St. Maarten/St. Martin is our Caribbean paradise for the 15th week of the year.
During this week our family sailing cruise will concentrate on St. Martin which is an ideal location for a vacation adventure. Although this is a relatively small island, it is one of the most popular of the Leeward Islands. The island is divided into two parts the northern part is French (St. Martin) and the southern part is Dutch (St. Maarten). There are excellent anchorages around the island and once we check-in, we can travel freely from one part to the other on land or by Run-About. What has made this island so popular is the way it has embraced tourism. There are casinos, hotels, clubs and every kind of entertainment. It is a major cruise ship destination. Shopping and provisioning is among the best in the Caribbean. We generally visit ports on the Dutch side north bound and the French side south bound but we can move freely with the Run-About from side to side. We will meet you at the dock in Marigot Bay, St. Martin Sunday afternoon near 18.06712167,-63.08940667 at the dinghy dock just south of the ferry terminal. The town is named Marigot. At the end the week we make passage to Gustavia, St. Barths. This is a fairly normal week for sailing.
Week 15, Sunday Arrival Dates: Apr 11, 2010 Apr 10, 2011 Apr 8, 2012 Apr 14, 2013 Apr 13, 2014
Previous week's location: Anguilla Next week's location: St. Barths
Number of weeks stay at this location: 1 Other time this year?: Week 5
Weather: Ave. Daily High, 85 F, 82% Humidity Ave. Nightly Low, 74 F, 62% Humidity Ave. Water Temp, 80 F Wind, 10 KTs E
Main City: Philipsburg Other Cities: Simpson Bay, Marigot Bay, Grand Case, Orient Bay, Oyster Pond Points of interest: Many Beaches, Snorkeling and diving, Casinos and clubs ashore, shopping and great restaurants.
Recreation: Beautiful beaches, many reefs with good
snorkeling and diving, many restaurants, lots of shore activities.
Language: St. Maarten-Dutch St. Martin-French
Map Link: St. Martin-St. Maarten Map
Info Link: St. Maarten/St. Martin General Info St. Maarten/St. Martin Tourism Info More info
Nearest Int'l Airport: Simpson Bay, St. Maarten Code: SXM Name: Princess Juliana Int'l
Local Airport: St. Martin Code: SFG Name: Esperance
Restrictions: 5 KTs speed limit in harbors limits Water toys 300 yards off shore, avoid marine parks.
Itinerary & Passage Plan:
Sunday:
We will meet you at the dock in Marigot, St. Martin Sunday afternoon and spend the night there. Be sure to enter the French side at the airport customs (not the Dutch). You will need a taxi from the airport to the dock at Marigot. Have the taxi hail the "Family Affair" on channel 9 and we will pick you up at the dock.
Monday:
On Monday we will stay in our anchorage and get acquainted with the recreational opportunities and the local activities. From here we have easy access with the Run-About to Simpson Bay, Simpson Lagoon and Philipsburg as well as any shore point on the island. We will attempt to clear customs here for our passage at the end of the week. Otherwise I will return by taxi or Run-About to clear at the end of the week.
Tuesday:
We will move anchorage to Grand Case, St. Martin leaving about 11:00 AM. It will take about 1 hour.
Wednesday:
We will spend Wednesday day and night at Grand Case. From here we have easy access by Run-About to Simpson Lagoon, Marigot, Anse Marcel and Orient Bay.
Thursday:
We will move anchorage to Orient Bay, St. Martin (aka Baie Oriental) and spend the night. We will leave about 11:00 AM. It is about a 2 hour sail. If the swell is heavy, we will anchor at Anse Marcel instead.
Friday:
We will spend all day and night at Orient Bay, St. Martin. We will clear customs in Marigot by taxi or Run-About if needed for our departure tomorrow.
Saturday:
We will make passage to Gustavia, St. Barths leaving about 8:00 AM. It is a 6 hour sail in open waters. If shopping sounds more fun, there are flights to Gustavia. You will need a taxi to the appropriate airport (there are two airport possibilities). And you will need a taxi to meet us in Gustavia. Gustavia is one of the most luxurious shopping spots in the Caribbean.
Sunday:
We will deliver you to the dock at Gustavia, St. Barths at your convenience before noon. So you will need a taxi to the airport from the dock. We can hail one using the radio. Gustavia has good airline connections to other Islands with International flights. St Maarteen where you flew in is your best choice but there are flights to San Juan as well.
Marigot Bay Grand Case Simpson Bay/Lagoon Orient Bay
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