WTFR WE? : Unforgettable Montserrat

Often cruising plans get changed mid-stream as weather conditions shift or we gain more knowledge, Our initial plan was to head to Barbuda, a small Antiguan island. Our plans shifted after learning of the complicated customs procedure and Montserrat became our next destination of choice. We knew that Montserrat was not a well-traveled cruising destination as there is now only one anchorage on the entire island… As it turns out, Montserrat was unforgettable.

We had a nice downwind sail the entire way from Guadeloupe. As we glided up the western shore of the island toward Little Bay we were struck by the clearly visible signs of volcanic eruption. Unlike Saint Pierre, Martinique (see previous post) this eruption did not occur 113 years ago, but five!

We saw great swathes of volcanic ash cut through the hillside right down to the shoreline.

A new town and port is being developed at Little Bay however construction is moving slowly. We anchored in 35-40 feet of water (we typically like 10 to 25 ft max) along with only four to five other boats. There was a ferry dock with a teeny tiny precarious little spot that our dinghy squeezed into. I imagine that cruisers are not their first priority at this point!

We took a tour of the island. Our tour guide was a lifelong resident who lived through and is still living through the havoc the volcano has wreaked.

In 1977 before a succession of natural disasters struck, Sir George Martin, former manager of the Beatles and composer in his own right, became enamored with the lush quite and laid back atmosphere off this British territory. He decided to build a music studio on the island technically emulating the studio in London. In 1979 Air Studios Montserrat was completed. For the next decade Air Studios Montserrat hosted recording sessions for the creme de la creme of the music world. Then in 1989 the first disaster struck with hurricane Hugo a category 4 storm. It damaged over 90% of the island's structures and put an end to the illustrious days of Air Studios Montserrat.

Below are photos of Air Studios taken from our tour van.

We also caught a glimpse of where Paul McCartney found refuge after John Lennon was shot in 1980.

After the hurricane, Montserrat was able to recover considerably... then the second disaster struck. In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano, dormant for centuries, erupted and soon buried the island's capital, Plymouth, in more than 39ft of mud.

The volcanic activity continues today mostly affecting the vicinity of Plymouth and its docking facilities. This whole area that is now desolate was once a thriving seaport.

It rendered the southern part of the island uninhabitable and not safe for travel. The southern part of the island, known as the "exclusion zone" was evacuated and visits severely restricted. Our tour guide was one among those evacuated. Full residency rights in the United Kingdom were granted and back taxes were waived (according to our guide) encouraging Montserrat citizens to migrate to the U.K. Our tour guide chose to stay and was back taxed accordingly even though he had to leave his home and live in a classroom of an elementary school with his family for over two years.

While the volcano has been relatively quiet since 2010, it still emits a strong cloud of sulfur gas that permeated the air as we sailed past. We were fortunate enough to be in Montserrat after part of the exclusion zone was opened for touring.

As we headed closer to the volcano it's fairly obvious that this mountain is not yet dormant.

The structures in the exclusion zone, including the home of our tour guide, have been quickly overrun by mother nature.

This resident left so quickly you can see remnants of their clothes left behind

We were able to get up close and personal to some of the areas that were in the direct path of the volcanoes destruction.

Our tour guide and Jeff are showing how high the volcanic ash raised ground level.

The following photos are taken of the Montserrat Springs Hotel that was in the path of the volcanoes destruction.

This was the swimming pool. You can see the swim ladder on the left.

Anyway, any plans that Sir George Martin had to rebuild his studio were dashed by the volcanic eruptions. Determined to aid the people of Montserrat, Sir Martin raised funds by hosting an event at London's Royal Albert hall that featured many artists that had previously recorded on the island. He also built this auditorium in Little Bay, the future of Montserrat.