St. Maarten : Dutch vs. French

Jan 18 -  Feb 1

Sunrise, St. Maartin on the horizon

Our weather window was good to leave for St. Martin (sint Maarten) today so we prepared the boat and ourselves, tried to steal a few naps during the day before the overnight passage.  Departure 4 pm to ensure our arrival coincided with daylight hours.  Our friends Jim, Cindy and crew heading out as well aboard their boat.  The passage was rather uneventful.  Just over 80 miles, motoring due east.  One of the cruise ships from St. Thomas paralleled our course all night, 5-6 knots.   We saw more boats on this short passage than the entire 10 day offshore passage from North Carolina to the BVI’s.  We had to cut back the throttle as we neared the St. Maarten, having made good time, about 14 hours. The sun was just waking up.  We dropped the hook in Simpson Bay outside the harbor.  The Dutch side.  Many other boats already bobbing peacefully in the bay.  Several boats being much too large to enter into Simpson Bay Lagoon. 

Too big to  enter the harbor

After breakfast, Jim went ashore to customs to clear us in and was soon back aboard.  St. Martin is a cruiser friendly port.  Customs very well organized and efficient.  The island is duty free, making it easy on the tourist and cruisers pocket book.   We have found it to be at least as cheap as the States for most things we need / want.   Happy hour every night in most places, $1 - $2  beers, mixed drinks 3 bucks.  Live music.  Food to suit every palette and budget.   Yacht work / maintenance is good quality, affordable and timely.  

   

We spent a fair amount of time the first week going between Island Water World (marine supply store) and Lagoonies Bistro and Bar, having dinner ashore due to the state of the outer harbor… too much motion to prep anything more than a cold sandwich.  We joined our friends from Splash on numerous occasions for happy hour before they upped anchor and departed for Antigua.  They are exchanging crew there.  Safe travels!

one of the many lovely bays 

After several days of rolling and tossing about in the exposed outer harbor, a mutiny was building so we upper anchor and found a spot on the Lagoon.  Several times I woke during the night, believing we had gone aground… the lagoon being so calm the boat was seemingly motionless. 

St. Maarten is half Dutch (south side), half French (north side).  Once you clear customs on either side of the island you can travel anywhere on the island, no boarder check.  We rented a car for a day to tour.  With multiple stops for sightseeing / overlooks, snacks here, lunch there… we had circumnavigated the entire island in 6 hours. 

French ..... fries

The island has a line on mountains going through its interior but the perimeter is more or less flat..ish.  There is a Simpsons Lagoon on the north west side spans both Dutch and French territory.  

First stop, the Great Salt Pond at Philipsburg; the reason the island was settled.  Not much to see.  Continuing counter clockwise, we stumbled onto a nude beach … A few swimmers and sun seekers enjoying the day.  

Infused rum .... yum yum

Joanne and Jim

We had our first ever ‘French’ Fries at  Village de Grand Case followed by a complimentary rum shot, infused with coffee beans and orange rind from the homemade collection of the restaurant.  Really good!   Server Joanne topped off our shot glasses and invited us to Carnival which is gearing up for the festivities next week.  Free rum shots after dinner are a tradition in many restaurants on the island, similar to many european restaurants which serve ‘medicine’ after each meal… an herbal liquor to sooth the tummy. 

French Pastries 

We made a stop at Marigot.  A bustling little town, French side.  Plenty of restaurants and shops to choose from. 

With little island left to explore, we headed to Maho Bay. The Sunset Bar is world famous for it’s unique location.  It is nearly at the end of the international airport runway bordering the Caribbean Sea.   A very narrow beach causeway allows 2 lane narrow traffic to pass immediately at the end of the runway.  The incoming jets and planes fly directly overhead mere feet from the many onlookers.  The outgoing jet engines nearly blow these same gawkers off the road and into the sea.  HUGE signs warn of the dangers involved in being so close…  The Sunset Bar has capitalized on their location attracting hundreds of ‘customers’ everyday to get an eye and ear full.  It was pretty amazing to see all the action.  The beach itself created its own entertainment as people of all sorts tried to swim in the huge waves and swells of the bay.  People getting toppled over and pulled to sea then washed back ashore where they would get toppled again unless quick on their retreat.  

