Gene, N9SW will be active from Saint Barthelemy Island (IOTA NA-147) 28 January - 9 February 2016 as FJ/N9SW.
He will operate on 80 - 6m mostly CW using 100 watt.
QSL via home call.
The Territorial collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy is an overseas collectivity of the country France. In most cases, it is abbreviated as St. Bart’s or St. Barths in English language. The island was called Ounalao by the indigenous people. It is some 35 kilometers to the south east of St. Martin and to the north of St. Kitts. Puerto Rico lays 240 kilometers west in Antilles. The island was a commune of French for very many years and was a part of Guadeloupe. This is an overseas region and France department. 2003 saw the island vote for secession from Guadeloupe so as to become an overseas collectivity of France. It is a collectivity forming a part of four territories namely:
- Martinique
- Guadeloupe
- Saint Martin
- French west indies
About Saint Barthélemy
It can be described as a volcanic island that is fully encircled by beautiful but shallow reefs. It's area covers some 25 square kilometers. As of January 2011, the population in the island stood at 9,035 people. The capital city of St. Barthélemy is Gustavo and this is where the main harbor is also located. It is located in the Caribbean and stands as the only island in this cluster to have been a Swedish colony during a a very short period when the Napoleonic wars came to an end.
Having being under Swedish rule, the national arms still symbolize this. The three crowns are found in the coat of arms belonging to the island. French greatly influences the culture, cuisine and language of the island. Saint Barthélemy is quite popular with tourists and most especially in the winter season. It is an area which is very loved by the rich and the famous and they visit most especially in the Christmas and New Year period.
The geography of Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy is near the Virgin Islands and is southeast of Anguilla and Saint Martin. It forms part of renaissance islands. Saint Barthélemy channel separates St. Barts and Saint Martin. There are several satellite islets that belong to St. Barthemely. These are rocky islets that include the sugar loaf, the goat, the rogues and coco.
Together with Dog Island and Anguilla, St. Barthemely creates a very distinct group which lies on the western edge of a soundings bank which is flat. This composes mainly of coral, sand and shells. The bank then extends east-south east and ends in a spit. The main bank and the island are separated by a very narrow length of water.
For small vessels, grand saline bay is the best option for temporary anchorage. Colombier bay has 4 fathoms patch at the mid entrance. A narrow cut exists at St. Jean bay at the reef. The island is fringed at the east and north sides by coral reef. The reefs are located in very shallow water and are visible. The coastal areas thrive with beaches and most bear offshore reefs. There are some which are a part of the marine reserve.
The marine reserves are on an area of 1000 hectares and these include vulnerable and protected islands, bays and habitats and there is also a zone that restricts any observation other than scientific. The sea around the island is quite rich in coral reefs as well as valuable marine life. The area is therefore under protection since the year 1996. This has in a way created environmental awareness on the island.
Apart from the reserves, there are public beaches and 15 may be considered swim friendly. They are then divided in to two i.e. the leeward side with calm waters and the windward side the latter are the best for surfing and other related activities.
The climate to expect in Saint Barthélemy
The island covers 25km2. The wetter side is the western side as compared to the eastern side. It lies in an arid terrain but the average rainfall still stands at 1000 mm even though it varies a lot from time to time. The summer in Barthélemy comes between May and November. This is the rainy season too. Winter lasts from December April.
The best part is that sunshine is quite prominent here. It is available almost all year round even in the rainy season. The winds make the humidity to be quite low. The average temperature stands at 25 degrees C and day temps can rise as high as 32 degrees C. the lowest night temp ever recorded was 13 degrees C. the sea waters of the Caribbean maintain a temperature of 27 degrees C on average.
Demographics of the beautiful island
In the January of 2011, the population estimates were at 9,035 people. The residents of the island are French citizens and are employed at different establishments within the island. The greater majority are descendants of the initial settlers who are Angevin, Saintongeais, Poitevi, Norman, and Breton.
The native tongue of the population is French. In restaurants and hotels, English is well understood. A small population is Anglophones and has been resident for quite a number of years. 500-700 people speak St. Barts French patois. This is mainly in the leeward side. The French is related, even though superficially, to Québec French. Creole French is mostly spoken in the windward side. The thing that makes the island unique to other Caribbean islands is the fact that the preference for language is not determined racially, but rather geographically.
Tourism in Saint Barthélemy
The living standards on the island are quite high and this may be attributed to the wealth that is generated from wealthy tourists. This island is considered as a very adored place by rich and famous personalities especially over winter months. The high end designers, gourmet dining and beaches are some of the things that attract many people here. Food is imported by water or air from France and US. The tourists received on the island every year stands at an average of 200,000. The housing sector has therefore boomed in a way so as to cater for tourists who require housing while on holiday as well as permanent residents who are found on the island.
There are hotels with different capacities. Ity is one of those locations where you can enjoy great tours and a goodnight sleep anytime!
