and set slightly back from the two-mile long brownish-black sand beach, the cabanas draw attention like their
musical namesakes. Designed for a group of four, each cabana is a miniature of a room only a bathroom missing: a dining table
for two, six beach lounge chairs, television and docking station for iPods.
A private butler is attached to each cabana and trained to be discreet. Prompt service is provided when the green flag is hoisted
by the cabana occupants and the red flag indicates privacy please! Cabanas are available for full and half-day rentals (contact
concierge desk).
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27
Tales
Luxury
The cabanas are also a place of romance. At least four wedding proposals were made in the
cabanas; usually in the evening when they were transformed, on request of the groom-tobe, to reflect this most memorable event in the couple’s life.
The luxury cabanas are also a favourite of yachters who often moor a short distance from the
resort and come ashore to spend the day as a guest. One must be a resort guest so yachters
have to book a room in order to use the resort’s facilities, except for the restaurants and golf
course where reservations can be made.
Just want a beach chair and moments in the sun? Every day, beach chairs are set up with
towels, a stone’s throw away from the crystal clear water. In season, up to 400 beach chairs
can grace the beach, but cleverly spaced, so a sunbather can still have his/her own space.
Chairs are on a first come, first serve basis and cannot be reserved.
Beach action
Stand up paddling is all the rage in water-sports and is one of the unique activities offered
at the Four Seasons Nevis. That, together with the world class Sail Laser programme makes
your holiday more than just a good time on the beach.
The Sail Laser programme, developed by Laser Performance the largest maker of sailing dinghies, offers the adventurous a six-hour sailing course spread out over two days. Upon completion, the sailor is certified to enjoy the passion at any Sail Laser location in the world. Nevis
has one of the first Sail Laser franchises in the Caribbean.
Beach sports and activities is the domain of resort’s Director of Recreations MacKee France.
As an active sportsman himself, France seeks to include only activities with high entertainment content and a challenging edge for the avid sportsperson.
Beach volleyball is a highly requested activity. However, nets are only setup on the beach
upon request of a group.
Off the sand
Nevis is known for the resort’s impressive 18-hole championship golf course. The Robert
Trent Jones II golf course is described as a “challenging, but fair course” by golf pro Bruce Wilson. The view from each hole is simply spectacular - so much so that avid golfers enwrapped
in their game are bowled over when they look up after negotiating the pathways to reach
each hole. The golf course has an elevation of some 150 feet up the slope of Mount Nevis
which helps to invigorate golfers with the cool fresh mountain air.
The vervet monkeys that populate the forest surrounding the golf course are ardent golf
spectators. The monkeys, like the stunning views of Mount Nevis or the quaint village where
St. Thomas (the oldest church in the Caribbean) sits, can help or hinder golfers depending on
how distracted the golfers get by the enchanting surroundings.
The pro shop is equipped with some 50 sets of golf clubs and the golf carts all have a built-in
caddie for “good and accurate” yardage measurement. The shop also caters for tennis players
who make use of the four red clay courts (two lit for night play) and six hard courts (three lit
for night play).
28
and guests are encouraged to get involved as beach monitors, particularly at night when the turtles return to the
beach they were spawned on to hatch their clutches. The biggest sea turtle to come ashore this past season was 220
lbs.
On a solemn note, resort staffers successfully caught three turtle egg poachers red-handed.
Diving is also a highlight of staying at the resort. Certified divers can opt to join guided underwater tours to learn
more about the fish and sea life. Special charts are consulted to quickly identify creatures in their nature habitat.
Nevisian Massage
Keeping with all things local, the signature massage in the resort’s spa is the “Nevisian” – a Swedish massage combined with the gentle nature of the island’s people and its mineral rich volcanic sand blended with aromatherapy
oils.
Escape to one of the spa’s 12 standalone gingerbread cottages to experience the “Nevisian” which will leave the body
and the mind relaxed with all impurities erased away by healing hands and revitalising scents and sand.
Take the floral scents of Nevis home with you by designing your personal scent from a mix of local flower oil in the
spa under the watchful eyes of a perfumer. Your scent will be bottled in intricate vials to help recapture moments in
paradise over and over again.
Fit for indulgence
The cottages of the resort combine the exotic views of the sparkling sea and the majestic mountains. Choosing to
stay in a cottage with either view offers things to delight and excite. The ocean view cottages collect the balmy, salt
kissed breeze while the mountain-view cottages are wrapped in the cool air created from the Mount Nevis mist.
The resort caters for mainly families and couples, but the quiet and seamless division of the two makes for a unique
experience. Guest Services Manager Fabian Lim explains that the layout of the resort seeks harmony not only of the
nature that surrounds it, but the harmony of guests. “So there are no compromises in privacy.”
Bond with nature
Sea turtles are extremely important to the marine ecology. Four Seasons Nevis located on
a popular sea turtle nesting beach, especially in the area where the Caribbean Sea and the
Atlantic Ocean meets, has taken up a role in conservation and protection of the leatherback
and hawksbill turtles that come ashore to nest between June and September.