Volvo Race contender 

I am getting quite spoiled here.  Any kind of food or service readily available.  I can see why St. Maarten attracts so many yachties. There is every size, shape and value of boat here.  One of the race boats from the ‘round the world races sponsored by Volvo was berthed at the St. Maarten Yacht Club for a while.  Steve Jobs’ yacht was here for a about week; it looks like a sleek condo building… afloat. Very modern.  So many huge yachts it’s hard to fathom the costs.  To counter all these mega yachts, there are the others.  Cruisers like us.  Living aboard. Sail and power.   Some traveling, some staying put.  

Venus,  120 M $, 265 feet of luxury

And there are the ‘how can it be floating’ boats.  Rust buckets, barnacle hulled, port holes agape.  I wish I could hear their stories.  What a life they must have lived.  One of them is the Pink Iguana.  A not quite floating, rusty hulk of a tug boat, the wheel house painted pink.  It is one of the local bars hosting happy hour daily.  

Not a super yacht

Arthur and Shaggy

Having been here better than a week and more than 2 weeks since we took on water we called Arthur.  The local cruisers net mentioned his services.  Arthur, accompanied by Shaggy will bring their water boat to your boat while at anchor.  For a very modest charge, we were able to top off the tanks with fresh water.  The marinas offer water as well but you must travel to them… Up anchor, navigate the harbor, tie off to their dock, fill up and return to the anchorage.  At best a 2 hour process.  Getting ‘your spot’ back would be nearly impossible since the anchorage has been acquiring new arrivals everyday.  One of the mysteries we have debated while in every harbor has been… what do the boats that are always at anchor and don’t leave the harbor doing about their holding tank waste.  Arthur says it’s one of the great mysteries of the Caribbean, it just disappears at night… having suspected this, we have not done any swimming in any closed harbors… 

Sunset Bar

The weather is absolutely perfect, if you like… an occasional rain, day temps in the high 80’s, nights in the high 70’s.  A gentle breeze or a lively blow.  Sunny nearly all the time.

We have access to every imaginable marine resource here, Jim tackled a few more ‘projects’.  Replacing the salt water pump for the deck wash down.  Re-plumbing some hoses with shut off valves.  New battery terminal fittings (salt corrosion).   Re-fitting the anchor bracket on the bow.  I don't know about Jim, but I love ‘Cruising’ .. (definition) fixing your boat in exotic places… 

fire destroyed 3 boats

We met up with another couple later that evening, Dave and Donna aboard S/v Enthalpy II.  They are from Kalamazoo, MI; nearly neighbors from back home.  They are part time cruisers avoiding the winter months here in the islands.

There has been quite a bit of Harbor Cinema around here.  2 boats drug anchor in the high winds, one just barely missing another boat.  Then as we we're heading for a happy hour trip ashore we noticed black smoke.  LOTS of black, smelly smoke drifting our way.  Unfortunately, someone working on a boat, grinding something too close to the boats gas tanks, ignited a fire.  The man was burnt pretty bad on his legs and 3 boats were destroyed.  The fumes were awful.  Chunks of burnt wood and fiberglass coating the water, drifting seaward through the harbor. 

Another harbor near Marigot 

 We decided to do a bit more exploring on the French side so we headed back to Marigot.  It’s a bit of a ride in our little dink with a 6 horse motor, Dinghy Butt threatening with every wave.  We ventured into Marigot Bay where we noticed S/v Styrr, a boat from our time n New York on the Hudson River.  No one aboard, we we continued on when Jim spotted another Passport… We were soon invited aboard S/v Kismet and making new friends with Henry (Hank) and Carol.  Their kids grown, they quit there jobs, sold there ‘stuff’, bought

