PJ5C Team will be active from Sint Eustatius Island, IOTA NA - 145, 23 November - 3 December 2025.
Team - PA4O, PA8AD/PE6Q.
Recent DX Spots PJ5C
PJ5C Log search They will operate on HF Bands, including activity in CQ WW DX CW Contest, 29 - 30 November 2025.
QSL via ClubLog OQRS.
Previous activity:
Peter PA4O and Ad PA8AD will be active as PJ5/PA4O and PJ5/PE6Q from Sint Eustatius Island, IOTA NA - 145, 6 - 18 July 2023.
They will operate on 80-6m CW, SSB and FT8, including activity in IARU HF World Championship as PJ5C.
QSL via Clublog OQRS.
Sint Eustatius: a slice of Holland in the Caribbean Sea
The indigenous people of the Netherlands Antilles since time immemorial have been the Arawaks, the Kaketios Indians. They lived here from the × century BC until the discovery of the islands by European navigators. Familiarity with civilization did not pass for the natives without a trace - some of them fell ill with deadly diseases, some died of starvation, and the rest were taken to Haiti as slaves.
Almost until the end of the XVIII century, the French, Spanish and Dutch were the masters of the islands alternately. When slavery was abolished and the demand for tobacco and sugar on world markets fell, the Netherlands Antilles became a simple transit base for the delivery of goods from America to Europe.
Now the main source of income for the islands' economy is the tourism industry. It employs about a third of the population. The islands themselves have become the most popular resorts in the Caribbean region, attracting tourists with their natural riches and developed infrastructure.
Sint Eustatius Island. Author - Marco Linssen.
Statia is the pearl of the archipelago
In the dialect of the locals, the island of Sint Eustatius is called Statia. The indigenous Kaketios called it Alo, meaning “cashew tree”. The island got its modern name from Christopher Columbus, who named it after the Catholic martyr St. Eustathius.
For several centuries, Sint Eustatius was a sort of passing prize: no European country was able to establish itself here for a long time. In 1636, the Dutch founded Fort de Windt on the site of the ruins of a French settlement, which became the first fortification on the island. But even after that Statia passed into the hands of other owners 22 times. The XXVII and XVIII centuries were the time of flourishing of trade and the island port, which was named “Golden Rock”.
Little Holland in the tropics
Sint Eustatius is one of the Leeward Islands, located 27 km southeast of Saba and 60 km south of St. Maarten. It is 8 km long and only 3 km wide. The maritime climate of the tropics changes with the arrival of the trade winds. Temperature fluctuations are very slight throughout the year. You can vacation here at any time, but, like the rest of the Caribbean, the island is affected by hurricanes from late summer to October.
The official language on Sint Eustatius is Dutch, but English is spoken by almost everyone on the island. Religion is dominated by Protestants of various denominations, but there are also many Catholics.
PJ5C PJ5/PA4O PJ5/PE6Q Sint Eustatius Island DX Pedition.
Famous Caribbean beaches
Sint Eustatius is known as a beach resort. Thousands of tourists visit this tiny piece of land every year for vacation purposes. Their destination is the famous beaches of Zealandia, Orange Bay and Lynch. The coastal depths are ideal for diving, and the calm waters and constant trade winds are ideal for windsurfing. There are two diving centers for underwater beauty lovers: Golden Rock and Skubaka.
Sint Eustatius Island. Author - Andrey Sulitskiy.
An adventurer's dream: fortresses and shipwrecks
A break from the sand and water can be found in the island's interior. There are several scenic routes along the slopes of ancient volcanoes and rainforest. Statia can not offer tourists sites from the UNESCO list, but this does not make the sights of the island less interesting:
- Quill and Boven National Parks. They are located in the northern and southern parts of the island. Their protected rainforests have hiking trails that add a touch of variety to beach vacations.
- The Miriam K. Schmidt Botanical Garden offers visitors an interesting private collection of tropical plants. There are interesting excursions to brighten up your stay.
- The hilltop Fort Windt was never really a fortress, but served as the site of artillery batteries protecting the entrance to the bay of the capital Oranjestad during colonial times. Tourists can see a couple of cannons here, serving as a great backdrop for photos.
- The crater of an ancient volcano, inhabited by animals and covered with forest. From its top you can enjoy stunning views of the island and the sea.
- The local history museum will allow you to learn about the history of Sint Eustatius for just a few dollars.
- Tourists can also view the colonial buildings in the capital and see the ruins of the synagogue, the second oldest Jewish building in the Caribbean.
- For the adventurous, the shipwrecks off the west coast are a point of attraction. Over the 500-year history of the island, more than two hundred ships have sunk off its shores, some of which can be visited by divers.
The small size of the island has contributed to the fact that there are almost no man-made attractions, but that is not why tourists come to Sint Eustatius.
Caribbean culinary traditions with a Dutch flavor
The island cuisine resembles in many ways that of the neighboring islands of the Caribbean archipelago. The only correction is the influence of the Dutch taste. Of course, the menu is based on seafood and fish.
Lack of pastures does not allow growing cattle, so meat has long been a real exotic for the islanders. In the menu of residents and guests of the island without restrictions it appeared only in recent decades. Tourists can enjoy local stewed goat or lamb with vegetables, beef stew, roast poultry, meatballs and meatloaf. From exotics you can order iguana soup, cactus soup with pork, traditional Caribbean soup.
Seafood and fish remain the most sought after on the island. Foreigners enjoy baked lucian and barracuda, cod and sea shells, shrimp and fish meatballs. Fish soup with bananas, seafood soup on coconut milk, casserole with fish, beef, vegetables and cheese have a peculiar flavor. Tourists can count on amazing desserts: Caribbean cupcakes, coconut puddings, tortillas and cakes made of guava, coconut and fruit.
How to get to a tropical paradise
Sint Eustatius has its own small airport named after Franklin Roosevelt. It receives planes from the island of St. Maarten, located 60 kilometers away. That, in turn, has regular air service to Europe and North America.
There are many cruise liners cruising the Caribbean Sea, some of which call at the island. Also between the islands there are many boats and yachts, the owners of which will transport you to any of the islands for a reasonable fee. You should not forget about the service of renting a yacht.
You can't do without formalities
Despite being Dutch, the current currency of the island is the US dollar. Customs does not limit the amount of money brought to Sint Eustatius, but if it exceeds 10 thousand dollars, it must be declared.
Duty free:
- some tobacco and alcohol,
- cosmetics and perfumes,
- personal belongings,
- goods not exceeding 500 US dollars.
It is forbidden to bring to the island leather goods from Haiti and silverware and coins from Suriname and the Netherlands.
Tourists will not be allowed to leave the country if they take out products with historical or artistic value, as well as items found at the bottom of the sea.
Sint Eustatius is definitely worth a visit. Golden beaches, mild tropical climate, exotic cuisine and sunken treasures are just a few of the reasons that tip the scales in favor of a trip.
