Caribbean Beach News #1
Transcription
Caribbean Beach News #1
ISSUE 1 DEC 11 caribbe n b e a c h n e w s 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 [email protected] - 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 [email protected] ADVERTISING A lot of history on a small island. Tintamarre, the smallest kingdom in the world [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] Web site: www.CaribbeanSailTrainingAssociation.org Phone: +590590510495 or +1721 5231209 or +596 696 261612 www.MaritimeSchool.net [email protected] 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 : [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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). 26 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: [email protected], 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 The pearl of the peninsula … Banking Berths Car and Motor Rentals Chandlery Courier Services Crew Customs Excursions Freight Fuel Guest Transport Helicopters Immigration Private Jets Photography Powerboats Provisioning Repairs Shipping Spare Parts Transfers Travel Villas All other Services Yacht Assistance Main Offices Marina Royale 19/20 Marigot 97150 St.Martin Antilles Francaises Phone: +590690629955 www.YachtAssistance.com e-mail: [email protected] definitively a luxurious residence… Apartments for sale Exclusive Yachting Photography www.MegaYachtPictures.com Aerials-On Board-On the Water-Interiors-Food-Sailing-On Anchor [email protected] Phone+590690629955 Blue Pearl, set in a turquoise sea, is an exceptional residential property on a calm and tranquil peninsula. Illustrating the perfect combination of clean-lined architecture and incomparably elegant design, this bold project offers spacious apartments, ranging from 2580 to 5810 square feet, with large and airy rooms. Each apartment is flanked by two terraces, bathed in natural light from dawn until dusk and offering breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea. Built and finished in the highest quality materials, they are a modern interpretation of timeless elegance. Comprised of just twelve prestigious suites, in a prime Sint Maarten location, Blue Pearl offers a unique and exclusive residential opportunity ... Bordée d’océan, Blue Pearl est une résidence unique posée sur une presqu’île calme et paisible. C’est l’alliance parfaite d’une architecture épurée et d’un design au raffinement sans égal. De conception audacieuse, les spacieux appartements de Blue Pearl aux volumes généreux offrent des surfaces de 240m2 à 540m2. Ils sont réalisés avec des matériaux nobles combinant qualité, élégance et modernité. Chacun dispose de deux terrasses et de larges baies vitrées donnant sur la mer des Caraïbes, qui laissent traverser la lumière au lever et au coucher du soleil. Avec douze appartements de prestige, idéalement placés à Sint-Maarten, Blue Pearl présente une occasion unique pour acquérir une résidence exclusive... Beacon Hill - Sint Maarten N.A - tel. (599) 586 1160 or (599) 556 6585 [email protected] - www.bluepearlresidence.com architecture & design pablo marroquin - lerointeriordesign: [email protected] Galleries Jean Jarreau Fine Photography Art and Marine Antiques Marina Royale 19 • 97150 Marigot • St. Martin • French West Indies • www.GalleriesJeanJarreau.com • +590 590 510 495