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Saint Martin and Sint Maarten share an 87 square kilometre island in the northern Leeward Islands, split since the 1648 Treaty of Concordia between the French collectivity to the north (32 square kilometres, capital Marigot) and the Dutch constituent country to the south (34 square kilometres, capital Philipsburg). A 40m motor yacht working St Martin in February runs $130,000 to $170,000 per week before APA. Princess Juliana airport (SXM) sits at the south end of the Simpson Bay Lagoon and absorbs the strongest commercial lift in the northern Caribbean charter market with direct service from JFK, Newark, Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Paris on Air France, and Amsterdam on KLM. The Simpson Bay Lagoon on the Dutch side holds the working marina cluster including IGY Yacht Club at Isle de Sol, Simpson Bay Marina, Princess Port de Plaisance, and the Yacht Club Port de Plaisance, with combined capacity for approximately 200 yachts including 80m+ slips at Isle de Sol.
The point of St Martin on a Caribbean charter week is the air gateway and the marina product. The island is the canonical embarkation point for Northern Leewards charter rotations that run to St Barths, Anguilla, and the Anguillan offshore cays. The Simpson Bay Causeway lifting bridge that connects the lagoon to the open sea opens 4 times daily on a posted schedule and clears yachts to roughly 90m LOA. The IGY Yacht Club Isle de Sol absorbs the largest charter and brokerage inventory in the northern Caribbean basin including reliable winter berthing for 100m+ yachts. Inside the lagoon, the Simpson Bay restaurants run the Lee's Roadside Grill, Karakter Beach Bar, the Driftwood Boat Bar, and the Sunset Bar at Maho Beach with the famous low-altitude SXM approach over the swimmers.
The on-shore product splits across the two halves. The French side holds Marigot harbor (the working French capital, smaller-scale marina, Wednesday and Saturday market days), Grand Case (the 1 kilometre restaurant street with Le Pressoir, La Villa, Spiga, and the working lolos for grilled lobster and Caribbean lunch), Anse Marcel (the north coast resort cove with the Marina Royale and the Belmond La Samanna at Baie Longue), Orient Bay (the east coast clothing-optional swimming beach with the Coco Beach and Bikini Beach clubs), and the Plage des Salines on the south French coast. The Dutch side holds Philipsburg (the cruise port and shopping street), Cupecoy Beach (the west coast swimming beach), Maho Beach (the SXM approach beach), and the Mullet Bay beach lunch.
When to charter St Martin
December 15 to January 5. Christmas and New Year peak. Water 26 degrees Celsius. Trade winds 15 to 22 knots from the east-southeast. Simpson Bay Lagoon marinas at 95 to 100 percent capacity, IGY Isle de Sol fully booked at 12 to 18 months out, the Grand Case restaurant calendar at peak. Rates at peak. Most charter weeks at this window board at SXM and run to St Barths within 24 hours.
January. Shoulder through January 15 (rates 10 to 15 percent below peak), returns to peak from January 20. Water 26 degrees. The Heineken Regatta runs in early March with the qualifying window opening late January.
February. Peak. Water 26 to 27 degrees. The strongest charter window for the Northern Leewards. Most clients use St Martin as the boarding marina with overnight at the Simpson Bay Lagoon on the embarkation day and the cross to St Barths on day two.
March. Peak through Easter. Water 26 to 27 degrees. The St Maarten Heineken Regatta (the 3-day Caribbean Series sailing event founded 1980, running the first weekend of March) absorbs the working sailing calendar. The Simpson Bay Lagoon fills with the racing fleet and the on-shore calendar runs at festival density across the regatta weekend.
April. Peak through Easter, shoulder from the week after Easter. Water 27 degrees. The cleanest non-peak shoulder for marina selection. Trade winds tapering through April 15.
May. Shoulder. Rates 20 to 30 percent below peak. Water 28 degrees. The charter fleet begins the repositioning crossing to the Mediterranean from late April; St Martin holds the strongest April-to-May provisioning and refuel stop on the trans-Atlantic charter calendar.
June to November. Hurricane season. Most crewed charter inventory closes. The September 2017 Hurricane Irma damage (the island took a direct Category 5 hit that destroyed the Princess Juliana terminal, the Belmond La Samanna, and significant portions of the marina infrastructure) is now substantially rebuilt with the new SXM terminal opening 2024 and the IGY Isle de Sol fully operational since 2019.
