I spent the last 37 years living aboard and the last 5 cruising around the world. By an overwhelming majority, I met educated and police officers, Customs, Immigration and helpful Harbour Masters. Sometimes they were very friendly, like in Western Samoa and St. Helena.

I was, therefore, more than surprised to be treated with such unpoliteness and total lack of concern in some of the Caribbean Islands. Only there, except for the Maldives, have I found such a level of vulgarity and hostility.

The immigration officer in Prickly Bay is very unpleasant, but most of the people are charming in Grenada. Just an isolated case. Nevis and St Kitts (on the other hand) are the worst.

Nevis: Waiting 15 minutes in front of a customs officer who played with her smartphone (just under the sign: no cellphones please), then started to eat a big hamburger before opening her mouth with so low a voice that you hardly can hear a sound, is an interesting experience.
Good Day Madam, Good Bye Madam, not a word of answer.

But the worst was to come at St Kitts:
I hope that the lady in charge of the immigration treats her dog better. Also eating a big and fat fast food just 8 inches from my documents, she ended up spilling her Seven Up all over my registration papers.

Not a word of apology, and a way to ask me to leave which obliged me to remain extremely calm and apparently not concerned.

I consider myself educated and, after 45 years of extensive travels, I think that I know how to deal with unpleasant officers. But Customs at Nevis and immigration at St Kitts deserve close attention from their respective Ministry if they want to see more sailboats visit their waters. I in that case saw much less than 20/30 years ago.

I will not come back to these Islands, except in an emergency.

Sargassum hits St. Kitts:
Reported by Joan Conover 10 August 2017.

St. Kitts has its beaches full of Sargassum weed. There is currently no solution to this problem. An online site to track Sargassum weed via satellite images is in development – lots of discussions right now about what to do about this problem.
Search “Sargassum” on noonsite for latest news items.

Posted on behalf of Christian Kleitsch – 26 October 2016

Just came back from a sailing trip in St. Kitts & Nevis. I cleared in at Basseterre, Marina Port Zante (customs) and at the cruise ship terminal (immigration and port authorities). I cleared in for 5 days for both St. Kitts & Nevis.

The fees:
Customs/Marina Port Zante: 30 USD
Port Authorities: 20 USD

Because we asked for clearance for Nevis the customs officers didn’t clear us out at the same time! We cleared out with the customs in Marina Port Zante a day before leaving St. Kitts. No fees for outbound clearance.
With immigration, we could clear in and out at the same time!

Update on clearing into St Kitts and Nevis: Customs now have an office in the Port Zante marina office (on the second floor of the yellow building). Customs fees were USD $12. There doesn’t seem to be a “cruising permit” anymore and they checked us in for both St Kitts and Nevis. As we were only staying a week, they also cleared us out at the same time.

You also need to stop at the immigration office and the port authority office. Both are located in the cruise ship “welcome building”, immigration on one side the port authority on the other. Port authority charged USD $13. No immigration fees. I asked about any need to check in at Charlestown in Nevis and was told that there was no need.

Cheers- SV Perry
http://www.svperry.com