Getting to and from the resort from St. Kitts airport or for a day on the big island is a cinch with the private ferry service or go local by using the regular ferry service that connects the two islands. Yacht captains can use channel buoys
in the area, installed and maintained by the Port Authority of St Kitts and Nevis, and tend passengers to the resort’s
pier. The pier, designed for transient traffic only, is 190 foot at mean seawater level.
Marine scientists are flown in by the resort annually to track and take care of the sea turtles
Four Seasons Resort Nevis is on Penney’s Beach, Charlestown, tel. 1 (869) 469-1111 or fax 1 (869) 469-1112 to begin
your immersion in Caribbean decadence.
29
Tales
A lot of History on a little Island
By Montague Kobbe
On Saturday 23 August, 1913, during the tense days of the
Second Balkan War and the doomed prelude to The Great
War, the worst armed conflict the West had experienced to
that point, Le Journal, one of the most popular daily newspapers in Paris, published a long, sympathetic feature on Le
Roi de Tintamarre (The King of Tintamarre). The monarch
in question was Diederik Christian van Romondt, the heir
and, ultimately, final member of one of the most prominent
colonial dynasties in Sint Maarten, and the kingdom was no
other than the small islet that lies just a couple of miles to the
northeast of Saint-Martin: Tintamarre, a.k.a. Flat Island.
Flat, indeed, and readily accessible, Tintamarre has been
populated at different times from the end of the XVII century, despite the fact that it is roughly one square mile in size.
However, perhaps the greatest venture to take place on the island began when Diederik van Romondt decided to take his
belongings and set up his permanent home there. The story
goes that D. C. van Romondt, unwilling to pay the reformed
Gebruiksbelasting (use tax) that would be levied on the
Dutch colonies from 1908 onwards, departed his farm near
Philipsburg and settled in his private island as early as 1907.
As a matter of fact, a letter, written by van Romondt to the
Receiver of the Government in May 1914, confirms that he
had been away at Tintamarre for the previous 21 months and
that he would be returning to his regular quarters the following month, with no intention of returning to Sint Maarten for
reasons other than an occasional visit.
By that time van Romondt had already built the Manor
House that for many years to come would dominate the
landscape of Tintamarre. A spacious wooden structure surrounded by vast stone walls that sectioned the perimeter of
the island into well-defined areas, van Romondt planted Sea
Island cotton on the largest parcel, processed it in his own
gin and grew copious amounts of cattle and goats in smaller
plots. His labour force was largely constituted of Anguillian
men who would be paid in the local currency, a hybrid made
of standard one-cent Dutch coins that circulated in the island
from 1913 onwards, which they could use to purchase goods
in the local shop, or trade in for half
the value, should they wish to leave
the island.
Eventually, Diederik Christian van
Romondt made his way back to
“Mary’s Fancy,” his farm in Dutch
Cul-de-Sac, which to this day lends
its name to a neighbourhood by
Philipsburg. Despite all the love let-
30
The smallest
ters he is said to have received following the piece in Le Journal, back in 1913, he spent much of his life with Miss Josie,
his West Indian partner who shared his life until his death, in
1948, and whose decision to bequeath the farm upon her own
passing away, ten years later, to her two closest aides, Ronald
Webster and Andy Peterson, had tremendous repercussions in
the history of neighbouring Anguilla.
But that is another story, and before that the fate of Tintamarre
was sealed, anyway, when van Romondt, following a tradition
of many centuries, sold his property, not to competing Dutch
families in the island, but rather to a trader from French Saint
Martin, Louis Fleming.
Because, if the most ambitious venture ever to take place in
Tintamarre was van Romondt’s estate, the most romantic was,
undoubtedly, Remy de Haenen’s airline,
Compagnie Aerienne Antillaise. Having leased the island from Mr. Fleming in 1946, de Haenen, a half-Dutch,
half-French adventurer who resided in
St. Barth since 1938, decided to operate
the first airline in the French Caribbean
from the naturally advantageous Tintamarre, where the flat ground required
little conditioning to turn it into an air-
Kingdom in the world
strip, and the flat bay seemed perfect for a flying boat seaport.
Having brought aviation to St. Barth in 1945, where he landed
for the first time with his Rearwyn Sportster in what many
years later would become Gustaf III Airport, de Haenen was
no stranger to flying. Thus, as early as 1946 he began servicing the five-island-cluster with a small fleet that included a
Vought OS2U Kingfisher flying boat, with which he delivered
the post into Saba, a 6-seat Stinson Junior S, and a 10-seat
Stinson SM-6000 Trimotor, capable of making the longer
journey to Guadeloupe. This was all back in the day when
regulation was scare and lax, and de Haenen was able to fly
between Puerto Rico and Dominica with relative ease. At
least one of CAA’s aircrafts, a Sikorski S-41B flying boat, was
designated with the fake registration number F-WIAA (F-WI
as in French West Indies), and safety measures were often totally disregarded by the airline.
and a newly acquired Vultee BT-13). By the end of that year
the airline ceased functioning and the most farfetched dream
ever conceived in the island was on its way to destruction.