The St Martin cruising zones
Simpson Bay Lagoon (Dutch side). The working charter base. The 13 square kilometre lagoon holds the IGY Yacht Club at Isle de Sol (the 80m+ slip cluster on the north shore of the lagoon, the working superyacht marina on the island), the Simpson Bay Marina (mid-size inventory, 30m to 60m), the Princess Port de Plaisance (the casino-adjacent marina to 70m), and the Yacht Club Port de Plaisance. The Simpson Bay Causeway lifting bridge on the Dutch side opens 4 times daily on a posted schedule. The lagoon offers full hurricane-hole protection. The on-shore product runs the Karakter Beach Bar, Lee's Roadside Grill, the Driftwood Boat Bar, and the Maho Beach SXM-approach calendar.
Marigot (French side). The French capital sits at the west end of the island on the open sea with the Port La Royale marina holding 30m to 50m yachts and the outer harbor anchor absorbing 50m+ at standoff. The Wednesday and Saturday market days at Marigot waterfront absorb the working Caribbean produce calendar. La Belle Epoque, La Vie en Rose, Tropicana, and Le Beach restaurants hold the working Marigot lunch and dinner inventory. The Fort Louis above the harbor delivers the working sunset walk.
Grand Case. The French north coast village. The 1 kilometre restaurant street holds Le Pressoir (the canonical French Caribbean dinner), La Villa, Spiga, Le Cottage, the Calmos Cafe at the west end, and the working lolos (Sky's, Talk of the Town, Sirin's) for grilled lobster, ribs, and Caribbean lunch at $30 to $50 per person. The bay outside Grand Case holds the daytime anchor in 5 to 8 metres of sand with the tender ashore to the public beach.
Anse Marcel. The north coast resort cove. The Riu Palace and the Marina Royale at Anse Marcel absorb the resort calendar with the cove protected from the trade swell. Anchor in 6 to 12 metres at the bay or take a Marina Royale slip for 25m to 40m yachts.
Orient Bay. The east coast beach. The 2 kilometre clothing-optional white-sand beach holds the Coco Beach Club at the south end, the Bikini Beach Club at the centre, and the Waikiki Beach at the north. Anchor in 6 to 10 metres off the south end. The east coast runs at higher trade swell than the north and south coasts; the working day is daytime only.
Pinel Island. The offshore islet 1 nautical mile east of Cul de Sac on the French northeast coast. The Karibuni and Yellow Beach restaurants on the islet absorb the daytime lunch calendar. Anchor in 3 to 8 metres of sand off the islet's south beach.
Tintamarre. The uninhabited French offshore island 2 nautical miles north of Cul de Sac. The 5 kilometre island holds the protected southwest anchor in 5 to 12 metres of sand, the canonical St Martin offshore swim and snorkel stop, and no on-shore product. The cleanest single quiet daytime anchor at St Martin.
Plage de la Baie Rouge and Baie aux Prunes. The French west coast beaches between Marigot and Cupecoy. The protected daytime swimming product with the Belmond La Samanna at Baie Longue (the historic 1973 Robertson-era resort, rebuilt 2019 after Irma damage). Anchor in 4 to 8 metres at the bay.
Philipsburg and Great Bay (Dutch side). The cruise port and the Dutch capital. The bay absorbs 2 to 4 cruise ships on standard winter days and the working charter use is the duty-free shopping street with the Old Street, Front Street, and the boardwalk along Great Bay. Anchor in 6 to 12 metres at the outer bay.
