Seasonal· St Kitts· Leeward Islands
Sargassum Season (St Kitts & Nevis)
17° 18.0′ N · 62° 40.8′ W · approximate
Since 2011 the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has sent record mats of floating seaweed into the eastern Caribbean, where it piles up on windward beaches and rots, giving off hydrogen sulfide.
Practical
Position is a representative point off the windward (Atlantic) coast of St Kitts. The Atlantic-facing shores - North Frigate Bay and the east coasts of both islands - take the drift and the swell (Wikipedia; The Trip Verdict); the leeward anchorages (White House Bay, Ballast Bay, Cockleshell, Pinney's) are where to be. Check the USF Satellite-based Sargassum Watch System outlook before a passage; mats can clog raw-water intakes and foul props, so watch the engine temperature when motoring through windrows. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide, which causes headaches, nausea and breathing problems - avoid anchoring downwind of heavy beachings. No local beaching reports were verified for these islands - ask locally.
Best for
Choosing where to anchor when the weed is running
Season
Most years spring-summer; varies widely