St.Martin long term

[sail2wind]

We want to relocate our boat to St.Martin, either side. We have been in the BVI for 5 years. We use the boat about 4 months a year and put her on the hard for the remaining eight. We would like suggestions for a safe marina and boatyard. We have a friend whose boat was broken into in Simpson Bay and pretty much trashed their boat, kind of scary. We want to sail a few years, same scenario, in the Leewards and Windwards without the 15+ hour slog through the Oh My Godda passage. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Hud3]

If you're not 100% locked into St Martin, I'd look into Antigua. I kept my boat there for the summer season twice. Once at Bailey's in Falmouth and once at Jolly Harbour. Both were good, but I preferred Jolly Harbour. I looked into St Martin/St Maarten, but felt that Antigua offered more in the way of security, both crime and weatherwise.

[SilentOption]

I just this past week moved my boat from St Martin back to the states.

I kept it at Oyster Pond, Capt Olivers Marina.

The marina is very well protected. No floating docks.
Dockage was around $12 a foot US.
I paid a local guy/marina worker $150 a month to check on it daily and ensure the lines were ok.

The marina is split between Capt Olivers and Moorings/Sunsail. There are several boats there with absentee owners and a few permanent live aboards.

It is a nice place to sail out of.


For storage on the hard it gets complicated.

Bobbys has a boatyard in Philipsburg but they have limited room. You can haul and work on your boat but getting an out of the water spot is difficult.

Bobbys also has a "mega yard" they also would not give a promised storage spot.

The only place they offered was their boatyard next to the airport.
All of Bobbys boatyards are gated and have security.

There are many other locations to moor and boatyards to haulout at. I looked at all of them and I found the Oyster Pond, for the money was the best place for my boat. I found Bobbys the best place to haul.

For fuel at Oyster Pond I bought it at a local gas station and hauled it to the boat.

My insurance company vetted the location and security and the cost was reasonable.

Oyster Pond has some nice places to eat and drink and people are very friendly.

If you have friends visit and they would rather stay in a hotel, there are numerous good choices in walking distance to the marina with reasonable prices.

I could go on and on but if you have specific questions let me know.

I can provide names and numbers if you like.
If you send me and email address I will send you the quote I got from Bobbys for haul and storage from that it would be easy to estimate your cost. It was just given to me a few months ago so its current.

I can send you photos of the marina as it is right now..Not a marketing photo you'll find online.

[neilpride]

You have few options both sides , Ducht and French, any marina in the ducht side are well secured in the season, i run away from the ones located at Island Water world area, French side , Port Louis,Anse Marcel etc... are ok to me, Anse Marcel in hurricane season ? dont think so unless you book with a year in advance, for the hurricane season there is lots of boatyards in the area, BoBy`s its for me the best in security regards, but not liveaboard allowed if you dont pay a extra fee, St Marteen shipyard close to the airport looks nice to, but again a extra fee if you do your own work and live aboard , no problem if you leave the boat there and get work done by the staff, its far away from town , keep in mind BoBys and the others in the ducht side ask for masts down in low season no matter what, in the French side there in 4 boatyards , Polypat close to sandy ground , dirty, security its a ???? joke, removal of mast mandatory, book in advance because its the favorite for catamarans , filling the yard in short time.

Time Out Boat yard, dirty to but very friendly , mast down mandatory, they secure the boats with straps to ground, not my ideal place, very close to the laggon water level, in a rising tide no idea, i dont like it, security same as polypat.

JMC, boatyard, run away from this one, is kind of a prison, no security , thiefs around, but they have probably the best metod to secure boats in Cane Season, a huge hole in ground and your boat inside, very dirty...
they use the only travelift in the french side, polypat and timeout use old cranes.

Geminga Boatyard , dirty , very friendly and with the best boat work services around , include a rigging shop, diesel, welding etc... they use a mobile lift crane , very safe for catamarans and monohull, they allow to keep your mast up, and they secure the boats with straps to ground screws, they have a bar restaurant in place to.

Cheers.....

[karabil]

Our cat lives in St Martin, Oyster Pond. We make 2 x 2 month or so trips per year, and she stays there for the 6 months hurricane season and the bit between our trips.
Other Aussie friends of ours are leaving their boat on the dry in St Kitts this year, cheaper and more secure than St Martin, but would only really work if you are leaving it for 7-8 months and coming for 1 trip per year.

[karabil]

By the way Jetblue have great cheap flights from den to sxm. We flew one way in march for around $250.

[MarkJ]

I think you need to go to all these places and see whuich fits best for you.

My boat is on a mooring in Simpson Bay Lagoon but in a pretty secure position ... but then I am on it (and I have 3 shot guns, 2 dogs and a rampant girlfriend bilt like King Kong with make-up).

Capt Olivers is fine, but $$ and miles from anywhere. St Kits is cheap but milerser from anywhere, slow, dopey staff, Bobbies in SXM by the airport is probably good for security but if a hood from the hood moves in that could change...

you just have to go there to vistia all options - we can't do the ground work for you.


Mark

[tbodine88]

Originally Posted by Hud3

If you're not 100% locked into St Martin, I'd look into Antigua. I kept my boat there for the summer season twice. Once at Bailey's in Falmouth and once at Jolly Harbour. Both were good, but I preferred Jolly Harbour. I looked into St Martin/St Maarten, but felt that Antigua offered more in the way of security, both crime and weatherwise.

I'll put in a vote for Antigua, I stayed there two years, left my boat open accidentally for a week, in Jolly Harbour, nothing was taken and the boat was unmolested. When I was there slip rent was considerably less than St Martin.
Regards.