A standard 7-day Northern Leewards charter from SXM
| Day | Anchorage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sat | Simpson Bay Lagoon board | Boarding afternoon at IGY Isle de Sol, evening at Grand Case dinner, overnight Simpson Bay Lagoon |
| Sun | Tintamarre and Pinel | Cross north to Tintamarre morning swim, Pinel lunch at Karibuni, overnight Anse Marcel or cross to Anguilla |
| Mon | Cross to Anguilla | Sandy Ground customs clearance, Prickly Pear lunch, Veya dinner, overnight Sandy Ground |
| Tue | Anguilla day | Meads Bay lunch at Cap Juluca or Four Seasons, Shoal Bay East afternoon, Blanchards dinner, overnight Sandy Ground |
| Wed | Cross to St Barths | Run south 12 nautical miles to Gustavia, Anse de Colombier mooring, Bonito dinner at Gustavia, overnight Gustavia |
| Thu | St Barths day | Anse de St Jean morning at Eden Rock, Anse des Flamands at Cheval Blanc lunch, overnight Gustavia |
| Fri | Return St Martin | Cross north to Anse Marcel or Simpson Bay, Grand Case dinner, overnight Simpson Bay Lagoon |
| Sat | SXM disembark | Disembarkation morning, SXM outbound lift |
This is the canonical Northern Leewards 7-day charter. The 6 to 16 nautical mile crosses between St Martin, Anguilla, and St Barths absorb cleanly as 30 to 60 minute passages on 30m+ motor yachts. The structure works on 30m to 80m motor yachts and on sailing yachts during the Heineken Regatta and St Barths Bucket windows.
St Martin yacht size guidance
25m to 40m. The clean fit. Full Simpson Bay Lagoon marina inventory including Simpson Bay Marina and Port de Plaisance, full anchorage inventory at Tintamarre, Pinel, Anse Marcel, Marigot, and Grand Case. The Simpson Bay Causeway clears without restriction.
40m to 60m. Workable on full inventory. IGY Isle de Sol primary slip inventory, Simpson Bay Marina at the largest slips, Port de Plaisance to 70m. The causeway opening at the posted times constrains the daily movement schedule. Marigot outer harbor absorbs at standoff.
60m to 80m. IGY Isle de Sol primary inventory. The Isle de Sol Mega Slip cluster on the north shore absorbs to 80m+ cleanly. The causeway opening constrains entry and exit; most 60m+ yachts plan the lagoon arrival and departure around the bridge schedule.
80m and above. IGY Isle de Sol Mega Slip inventory, with the lagoon entry timed to the bridge opening. The outer Simpson Bay anchor absorbs 80m+ at standoff outside the causeway when bridge windows do not suit. The Maho Beach outer anchor holds the working 100m+ overnight outside the lagoon.
St Martin charter cost math
| Line item | Range (40m motor yacht, February peak) |
|---|---|
| Weekly rate | $130K to $170K |
| APA (28% to 32%) | $36K to $54K |
| IGY Isle de Sol slip (per night, 40m) | $1K to $2K |
| IGY Isle de Sol slip (per night, 80m) | $3K to $6K |
| Customs and immigration clearance | $0.2K to $0.5K per clearance |
| Restaurant ashore at Le Pressoir or La Villa Grand Case (per visit) | $0.4K to $1.2K |
| Lolo lunch at Grand Case (per person) | $0.03K to $0.05K |
| Fuel top-up at IGY Isle de Sol | $5K to $25K depending on tank size |
| Gratuity (10% to 15%) | $13K to $25K |
| Full check | $185K to $280K |
Charter VAT does not apply to the Dutch side; the French side applies the standard French Antilles charter VAT, rebated for non-EU charter clients on commercial charter contracts. Fuel at the Isle de Sol is among the cheapest in the Caribbean given the bunker concentration at the SXM gateway, which makes St Martin the standing Caribbean fuel stop on long-form charter weeks.
What we passed on
We pass on the Philipsburg cruise terminal as a working daytime stop on a charter week. The cruise traffic absorbs Front Street and the boardwalk at peak density with 2 to 4 ships in port on standard winter days, and the working charter day finds better product at Grand Case, Marigot, or the offshore islets. If shopping is required, the Marigot Wednesday and Saturday markets deliver better quality.
We pass on the Maho Beach SXM approach as a charter activity beyond a single tender visit. The under-the-arrival-path beach photo absorbs 30 minutes of working time; the resort calendar on Maho Beach runs at functional rather than peak quality, and the better day spent absorbs the Pinel and Tintamarre offshore stops.
We pass on the standalone St Martin charter week. The full St Martin product (Simpson Bay, Marigot, Grand Case, Anse Marcel, Orient Bay, Tintamarre, Pinel, Baie Rouge) absorbs 3 to 4 days of cruising before the structure starts repeating. The cleanest 7-day window pairs St Martin with St Barths and Anguilla to deliver the Northern Leewards spine.
