My First International POTA Activation: Chasing an Unactivated Park on Sint Eustatius (BQ-0011)
Hey folks,
June 1, 2025 marked a big milestone for me — my very first international POTA activation! It all started back in April when I worked V47JA and learned about an incredible opportunity to visit St. Kitts & Nevis. My XYL and I had stopped there on a cruise before and loved it, so the chance to really explore this beautiful tropical paradise — with nice accommodations and a ham radio already in the house — was too good to pass up. I highly recommend reaching out to John at W5JON if you’re interested in a trip like this. Here, take my money!
I’ll share the full St. Kitts adventures in the next post, but right after we arrived, I jumped at the chance to activate a park on the neighboring island of Sint Eustatius (affectionately called Statia by the locals). Statia is a special municipality of the Netherlands and was historically known as “The Golden Rock.” There’s a regular ferry between the islands, but plan ahead — you’re traveling between countries, so you’ll need to complete the online entry process.
While researching POTA spots in the area, I discovered BQ-0011 Quill/Boven Provincial Park had never been activated before. That got my attention! The park has three distinct areas. The southern end features the big volcano known as The Quill. I had hoped to operate from the crater rim — how cool would that have been? — but the heat was intense, and locals strongly recommended hiring a guide. Several unguided hikers have gotten lost on the trail, so I decided to pass.
That left the northern end of the island, where two volcano-formed hills are part of the park. The northwest one didn’t have obvious access, so I targeted the northern volcano called Boven. You can follow signs or GPS to Zeelandia Beach; just past the beach turnoff is the trailhead that leads up to the top of Boven. With the heat still a factor, this became the practical choice for my activation.
This being my first international trip (and primarily a family vacation), I didn’t bring the ideal portable antennas. I’ve since learned that operating right on a salt-water beach can work wonders with simpler setups, but I had to learn that lesson the hard way. I set up a 17-foot coil-fed vertical on rocky ground with just a single counterpoise. Signals were weak, and I wasn’t getting out very well. Ten watts into a less-than-ideal antenna on rocky terrain just doesn’t perform like one might hope. It’s a shame — I would have loved to put many more PJ5 stations in the log for folks still needing Statia!
Still, before I wore out the family’s patience, I managed 11 solid QSOs on 17 meters right there in the shadow of Boven. I worked stations in AR, IL (6), KY, VA, WI, and Ontario (Canada) — a nice bit of DX for the effort! I did manage one more contact to Brazil the next morning before heading back to St. Kitts.
Lesson learned: If you’re heading to Statia and want to operate, bring a proper antenna if you have time to set one up. If you’re limited to something simple like a portable vertical, head down to the sand and salt water at the beach. The ocean acts like a natural amplifier and will definitely help your signal.
Zeelandia Beach isn’t the most picture-perfect Caribbean beach — it sits inside Concordia Bay and often has a lot of ocean vegetation — but Statia has charm in so many other ways that I highly recommend a visit. The port area where the ferry from St. Kitts arrives has some wonderful restaurants worth checking out. As you head up the hill into the main part of the island, you’ll reach the historic district with its beautiful old church. We wandered all around and found the people extraordinarily friendly and genuinely happy to say hello.
Another highlight is at the southern end: Fort de Windt. The drive there gives you beautiful views of the island you won’t see otherwise, and the little historic park with its red cannons is well worth the stop.
But the one place I’ll call a must-visit is the Golden Rock Resort. You can stay overnight or just get a day pass (only $25 per person back in 2025) that gives you full access to the grounds, including their amazing swimming pool. That pool time became one of our favorite Caribbean memories.
Statia turned out to be a fantastic introduction to international POTA — a new park, a new country, some DX in the log, and plenty of lessons for next time. I can’t wait to share the rest of the St. Kitts & Nevis adventures soon.
If you ever get the chance to visit this special little island, I think you’ll love it.
73, Rick / W4IO