Today, many hurricanes and more than half a century later,
the remains of a depleted fleet of aircrafts blends on the flat
surface of Tintamarre with the vegetation, the former airstrip
and, perchance, a lingering portion of what once was a mighty
stone wall to trace the scars of its eventful history. Tintamarre
– a seemingly unremarkable place that, nevertheless, carries
with it the distinct scent of adventure: no wonder the latest
initiative linked to the island involves a line of perfumes carrying its name – if they are anything like their namesake, expect them to be bold, passionate and risqué!
Almost inevitably, it was precisely this daredevil attitude,
which today enhances the whole story with the appealing
hue of romance, that ultimately spelled the failure of the enterprise. More through negligence than ill fortune, CAA became involved in tragic accidents during the first six months
of 1947, which cost the lives of three of its pilots, Roger
Gantheaume, “Zouzou” Saintonge and Frank Griffin, as well
as three of its aircrafts (one of the Kingfishers, the Stinson S,
31
Tales
From sea to shore
The Maritime School of the West Indies
s
By Jean Martinique
The history
Veerle Rolus, with the helping hand of her husband and daughter,
started the Maritime School of the West Indies at the beginning of
2003 in St.Maarten. At that time she had an office for yacht assistance, services and charters, located on the Dutch side in Simpson
Bay on the lagoon. Each season more and more mega yachts flocked
to the islands and in particular to St.Maarten/St.Martin and visiting
captains and crew had repeatedly asked if there was a possibility to
do the STCW’95, Yacht Master and other courses somewhere in the
Caribbean but unfortunately it was not possible. The closest school
was in Fort Lauderdale, so Veerle contacted the International Yacht
Training’s CEO Marc Fry and requested a meeting.
Shortly after, she reached an agreement and was given full support
to set up courses and hire instructors. The school was inspected and
recognised by the Government of the Netherlands Antilles and today
the Maritime School of the West Indies has successfully instructed
and delivered hundreds of professional licenses to crew and captains
from all over the world. All the professional certificates are worldwide and MCA recognised.
Coast guard crew from St.Maarten and Curacao have completed
courses in the past, as well as crew that are employed locally by
St.Maarten day charter companies like Eagle Tours, Aqua Mania,
Bobby’s Marina Tender Services and also Anguilla ferries.
A few years ago the school moved from the Dutch to the French side
of the lagoon in the centre of Marigot where they now have a superb location in the marina with moorings and dinghy dock facilities
right in front of the offices.
The courses
The Maritime School of the West Indies offers the official STCW’95,
a 5-day course (which the school spreads over 6 days), Master of
Yachts 200 Ton captain courses, a Personal Watercraft course (for
WaveRunners etc.), a Mega Yacht Crew course, RIB and Tender
course, VHF course, Stewardess course and many more. Some of the
courses can also be organised on board mega yachts and other vessels.
A few pleasure courses are also offered by the school. The Bareboat
Skipper is one of them. This two week course allows people to obtain
a license to be able to charter a bareboat with companies like Sunsail.
32
In addition to the marine related courses the school offers safety
courses for businesses, hotels and governments including evacuation, fire prevention, first aid and others in collaboration with and
recognised by the NIBV (Nederlands Instituut voor Bedrijfsveiligheid).
The Maritime School of the West Indies also organises technical
seminars and special interest courses.
Sail training on board at sea
The Maritime School of the West Indies, in cooperation with the
Caribbean Sail Training Association, offers youngsters the possibility to sail on board tall ships, race boats, sailing yachts and other
vessels to experience on the water practice and participate in sailing
adventures.
Many youngsters have been on board tall ships sailing around the
Caribbean or to Canada, Europe and Brazil and to the US on board
racing yachts.
The school will organise special Maritime Experience Days for young
people in cooperation with the Dutch tall ship “Eendracht” and other vessels this winter season.
The School
The Maritime School of the West Indies is located in the Maritime
Services building at 19 – 20 Marina Royale in the centre of Marigot,
St.Martin on the lagoon.
Several other yachting related services are located in the same building like Life Rafts Etc. (official service station for life rafts, inflatable
life jackets), Yacht Assistance (ship and yacht agents), No Limits
Yachts (mega yachts and classic yachts charter and sales broker) and
Jean Jarreau Media (helicopter aerial pictures and yacht photography). A new photo and marine antique gallery will be opening soon
in the same building.
Dinghy dock space and docking possibilities are available in the marina in front of the offices. A free taxi boat shuttle to and from the
marinas is planned.
More information is available on their website www.MaritimeSchool.
net, e-mail: info@MaritimeSchool.net, Phone: +590 590 51 04 95 or
+1 721 523 1209
Caribbean
Update
photo: Jasper Faber
photo: Jasper Faber
update
IS ‘F’
THe NEW
‘J’?
From Holland to the Caribbean with love:
the F-Class is coming!
By Jan Roosens
Photos by Jasler Faber & Jean Martinique
laugh show the easy-going person he really is. The talk of the
day was the ongoing construction of the owner’s new race
yacht “Firefly”, developed by Hoek Design, a yacht that would
sail in a new class, her own new “F” class.
