Basseterre Bay

Marinas near Basseterre Bay

Introduction:

Basseterre is the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis and is located on the southeastern end of the island about 11 miles northeast of Nevis and 25 miles southeast of St. Eustatius. The town is an eclectic mix of French and British influences and the Circus area of downtown is modeled after Picadilly in England. There is a good marina at the cruise ship docks, and anchorage just off the same marina, though the water here can get rough if the wind blows out of the south to west.

The cruise ship port is visible in the image above in the central part of Basseterre Harbor, and just inside the cruise docks you can see a fully-protected basin that houses the Port Zante Marina. Farther to the east on the other side of the harbor, the port office and customs dock can be seen jutting out into the water. Basseterre is the only port of entry in St. Kitts and Nevis, and as such, if you plan to visit Nevis by boat, you will need to get clearance here first. In addition to the usual procedures, you will need to pay port dues and a yacht charge if your vessel displaces over 20 tons. Also make sure the customs official clears you for the areas you wish to visit on both islands at the time of check in.

Navigating the Water:

To approach Basseterre and the Port Zante Marina, first set a course to intercept the area around waypoint 17 16.710N 62 43.307W. Once you have arrived in the area of the waypoint, set a course of 341 degrees true for a distance of about a mile. This should put you in the area of the marina just outside the stone jetty.

There is an anchorage just outside the marina with six- to 12-foot depths, but it is open and unprotected. Do not anchor here if you can avoid it, especially when the wind clocks out of the south to west. Additionally, you can anchor on the east side of the harbor near he Coast Guard Station and Port Office where customs is located. The water here is a bit deeper that the west anchorage, but is is certainly better protected, due to the long port office dock nearby. This east anchorage is reachable from the aforementioned waypoint (17 16.710N 62 43.307W) by taking a course of 44 degrees true for about a half-mile.

The Port Zante Marina has dockside depths of at least 12 feet and can accommodate yachts up to 150 feet in length. The marina has a fuel dock with gas and diesel fuel, water, shore power and cable TV at most slips and restrooms ashore. Ice can also be purchased here. Laundry must be taken ashore to one of the local cleaners. The marina does not have washers or dryers.

Local Notices to Mariners:

See our “Local Notices to Mariners” blog for updates on the latest conditions and advisories for this area.

Transportation:

St. Kitts is served by the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, which is also know as the Golden Rock Airport. The airport features major international jet service from carriers including American Airlines, American Eagle, US Airways, Caribbean Star Airlines, Caribbean Sun Airlines and Winair. Transportation to and from the airport is provided by local taxi cab companies. Their is no public bus service at this time.

Helpful Links:

Guide to St. Kitts and Nevis

St. Kitts Tourism

St. Kitts Calendar of Events

[url=http://www.stkitts-tourism.com/DiscoverStKitts/GetHere_Agents.asp]Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport[/url