We pass on the Simpson Bay outer anchor as the working overnight base for a 40m to 60m yacht in standard conditions. The lagoon interior delivers full hurricane-hole protection, slip-level shore power, and direct tender access to the Simpson Bay restaurants. The outer anchor is the fallback for the bridge-opening schedule rather than the working choice.
Multi-region pairings
The St Martin-Anguilla-St Barths Northern Leewards 7-day charter is the canonical structure. We cover the St Barths side on the St Barths page and the Anguilla side on the Anguilla page. The St Martin days absorb 1 to 2 of the 7-day rotation as the boarding and disembarkation framework.
The St Martin-St Barths-Antigua 10 to 14 day southern run extends the canonical northern rotation south to Antigua. Board at SXM, run 2 days St Martin, 2 days St Barths, 1 day Statia and St Kitts, 2 days Nevis, 3 days Antigua, disembark Antigua. The structure works on 50m+ motor yachts cleanly and crosses the Anegada Passage on the run from St Barths south.
The BVI-St Martin one-way 10 to 14 day run absorbs St Martin as the eastern disembarkation. Board at Tortola, run 5 days BVI, cross 75 nautical miles overnight to Anguilla, 1 day Anguilla, 3 days St Barths, 2 days St Martin, disembark SXM. The structure delivers the full Northern Caribbean charter product with the longest passages handled on overnight transits. We cover the BVI side on the BVI page.
The cross-pillar question (villa or charter)
The St Martin villa inventory at Terres Basses (the gated peninsula on the west coast), Baie Longue, Baie Rouge, and the Cupecoy hillside runs $5K to $80K per week with the high end at the Terres Basses oceanfront estates. For clients prioritising St Martin as a destination rather than as a charter base, the villa is the cleaner answer. The charter is the cleaner answer for the Northern Leewards rotation that uses SXM as the air gateway and runs St Martin as 1 to 2 days of a wider week.
The rest of the trip
VillasForKings covers the Terres Basses peninsula, the Baie Longue oceanfront, the Cupecoy hillside, the Anse Marcel estates, and the Grand Case hillside. HotelsForKings covers the Belmond La Samanna at Baie Longue, the Sonesta Maho Beach, the Riu Palace Anse Marcel, the Princess Heights at Oyster Pond, and the Grand Case Beach Club. RestaurantsForKings covers Le Pressoir, La Villa, Spiga, the Karakter Beach Bar, the Lee's Roadside Grill, the Marigot lolos, and the Grand Case lolo cluster. BarsForKings covers the Sunset Bar at Maho Beach, the Driftwood Boat Bar at Simpson Bay, the Bamboo Bernies, and the Karakter sunset window.
FAQ
What size yacht works best at St Martin? 40m to 70m motor yacht. The Simpson Bay Lagoon marinas accept the full size range with the IGY Isle de Sol Mega Slip cluster handling 80m+ at the north shore. The lagoon entry bridge schedule shapes the working day for any yacht above 30m and the offshore anchors at Pinel and Tintamarre accept all sizes.
When is St Martin at its best? The first three weeks of February and the second half of March. Water 26 to 27 degrees, full Simpson Bay Lagoon marina inventory selection, the Heineken Regatta calendar in early March, and the strongest non-Christmas charter inventory across the Northern Leewards.
Can a 70m yacht get into the Simpson Bay Lagoon? Yes. The Simpson Bay Causeway lifting bridge opens 4 times daily on the posted schedule and clears yachts to approximately 90m LOA depending on beam and draft. IGY Isle de Sol holds the working 70m+ slip inventory inside the lagoon.
Should I charter St Martin or St Barths as the boarding marina? For Northern Leewards weeks, SXM at St Martin is the stronger air gateway with direct lift from JFK, Newark, Miami, Paris, and Amsterdam. Board at SXM, run a single day at St Martin, then cross to St Barths and Anguilla for the bulk of the week. For NYE weeks specifically, boarding at SBH on St Barths adds 60 to 90 minutes of regional connection at SXM.
How does St Martin compare with the BVI? Different products. St Martin delivers the charter gateway and the marina cluster; the BVI delivers the bareboat-style anchor-to-anchor cruising with the short passages between the dense island cluster. Most Northern Caribbean charter rotations use St Martin as a 1 to 2 day window inside a Northern Leewards or BVI-Leewards arc. We cover the BVI on the BVI page.