The last time I was at Antigua Classics (the mother of all classic
yacht regattas), I was having drinks with the Dutch owner of
the classic Phillip L. Rhodes designed “Alert”, his captain Phil,
and a bunch of crew and friends from Holland that came to
sail and to party. One of them (in the Caribbean they would
call him “Big Man” for sure) is Joachim Kieft, manager of Bloemsma Aluminium Bouw and Claasen Shipyards. He is easily
two heads bigger than most of the others but his smile and
The owner (smiling): “I wanted a yacht that looked like a JClass but for less money and faster”. Say’s Joachim: “This guy
is such a nice person. He came up with the idea to build a
new breed of race yacht. Hoek Design and our companies all
worked together and only nine months later we were able to
launch. We never signed a contract, just a handshake. Where
in the yacht building world can you find this? ”
“Firefly” was indeed launched and sailed her first regatta in
34
Palma during the Super Yacht Cup. She will soon come to the
Caribbean and participate in regattas here.
Class lines and modern, high performance technology. The
yacht is developed for racing from a technical point of view.
Her hull was built by Bloemsma Aluminiumbouw and was
completed by Claasen Shipyards, most recently responsible
for the building of the J-Class “Lionheart”. The hull building
experts at Bloemsma have been responsible for many “truly
classics” and three of the new generation of J-Class yachts, and
Claasen Shipyards has a similar pedigree of Dutch excellence.
She has carbon spars and composite rigging. The combination of a revolutionary T-style fin keel with a 30 ton lead bulb
and a carbon high aspect ratio spade rudder is exceptionally
powerful.
Designed in the spirit of tradition, the F-Class was developed
and engineered as a high-performance racer. “Firefly” is designed to get the best out of two generations, using classic J-
Specifically designed for long distance racing, the water ballast
system efficiently shifts 5 tons of water from one side to the
other within two minutes, optimising time and performance.
“The interior has been kept very basic” says Joachim. “There
is a shower, a toilet and a small kitchen. There is a navigation
35
update
Necker Island is back and open for business!
Photo courtesy of www.neckerisland.virgin.com
Top: Joachim Kieft, manager at Bloemsma Aluminium Bouw in front of one of
the just finished Super J-class hulls
Right: Super J-Class hull ready for transport to Claasen Shipyards where she will
be finished
area and pipe cots forward of the mast
instead of regular berths. The whole interior weighs barely two tons and the
total weight of the yacht is only 60 tons.”
A new order for a second F-Class race
yacht has already been placed. Construction of the hull has again started
at the Bloemsma Aluminiumbouw yard
in Makkum and the yacht will be finished like Firefly by Claasen Shipyards.
She will be an identical sister vessel to
the prototype Firefly.
The newest boat will be racing in the
Spirit of Tradition class races and will
be committed to a match racing circuit
with her one-design F-Class sister vessel Firefly.
The genesis of the F-Class has been a
desire to bring back a sense of perspective and fun to racing. Like Firefly, this
second yacht will be phenomenally fast
and built to race. Says Andre Hoek:
“The new F-Class Association has been
established so that the boats can be
built as a one design class. We are currently in serious negotiations for hull
numbers three and four, and the expectation is that interest in the F-Class will
increase exponentially as people see
what these amazing designs are capable
of on the water.”
Firefly will fly this season in the Caribbean waters and in a short period of
time there could be a whole swarm of
F-Class yachts!
Sir Richard Branson’s team has been working extremely hard
since the fire on 22 August 2011 that destroyed the Great
House.
Plans to rebuild the Great House are already under way and in
the meantime the island will be able to cater for slightly smaller groups to stay on island with the newly refurbished six Bali
Houses, as well as Sir Richard Branson’s private home Temple
House and his 105ft luxury catamaran Necker Belle, to substitute for the bedrooms lost in the Great House.
As for the Great House itself, much of the beautiful features of
the former house will be incorporated into the new design to
ensure it retains its authentic Balinese style with panoramic
views of the Caribbean but will include a couple of new and
innovative twists!
We will cover more on this in the next issue.
St. Barth Cata Cup - F18 regatta once again a success
The fourth edition of the St. Barth Cata Cup once again lived up to
its excellent reputation with a maximum allowed fifty catamarans
registered long before the start date.
Members of the St. Barth Multihull Association, in collaboration
with the Centre Nautique de St. Barth, organised the regatta
again to perfection. Optimal sailing conditions with winds in the
10 to 16 knots range gave Holland’s Mischa Heemskerk and Eduard Zanen on their cat “Emeraud Plage” all they needed to become overall winners (as they did also in 2009!) following a close
duel with 2010 winners John Casey and Dalton Tebo who came
in second place.
Casey and Tebo missed the around-the-island race when they
collided with another competitor just before the start, resulting
in damage and elimination of both boats. Casey took full responsibility for the collision and gallantly offered his second place trophy to the victims.
