St Martin

We left the BVI around 5 pm and motored east all night taking turns at the helm every 2 hrs. This was our 1st overnighter. The 75 mile long and 8000 ft deep Anagada Passage between the BVI and St Martin has another name, the “Oh My Godda” Passage because of it’s fierce reputation. (Dayle hadn’t heard that until we returned to the VI. Good thing!!) This passage is best made at night because of distance, boat speed and timing of the bridge openings makes it impossible to cross all the way during the day. At 2 am we heard loud crashing sounds coming from the upper deck, a line securing the dinghy lift boom had shaken loose and the boom was wildly flailing back and forth. Don had to climb to the upper deck in the pitch dark while we were underway and clamp down the boom. He wore his life jacket and was tethered to the boat for safety. The rest of the passage was lumpy but neither of us got seasick. Dayle didn’t sleep at all that night.

At 6 am and still dark, the radar picked up Anguilla 8 mi away and we could see the lights on the horizon. Then the lights of St Martin came into view. After ½ hour the sky began to lighten and we could see the islands. We arrived in time to go through the Sandy Ground bridge that opens at 8:15 am. and anchored in the French side of Simpson Bay Lagoon just below a small rock formation nicknamed the witches tit.

St Martin is ½ French and ½ Dutch, splitting the Lagoon in half. The Dutch side has scores of chandleries and machine shops carrying anything a boater could possibly want. You could outfit a mega yacht, and there are plenty of them here. In some cases cruisers find it cheaper to order parts from “Defender” and Fed-X delivers it in three days. There is even a Cost U Less (like our BJ’s). Grocery stores are similar to the US but with more European products.

The French side is very European and old world. Marigot is an authentic French village with lots of shops and outside cafés. Each day we get wonderful fresh French pastries for breakfast..Ooo La La! It is said that the French restaurants in Marigot are the best in the Caribbean. The beaches aren’t bad either, Orient Beach in the French side is quite popular!

We climbed up the hill in Marigot to see Fort Louis. The view of the bay was breath taking. Each Tuesday evening the town of Grande Case has a street festival with vendors and craftsmen from 6pm until 2 am. All the restaurants are open. It’s like one big party! Our stay here coincided with the beginning of lent and 3 days of parades and partying in Marigot.

St Martin’s popularity with cruisers has grown exponentially during the last 10 years. We met John Ladue, a member of Shennecosett Yacht Club, who kept his boat at Spicer’s Marina! He left 10 years ago and has been in St Martin ever since running an air conditioning and refrigeration business. John said last year all marine business was off 50% but is only off 15% this year.
At 7:30 every morning we listen to the local “Cruisers Net”on the VHS radio. New boats check in and others check out with their destination. They give weather, safety info and general info on activities, local restaurant specials followed by a swap and various items for sale. One of the cruisers needed a new mattress. It was measured in the morning and delivered to their boat at 4 0’clock! That’s service!

After two weeks, we headed back to the peace and quiet life of St John. The trip back to the VI was much easier with swells only 3 ft, the full moon and only 10kts of wind. We are certainly not alone out on the water at night, there are cruise ships and other cruisers out there too. We kept pace with a large cruise ship going from St Martin to St Thomas. They left port at sunset and were on our radar with their city lights shining out our window nearly all night finally pulling ahead to make port at sunrise.
Our pockets are a lot lighter now between the restaurants and chandleries, Don had to purchase a new outboard for the dink. In March we begin our trip west to Puerto Rico.
Until next time……….