- Boat type — wooden schooner, gaff rigged
- Project launched — in 1979
- Keel in place — in 1981, on Gallows Bay beach, in Charlestown, Nevis
- Built by — Ralph Harris, one of the last West Indian shipwrights of Nevis
- Materials — wood from the island, shaped with hand tools
- Title — the last wooden schooner built on the beach in Nevis
- In Saint-Barthélemy — present at the very first West Indies Regatta in 2009, the only schooner among the eight boats that entered the port of Gustavia
- Home port — Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Today — ashore in Nevis, undergoing structural renovation
A schooner built a few steps from the birthplace of its namesake
Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, was born in Charlestown, the small capital of Nevis. Two centuries later, a few meters from his house, on the sands of Gallows Bay, a shipyard opened. The project was launched in 1979; the keel was laid in 1981. The ship would bear the name of this native son.
Ralph Harris, one of the last
The shipwright's name was Ralph Harris. In Nevis, he was one of the last to know how to build a boat of that size in that way: using wood from the island, hand tools, no machinery, and a hull taking shape in the open air, at the water's edge, under the watchful eyes of Charlestown. No wooden schooner was built on a Nevis beach after this one.
2009: the only schooner to enter Gustavia
On the weekend of May 1st, 2009, eight boats responded to the invitation of two friends, Aragorn Dick-Read and Alexis Andrews. They enter the port of Gustavia for the very first West Indies Regatta. Six are Carriacou sloops — Genesis, Ocean Nomad, today Navasana, Tradition, Sweetheart, Good Expectations and Summer Cloud. The seventh is a small cutter from Bequia, Plumbelly. The eighth is the Alexander Hamilton, the only schooner in the fleet and the only boat from Nevis.
2011: Water sail
The Alexander Hamilton returns to race in Saint Barthélemy. In 2011, the crew of the three-masted barque Picton Castle, from Nova Scotia, boarded the fleet's boats and recounted the regatta. One detail struck them: the Nevis schooner hoisted a water sail that day, that low, light sail rigged under the boom, which is now rarely seen.
The Nevis sea excursions boat
For years, the Alexander Hamilton has been taking visitors and residents of Saint Kitts and Nevis on voyages from Nevis and Chrishi Beach, under the command of Captain Brett. For many, it is the only opportunity to board a wooden boat built on the island.
2019-2024: Construction projects follow one after another
A forty-year-old wooden boat requires regular maintenance, and the Alexander Hamilton has seen a succession of such projects. In 2019, in Grenada, the masts, rigging, and coachroof were replaced. That same year, in Nevis, the interior fittings were removed and the lead ballast adjusted. In April 2024, after a morning of sailing, while lowering the mainsail, the foremast broke.
A foundation, a floating school
The Alexander Hamilton Maritime Foundation has formed around the ship, its motto summed up in three words: learn, restore, own. The schooner is described as a living classroom, where shipbuilding, rigging, seamanship, and marine mechanics are taught, blending traditional and modern techniques. The shipyard itself serves as the training ground.
Today: undergoing renovation ashore in Nevis
In 2025, the Alexander Hamilton was hauled out of the water in Nevis for a complete structural renovation. The schooner is currently ashore on its home island and is unavailable for charter for the duration of the work.
Sources
- Her History and Heritage Refits, The official website of the schooner — the project launched in 1979, the keel laid in 1981 by Ralph Harris in Gallows Bay. An audio history is available to listen to there.
- Projects and Renovations, official website — the 2019 construction projects in Grenada and Nevis, the broken boom mast in April 2024, the 2025 launch.
- West Indies Regatta Showcases Traditional Sailboats, All At Sea, July 1, 2009 — the eight boats of the first edition, including the Nevis schooner.
- The West Indies Regatta, the logbook of the three-masted barque Picton Castle, June 2, 2011 — the water sail sent by the schooner during the regatta.
- TripAdvisor listings for Schooner Alexander Hamilton — sea trips departing from Nevis and Chrishi Beach, under the command of Captain Brett.
Contact — Alexander Hamilton
- Site — schooner-alexanderhamilton.com
- Facebook — schooneralexanderhamilton
- Instagram — @schooner.alexanderhamilton
- Do you have any photos of the Alexander Hamilton in Gustavia in 2009 or 2011? Write to us using the form below — this page will be updated.
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