The surprising Yan Van den Haute, teammate of Puerto Rican
champion Enrique Figueroa on “St Barth Sailor,” was thrilled to
take fourth place overall, thanks to a superb victory in the around-
36
the-island race.
Another great result was achieved by Joris Van Den Eynde (St.
Maarten) with Kervyn Tanguy on “BERNUTH LINES” who came in
at sixth place overall. Their boat was shipped specially from Belgium (where Joris is living now) to St.Barth’s to participate in the
regatta.
In the other St. Martin results, Budget Marine’s Bas de Rooij and
Jeroen de Rooij finished in 46th place and Bernard Sillem and Rogier Brans in 47th.
It was a disappointing regatta result for St. Martin’s Olivier Bernaz
and Frits Bus, who had at least three halyard breakdowns and one
missed start. They finished 29th in the overall standings.
At the awards ceremony of this fourth edition of the St. Barth Cata
Cup, many of the participants were anxious to know how soon
they could sign up for the 2012 regatta.
And if 2012 is anything like 2011, the inscriptions for the maximum allowed participants (50) will be “sold-out” again within 24
hours…
37
update
CBN: How does a Canadian model end
up in St. Maarten for a photo shoot?
Rachel: I am enrolled in various photo
model websites and photographer Jean
Jarreau contacted me about three years
ago and invited me to St. Maarten for a
test shoot. I have been back every year
and then this past October I was here for
a new test shoot. I will be back again in
April to do the pictures and a TV commercial. I am very excited!
CBN: Can you tell us what the pictures
will be used for?
Rachel: I was asked to do a shoot for
“Tintamarre” a new perfume and cosmetic line.
CBN: Is the perfume made in the Caribbean?
not, do you want to become one?
Rachel: I am not a full time model but it
definitely would be my dream job and the
“Tintamarre” commercial and pictures
are a great way to start my career. I currently attend the University of Windsor
where I am studying to become a teacher.
I love children so I would like to teach
grade 2 or 3.
CBN: You are a very natural model, you
don’t use much make-up and you’re in
good shape. How do you keep your body
so perfect?
Rachel: I have never worn much makeup. I only wear mascara and bronzer but
of course on real shoots there are makeup artists, hairdressers and stylists to take
care of me.
Rachel: No, it is made in the world famous perfume city of Grace in the South
of France.
To stay in shape I work out every day doing cardio and abs. I eat fruit, vegetables
and meat and very little carbohydrates. I
cut out most fast food.
CBN: Can you tell us a little about the TV
commercial?
CBN: Are you allowed to party and go
out to restaurants as a model?
Rachel: The commercial will be amazing.
I will be filmed underwater whilst swimming with dolphins and there will also
be two helicopters and boats filming as
well. It is kind of a short film not just a
commercial about a girl (me!) who is on
an old sailing ship en route to the uninhabited island of Tintamarre, just off the
coast of St. Martin.
Rachel: A lot of people believe that models are not allowed to eat but we eat very
well and very healthy. There are cheat
days but everyone needs cheat days. We
are also allowed to party, just not right
before a photo shoot!
The ship is sailed by a girl captain with a
great looking Rasta man as her first mate.
I will be in the shower below the deck
and when the vessel reaches the island
I need to run out of the bathroom, onto
the deck, onto the bow and then dive
over the side to swim ashore and for the
rest… you will have to wait and see the
commercial.
Rachel: I have only visited St Barth for
the day and I would love to visit Hawaii.
CBN: Are you a full time model and if
CBN: Have you been to other Caribbean
or tropical islands?
CBN: What do you love most about St.
Maarten?
Rachel: Everything! The people are all
so nice and welcoming, the food is delicious, the beaches are the nicest beaches I
have ever seen and it is so much different
than Ontario. I love it here!!
Rachel Bigras: “everyone needs cheat days”
38
39
update
ing down the photos of the girls. Each girl is represented by a few
of her best shots and then these are reviewed at the annual Photo
Selection Convention. Generally held at the end of July, the photo
selection process includes Hooters owners, franchisee groups, marketing associates and special celebrity guests, who all participate in
the process of whittling down the thousands of photos to the 180
needed for the calendar. The selected girls then enjoy a year of being a celebrity, travelling around, appearing on radio and television
programmes, doing calendar signings and generally just enjoying
being recognised as some of the best looking women in the world!”
The Hooters business story
Hooters, Inc. began operations in Clearwater, Florida, founded by
six Clearwater businessmen (Lynn Stewart, Gil DiGiannantonio, Ed
Droste, Billy Ranieri, Ken Wimmer and Dennis Johnson), built on the
site of a former rundown nightclub that had been purchased at a very
low price.
The business opened on April 1, 1983, as an “April Fool’s Day” joke,
because the original six owners initially believed that their prospect
was going to fail. Many businesses had failed previously in that particular location so the founders built a small “graveyard” at the front
door for each business that had come and gone before they arrived!
In 1984, Hugh Connerty bought the rights to “Hooters” from the six
original Hooters founders. Robert H. Brooks and a group of Atlanta investors (operators of Hooters of America, Inc.) then bought out
Hugh Connerty and in 2002, Brooks bought the majority of shares
and became chairman.