Fort Lois

Kismet, and have been living aboard in the ‘islands’ for 6 years.  No plans to give it up.  Their boat is a near copy of ours, a few hull numbers separating their construction dates.  We found we had many values and ideals similar making conversation relaxed and easy.  To our good fortune, Carol would say “kismet’…. they were happy to off load a collection of DVDs to us.  We have found many cruisers share and trade goods readily.  Books, tools, movies and of course information… 

LUNCH

atop Fort Lous

The afternoon was quickly slipping away so we parted ways, hoping our paths cross again.  Ashore, it was hard to decide what our palette’s might find the tastiest.  Goat curry won.  It was flavorful and filling.  A few small bones to contend with, typical for goat, having eaten it a few times prior.  We climbed to the top of Mont de Marigot, home to what was Fort Louis.  A panoramic view of Marigot, Simpson Bay Lagoon the Caribbean and surrounding area, spectacular.  Other sights included iguanas, day trippers from the cruise ships, small boats, big boats, sunk boats and house boats.  We made a quick stop at the Pink Iguana for a drink…We tied to their VERY rouged floating dock (scary!) to board the vessel… a test of faith and nerves.  Rusty, dirty, pointy, sharp things waiting to puncture the rubber of the dink at the slightest provocation.   The Pink Iguana is within a couple of minutes walk of the airport which makes it a desirable location when picking up / dropping off crew from the airport.  

the Pink Iguana

On Saturday we welcomed Jan back aboard.  He will spend 2 weeks holiday with us.  Traveling for over 12 hours: Germany to Paris and on to St. Maarten.  We had celebratory drinks at the Pink Iguana then headed home.  Jan brought a few gifts from Germany; THANK YOU Dirk and Heike (Jan’s parents) !   We had a toast of Mostovskaya, the premium Vodka from Russia… Smelled horrible but went down smooth and gentle.  A very pleasant surprise.  After a bit of catching up we hit the bunks.

Welcome back Jan

Happy Birthday today to Alex… Enjoy your day… wish we could celebrate with you but we will toast you from afar.  

the Witches Tit

After a hearty breakfast, we headed to Marigot Bay for a day of sightseeing.  Under the swing bridge, past the Witches Tit, a craggy mountain peak and through the maze of boats.  New, old and derelict… We tied up and began exploring.   It was Sunday so many businesses were closed.  Jim and Jan climbed up to the remains of Fort Lois, I opted for the shade and comfort of a French Bakery.  

MC for Marti Gras

We lunched on crepes then headed off to todays Mari Gras parade. Carnival is just kicking off on St. Martin.  Todays parade was the Children’s Parade.  Starting with the MC in a very fashionable Super Man costume.  The parade began with several cars ushering the junior princesses in their tiaras and gowns followed by troops of dancers.  Each group had their own DJ playing their selected music vibrating from the ginormous speakers housed in the backs of pickups.  The costumes colorful and inventive, increasingly more elaborate as the age groups went from preschool to elementary, then young teens.  Watching the adult version is hear the top of my bucket list…. 

We headed back across the bay and home for a rest.  We decide on Little Jerusalem for dinner.  The cruisers net stating it they had the BEST Shawarma on the island.   Seasoned lamb and chicken, onions and peppers, bundled in a pita, add a bit of lettuce drizzled with tzatziki sauce.  It was de-lish!

A quick stop at The Soggy Dollar bar where Jim was befriended by the chef of Sofia… one the mega motor yachts berthed here.  Alejandro (50 something) with his french accent was in a mood… lonely for his ‘auntie’ back in Ontario, missing his boyfriend in Guadalupe’  and just a bit tipsy…. it made for an interesting night cap.  

Today a few chores.  Fill the propane tank, get the solar panels checkout by the local tech (voltage is low).  Grocery shopping. Pick up / send off mail.  Afternoon at Maho Beach to watch the planes.  Oh, and proper showers at Lagoonines… dinner aboard; bbq ribs.  

We plan to head to St. Barthelamy (St. Bart) Tuesday am.  10:30 bridge.  Spend a few days there, then on to St. Eustatuis, St. Kitts and Nevis…. then ???? 

the Pink Iguana ....