Bareboat charter from St. Martin

[Bullshooter]

I started this thread to discuss sharing of information about St. Martin/Sint Maarten and nearby islands. We are going to be down there in late May, early June for 8 days on the boat and a few more afterwards on Sint Maarten.

First off I am looking for advice on what grocery stores are best for provisioning near Marigot, and if anyone can comment on their experience with the provisioning services with delivery in this area (good or bad).

Next I was hoping to hear from anyone who wanted to share their experiences with which islands they recommend, basically from Anguilla to Saba. For example, I understand the best diving is found around Saba. Is there also good snorkeling there for our nondivers?

Recent must see sites or things/places to avoid are also of interest.

Thank you for sharing any information,

Bullshooter

[Zanshin]

In Marigot I shop at Super U, that is the closest big supermarket to the dock. Prices, and selection, are often better on the Dutch side in Simpson Bay. Plus it is less of a walk. I haven't used any delivery services on island.

Saba is great if the winds and waves permit; as an essentially open anchorage it gets pretty nasty most of the time. Late May and early June gives you good chances of acceptable conditions. Not much snorkeling on Saba. I'd certainly plan on staying in Grand Case for food and vibes, a day trip to Ile Tintamarre (or overnight, if conditions are settled), then off to Ile Fourchue and Anse Colombier on St. Barths. Gustavia is usually crowded, but you'll be there out of season and can probably find a good anchoring spot outside of Gustavia. You can dive around Creole rock in Grand Case and if you have dive gear aboard the sunken tugboat off Tintamarre (see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKI1Aq8F0s

) and the NW entrance headland in the anchorage at Ile Fourchue are great (and easy) spots.

[Bullshooter]

Zanshin,

Thank you, that is just the kind of shared info I am looking for. I have read your posts before and respect your opinion.

Anyone else feel free to "stick an oar in"

BSer

[trom2k]

Interested in this as well. Heading down 2nd April, 2024 renting Bali 4.1 through DYC. Trying to finalize destinations.

[Tin Tin]

8 days is not much. We chartered a Leopard 39 out of St Martin. We got a provisioning done by the charter company but you can do your own, but may need a car. Takes all day to get out of the place with paperwork and exit documents. Marigot and the bays around the French northern side are great, cool beaches and restaurants with French flair, but not the best for anchoring if swell is from wrong angle. From there a day to St Barts - again paperwork to enter, but Colombia is fantastic if you can grab a mooring. The main port in St Baths is usually crowded and can be a boisterous harbor. We loved Anguilla, our go to place in that region, usually very quiet, easy check in at Sandy Ground, great beach nice restaurants, but need a lift to get groceries - locals are very friendly. The national park fees are expensive and not that spectacular.

[SVQuestOfPaget]

In November we chartered a Sun Odyssey 419 from DYC out of Anse Marcel on St. Martin. I used to work summers on charter boats out of St. Martin for a sailing camp program, so I was used to that time of year. With November north Atlantic storms, there were serious swells to contend with that I hadn't had to deal with in the late spring into summer (you should be good). We were out for 11 days, and went from St. Martin directly to Ile Fourchue, then Saba, Statia, St. Barths (Anse Colombier), Tintemarre, then back to Anse Marcel.

This bit applied to us in Anse Marcel, but maybe not Marigot: We used a taxi to provision the morning after our arrival, and in retrospect it might have been cheaper and faster to have provisions delivered. I'm used to doing things myself to save money, but it was false economy when considering this is a vacation. We weren't quite ready to depart until noon, and then found the customs/immigration booth closed for lunch - That's something that I could have done first thing in the morning while the others were getting provisions, and it delayed departure by a couple more hours. Live and learn for next time. DYC may have a bad reputation in some areas, but the folks in Anse Marcel were super friendly and helpful, and the boat wasn't as tired as I had feared.

I prefer to be "off the beaten path" when possible, and Ile Forchue, Saba and St. Eustatius are my favorite islands. Ile Forchue is technically part of St. Barts, but you can overnight there (and hike or snorkel in the AM) prior to heading to Saba. I found the best moorings at Saba are in the northern half of Ladder Bay, where current and wind generally point the same direction. The southern half of the bay has less wind, but more current that comes around the southern point and confuses waves and which way the boat points. Don't pick up the extra-long mooring on the south side, it's for mega-yachts and ferries. It's a longer slog to the harbor in the morning from the North side of the bay, but you may sleep better. Saba is a unique gem - people are lovely, the hiking and views are phenomenal, and the snorkeling in the north rocks of Ladder Bay is actually pretty good. There's a list of cab drivers available in the upstairs harbor office (above Customs), they all have the same rate. The customs/immigration officer will ask to see everyone when you check in - you can't just bring the bunch of passports.

If you're only doing 8 days, then Statia probably isn't worth visiting. It is one of my favorites simply because it is so undeveloped from a tourist standpoint. It also makes a good stop so you can have a straight no-tack beam or close reach to St. Barts. There's decent holding in the sand between the moorings and the beach (check that your anchor is in sand, not resting on top of the rock slab), and has good snorkeling about 10-30 yards from the beach. There are some GREAT restaurants beach side! It can also be a rolly anchorage, and the town itself is very hot when The Quill blocks the wind.

St. Barths - I anchored in a tight spot way out on the north west side of Gustavia, then cleared in and got the heck out of there. To clear in, your charter boat will probably be in the system already - just ask the port captain to use his password and then you can enter your info. The best snorkeling we had was on the south side of Anse Colombier, and the beach is quiet, especially once the day-tour boats leave for the evening. You can hike a somewhat sketchy trail from Anse Colombier to a dead end road, then have a taxi pick you up to take you into town.

Grande Case has good sandy holding, can be a bit rolly depending on where swells are coming from. Plenty of restaurants to choose from - from LOLO (locally owned, locally operated) to dress-up French cuisine. As Zanshin said, good snorkeling by Creole Rock if the waves aren't up. I just avoid the Dutch side entirely when sailing, so you don't have to clear in and out of customs - it's also more developed for cruise ships.

Tintemarre is another favorite of mine (there's no infrastructure but a couple picnic benches in the shade) - You have to tell the charter company that you plan to visit, as St. Martin recently made it part of their marine park area and requires 24hr heads up prior to staying the night. It's truly quiet, and if the waves are calm there's typically sea turtles munching on the eel grass beds. If you bring some thicker soled shoes, you can walk around the island and explore ruins, accessible from a trail on the east side of the beach.

You probably already have reservations for lodging after the trip, but in case you don't, we thoroughly enjoyed Les Balcons, on Oyster Pond. Oyster Pond itself still hasn't been rebuilt since the hurricanes, but it was quiet and always had a good breeze - they also had their own vehicle rentals. The BZH Creperie restaurant is amazing - best food we had the whole trip.

This turned into an essay, sorry! Have fun on your trips!
-Eric

[Bullshooter]

This is very helpful. Thanks everyone!