Calendar Girls in Town
By Jean Jarreau
If you live in the US, chances are big that you know the good looking white tank top and orange shorts girls of your local casual
beach-themed restaurant “Hooters”. The restaurants are part of
the Atlanta based operator and franchiser of over 455 locations in
44 states in the USA but also in Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, England, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Korea,
Mexico, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South
Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the Virgin Islands and others
totalling 28 countries. The privately held corporation itself owns
160 units.
Several of the Hooter girls came to the Caribbean over the past
several years, mainly St. Maarten/St. Martin and once to Grenada, for a Hooters Calendar photo shoot. The Hooters Calendar has been published every year since 1986. From its modest
beginnings, it is now one of the top selling calendars of its kind
with almost half a million copies sold in recent years. The Hooters system employs over 25,000 people - over 15,000 of which are
Hooters Girls and only the best of the best adorn the pages of the
calendar.
One of the owners, Dave “Lags” Lageschulte, the chief executive
officer (CEO) of LTP Management, based in Fort Myers, Florida,
which owns and operates some 40 restaurants came along several
times to the Caribbean. He also owns through Lags enterprises
various other business interests.
“Lags” became the first franchisee of the popular Hooters restaurant chain in 1985. Along with his partners, Lageschulte devel-
40
oped Hooters restaurants throughout South Florida and became
one of the chain’s most successful franchisees. Lags enjoys hiking
when he’s on the islands and they make use of their boats to visit
neighbouring islands and beaches. Lags’ partner, Dale “Champ”
Regnier, is around the photo shoots most of the time. “I like to be
around the girls” he says smiling, but one of the main reasons is
that he’s taking care of Hooters Patrol IV, their own mega yacht
with captain and crew that is chartered out when she is not used
by the Hooters folks.
Calendar publisher Charles (Chuck) Melcher and assistant Holly
Majko explain that every year different girls are selected to travel
to exotic locations for a photo shoot. Said Chuck: “The girls in
our calendar aren’t famous photo models from New York or Hollywood. You can actually meet every girl in person at a Hooters
Restaurant around the world. It’s hard to believe, but EVERY girl
in the calendar must be a Hooters waitress, and she may actually
be the girl serving you next time you go to Hooters.”
“The process for selecting the girls is simple, yet time consuming.
First, Hooters Girls submit photos of themselves to the Hooters
Calendar Photo Selection Committee for consideration. Several
girls are then selected for a professional shoot, sometimes in their
local area or state and often in fun locations like Aspen, Las Vegas
or the Caribbean. “It’s a tough job,” he comments, “But somebody
has to do it. Might as well be me!”
After all the photo sessions have taken place, the Hooters Calendar Photo Crew pore over the tens of thousands of photos culled
from these shoots and then begin the arduous task of narrow-
The Clearwater-based company retained control over restaurants in
the Tampa Bay area, Chicago metropolitan area, and one in Manhattan, New York, while all other locations were under Hooters of America, which sold franchising rights to the rest of the United States and
international locations. Under the leadership of Brooks, the collective
Hooters brand expanded from one restaurant to more than 400 restaurants worldwide.
Brooks died in 2006 and left most of Hooters of America Inc. to his
son Coby Brooks and daughter Boni Belle Brooks. After his passing,
240 buyers showed interest in Hooters of America Inc., but eventually
Chanticleer Holding LCC and other investors bought the company.
The current logo, uniform, menu and ambiance are all very similar
to what existed in the original restaurant. This lack of change is understandable given the tremendous success the Hooters concept has
enjoyed. Hooters has continued to rank high amongst the industry’s
growth leaders and has proven successful in the small-towns of America, but also in major metropolitan areas and internationally.
The casual restaurants feature “oldies” jukebox music, sports on television and a menu that includes seafood, sandwiches, salads and spicy
chicken wings. Hooters world-wide generates and averages 68% of its
sales from food, 4% from merchandise, and 28% from beer, wine and
spirits.
The element of female sex appeal is prevalent in the restaurants, and
the company believes the Hooters Girl is as socially acceptable as a
cheerleader or a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.
The “nearly world famous” Hooters Girls are the cornerstone of the
41
update
Hooters concept, and as part of their job, the girls make promotional and charitable appearances in their respective communities. Hooters hires women who best fit the image of a
Hooters Girl to work in this capacity. The chain hires both
males and females to work in management and host staff, bar
service and kitchen positions. The Hooters Girl uniform consists of orange shorts and a white tank top. Pantyhose and bras
are required.
Hooters characterises itself as a neighbourhood place, not a
typical family restaurant. Sixty-eight per cent of customers are
male, most between the ages of 25 and 54. Hooters does not
market itself to families, but they do patronise the restaurants.
Ten per cent of the parties they serve have children in them.
For this reason, the chain offers a children’s menu.
The Hooters system uses television ads, the Hooters Magazine and Hooters Girl billboards to advertise the concept. The
chain even introduced its own Hooters MasterCard credit card
in 2005. It also generates awareness through successful sports
partnerships with the National Golf Association Hooters Tour.
The NGA enjoys extensive television coverage and fan support.
Other sponsored sports include Formula One powerboat racing and an AMA Motorcycle Team.
In 2003 the Hooters Brand literally took to the skies when
Hooters Air airline was launched. At its peak the airline served
15 cities including Nassau and Las Vegas. While industry problems grounded the carrier in 2006, the venture will forever be
a part of airline lore. In 2006, the Hooters Casino Hotel in Las
Vegas was opened at the site of the former San Remo Hotel.
The 700 room property provides a Hooters experience with
beautiful Hooters Girls and a comfortable, casual atmosphere.
The restaurant chain also sponsors sports and other events and
donates large amounts of money to charities.
Hooters Calendar web site: www.HootersCalendar.com
Hooters web site: www.Hooters.com
Caribbean
Untouched
42
untouched
73 million sharks
killed annually
Diving with all walks of life
St. Maarten’s Caribbean Dive College
By Lisa Davis-Burnett
Photos by Tom Burnett
We entered the waves and began to descend. At
the surface clear blue water was full of bubbles and
then, as we dropped down another few feet the underwater world came into focus. Awash in shades
of turquoise and cerulean, the skeleton of a shipwreck stretched out below. To my left and right,
fellow scuba divers were floating down into the
depths like feathers settling on the floor. I looked at the flattened hull and
ribs of The Teigland, a ship that had been sunk on purpose more than a decade ago. I forced my eyes to look out to all sides, peering into the distance,
seeking the phantom shape of our objective: a reef shark.
The idea was to do a “Shark Dive” at the Caribbean Dive College in St.
Maarten. We knew that sometimes dive shops guarantee divers will see
sharks, because they feed the sharks in a certain area, and keep them expecting a free meal. Some shops even give lessons on how to behave in the
presence of sharks and then bring the divers along for the feedings. The
divers kneel in the sand as the sharks are fed by the ‘professionals’ in controlled settings.
Caribbean Dive College doesn’t follow that prescription. Instead they dive
the reef and hope to see a shark in its natural state. I asked several times,
“Do you think we will see a shark?” Each time Nicki, our Dive Master, told
me: “We cannot guarantee it, sometimes we do, other times we don’t.” She
explained this won’t be a “shark dive” as such, because they don’t feed the
fish. I knew she was right: it’s not a good idea to feed any wild animal. Especially not sharks, because, well, you can imagine what happens when sharks
are inadvertently trained to associate divers with mealtime – not a happy
ending for divers without a shark-snack handy. I told her that I agreed that
shark-feeding dives weren’t a good idea, yet I still asked her, “but…do you
think we’ll see a shark?”
Once the scuba enthusiasts were all down to the 65-foot-deep seafloor, Nicki
headed the group out for the guided tour of the reef. Officially they call this
44
dive site “Cable Reef ” because back in the ‘80s a tugboat towing a barge let
their tow-cable go slack and the cable was caught on the reef, and had to be
abandoned. Some thirty years later the cable is still visible, winding its way
around much of the reef ’s structure. In fact, it has become a part of the reef,
with sponges and coral adorning it like a jewelled necklace. As we began our
tour, Nicki and the other dive-masters pointed out a small spotted eel in the
crook of the one of The Teigland’s beams. The divers with cameras gathered
around to snap a photo of the little guy. I passed behind them, still hoping
for a glimpse of a shark in the distance. As I glided past, I couldn’t help but
notice that the overhang of the ship’s hull sheltered a school of bright red
soldierfish with black bars under their large eyes. It was a beautiful scene;
hundreds of fish hanging so still against the blue reef-scape, so peaceful and
quiet, except of course for the sound of my own compressed air moving in
and out of my regulator.
As I drifted from that image to join the others, I noticed the lead divers
making flapping hand signs – the symbol of a ray. I kicked up to the group
and there they were, three spotted eagle rays, soaring like huge graceful
birds in slow motion. Spotted eagle rays are among the most awe-inspiring
animals you can see – and here were three of them! I wanted to follow them
as they winged their way out into the blue beyond, but as I looked down I
noticed a rather large sea turtle lying in the sand just below me. The cameradivers were all but having a photo session with this turtle, who didn’t seem
to mind. She looked right into the lens of one camera, and almost posed!
I looked up, the rays were fading away in the distance, I looked down, the
divers were moving on from the turtle. Next they were signalling the hand
sign for lobsters, sure enough, two Caribbean spiny lobsters were poking
their heads out from a crevasse, waving their antennae in warning at us.
This was some amazing diving today! Surely we would see a shark soon!
We swam through a passageway in the reef, one at a time each diver checked
their buoyancy and made their way through the cave-like structure. I admired the bright orange sponges and the soft corals moving in the current.
The corals in this reef are healthy, but not overly colourful.
The range of colour comes from the huge diversity of fish. Several species
of butterfly fish were darting about the reef in pairs, vibrantly coloured yellow and blue Spanish hogfish watch and wait, hoping to find a meal, and a
black, white and yellow spotted, boxy trunkfish bobs along the reef looking
like a silly, little clown. Large angelfish, both French and queen varieties are
real stunners, they can hold you spellbound with their graceful elegance,
while schools of blue tangs and parrot fish are also eye-catching. Perhaps
the most glamorous of all is the tiny damselfish who seems to be adorned
in sequined outfits of the deepest blues. Fashionistas could take all the
inspiration they might ever need from these colourful living jewels.
Some fish are not so colourful, but are striking due to their unexpected
size: high above us, circling powerfully, silvery jacks were hunting prey.
And hanging vertically in mid-water, grey file fish as big as dinner platters drift slowly with their little pectoral fins zipping about like nervous
jazz hands.
As we navigated along the reef ’s ridges and valleys, we passed over some
sandy lanes. My dive buddy/husband then noticed a small stingray hiding under the sand on the seafloor, and he approached it with his camera.
The southern stingray emerged from his covering, scattering sand as he
swam away. The group, meanwhile, was signalling that another turtle was
in view. I swam up to see it, another green Atlantic variety. I reminded
myself to keep scanning the horizon for a shark, they often see divers and
stay just out of range of our vision, but occasionally that sleek silhouette
is seen. So far, not today. We checked our air and Nicki signalled that dive
time was nearing an end. We headed for the mooring line that would allow us to surface near Peter Pan, the 50 foot vessel that serves as the dive
boat of the Caribbean Dive College.
We neared the line that will guide us up and I started looking around for
my husband. There he was just at the limit of my eyesight, but he wasn’t
coming to the line, so I watched him, wondering what are you doing? I
all but had my hands on my hips and tapped my fin, thinking what is he
up to? Finally, he began to swim our way, and there was something funny
in the way he swam. I signalled something like, ‘where were you?’ and he
giggled, not an easy thing to do under 50 feet of water, but I saw his shoulders shake and a lot of bubbles escaped from his face mask. He gave me
the hand sign for shark. I am sure he read my body language, “oh man!
Really?” Again he giggled.
After the dive we checked out his photographs. It was a five foot long
black tip reef shark. Exactly the kind I had wanted to see, shy, sleek, elusive and fast. They don’t approach divers, so you have to be lucky to see
them, and they aren’t scary, because you don’t hear that music. Da-dun,
da-dun. No, I missed the beautiful creature this time, but I saw so much
during my forty-five minutes on Cable Reef, I know it’s an experience I
will always remember with amazement.
For millions of years sharks
have been the reigning kings
of the world’s oceans and have
been eaten in restaurants all
over the globe. But for a while
now the hunter has become the
hunted. Commercial fishermen
are now using more refined
and more technical methods to
catch sharks and sell their fins
to make expensive exotic soups
and delicacies. Shark fins are
far more valuable than the shark meat, so the fishermen
cut the fins off, mostly while the sharks are still alive, and
then throw the fish back overboard to maximize the catch
they bring back. This is called “shark finning” and it is illegal in the United States but allowed in many other countries.
Another problem is created by tournament sport fishermen, who target and kill the biggest sharks they can catch
from the ocean. These tournaments, that take place all
over the world each year, attract large crowds of anglers
and visitors but also protestors from many animal rights
groups and environmental groups. The competitors say
they are enjoying a fun, legal sport and the prizes for the
largest sharks can reach $5,000 or more.
Tournament organisers say the impact on the overall
shark population is very small as most of the sharks that
are caught are tagged and returned to the ocean but even
then, the risk for the natural environment remains.
According to marine biologist Luke Tipple, (who is the
managing director of the Shark-Free Marina Initiative, a
project of the Humane Society of the United States), up to
73 million sharks are killed annually and many species are
at risk of extinction.
“Many of the sharks targeted by the tournaments are listed as threatened” he said. He also added that he would
prefer that all tournaments, instead of just a few, were
catch-and-release events, if the tournaments won’t end
altogether.
In his opinion, killing, what fishing advocates call a small
number of sharks, harms the food chain by removing the
larger, breeding adults. “As an apex predator, sharks have
a dramatic effect on keeping the marine ecosystem balanced. The repercussions of overfishing include an unbalanced food chain and damaged coral reefs. It will also
make it harder to catch seafood, which, without sharks,
will have more predators to worry about” he said.
Tipple doesn’t see any benefit to tournaments where big
sharks are killed and also worries about the message a
shark tournament sends to future generations. “Sharks
have more value than just as a trophy for a wall” he said.
The Shark-Free Marinas Initiative (SFMI) has a singular
purpose, to reduce worldwide shark mortality. SharkFree Marinas encourages shark conservation at sport fishing and resort marinas by prohibiting the landing of any
shark at the participating marina. The SFMI works with
marinas, fishermen and likeminded non-profit groups to
form community conscious policy and increase awareness of the need to protect our sharks, our ocean and our
legacy.
Read all about it at www.SharkFreeMarinas.com
www.caribbeandivecollege.com
45
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