Simpson Bay - Docking
Anchorages
Simpson Bay: Located outside, the large anchorage has a good holding in normal easterly winds but if the wind veers to the south or if there’s a large swell, the anchorage becomes less calm. Traffic in and out of the lagoon through the Simpson Bay Bridge can be uncomfortable.
Cole Bay: Close to the marine trades and easy access to town.
Simpson Bay Lagoon: There is a popular anchorage off of Grand Ilet.
Dinghy Docks:
Can be found at Budget Marine, Island Water World, Lagoonies, Electec, Sint Maarten Yacht Club (closed due to damage Feb/Mar 2021), all the marinas, Dinghy Dock Bar (must be customer) and police dock by the bridge (open till 6pm).
Security:
Locked dinghy and outboard thefts continue to be a problem in the lagoon, particularly on the French side. Be sure to lift and chain and lock your dinghy and outboard at night and sleep with your doors and hatches locked.
Be sure to secure all items in dinghies as well including fuel tanks as these seem to be the latest target for thieves. See this CSSN report.
Intruders have been reported recently on yachts at anchor in Simpson Bay. See Security Reports for the latest information.
Marinas:
Many marinas are targeted to the megayacht sector, but some including Port de Plaisance cater to cruisers.
Bridge Opening Times.
Simpson Bay Bridge (Dutch side)
This is the main access into and out of Simpson Bay Lagoon from the Dutch side of the island. The bridge is located in Simpson Bay and will accommodate vessels up to a maximum beam of 56 feet (17 meters) and a maximum draft of 17 feet (6 meters). Wide beamed vessels must request pilotage.
When the bridge is closed there is 8.6 feet (2.6 meters) clearance in the port channel and 8 feet (2.4 meters) clearance in the starboard channel. Note: Clearance may vary depending on the state of the tide.
Special bridge openings available upon request, just hail the bridge on VHF Channel 12. Be sure to motor through the bridge briskly as they prefer not to have it open too long.
Simpson Bay Bridge hours:
- 08.30 hrs – Outbound
- 09.30 hrs – Inbound
- 10.30 hrs – Outbound
- 11.30 hrs – Inbound
- 15.00 hrs – Inbound
- 16.00 hrs – Outbound
- 17.00 hrs – Inbound
Simpson Bay Causeway Bridge
This cross-lagoon causeway bridge is at the head of the Simpson Bay Inlet. The causeway runs from the north of Yacht Club Port de Plaisance to the airport runway. It has a maximum clearance of 28 feet. Vessels with a mast height of more than 28 feet are restricted to the opening centre part of the causeway which will act as a swing bridge.
Vessels transiting the lagoon should stay within the marked channel.
There is a 3mph speed limit for all vessels using the access channel, and within the lagoon, all marinas and yacht anchorages are deemed “no wake zones”.
Most seasons the bridges open six times during the day in order to handle the vessels that make use of several marinas in the Simpson Bay Lagoon.
Simpson Bay Causeway Bridge hours:
- In and Outbound Traffic: 0800, 1000, and 1530 (each opening is for traffic both ways).
For information call Bridge Operator on VHF Ch 12
Tel: +1 721 – 545 5230 / +1 721 545 3183
Email: info@slacsxm.com
Sandy Ground Bridge (French Side):
This bridge is the main access into Simpson Bay Lagoon from the French side of the island.
The official VHF Channel for the Bridge Operator is Ch: 16, Tel: (590) 87 20 43. It’s quite possible you won’t get an answer. Cruisers recommend the best way to verify opening times is to hail Shrimpys (morning net controller) on channel 10.
The Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC) is responsible for managing the Simpson Bay Lagoon (St. Maarten side) as well as the operation/maintenance of the bridges; collection of fees etc.
SLAC Clearance Office: +1 721 545-3183
Email: slac@portstmaarten.sx
Website: www.portstmaarten.com
Last updated: February 2024
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Port Navigation
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Today an accident occurred with a mega yacht. They lost control over the vessel and hit the dock of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club.
Nobody was injured and the damage is solely structural, however it is very significant. The Yacht Club plan to rebuild but the Yacht Club dock cannot be used until further notice. This means no dinghy access, no provisioning, no drop offs, etc.
Instead there is the police dock by the bridge (open till 6pm) or the dock by Nowhere Special (no lights at night). Of course there is also Dinghy Dock further down the road.
Several updates:
Buoyage inside the lagoon is now fully restored with more buoyage than ever before including a vastly superior marking of the shallow ground northeast of Isle de Sol (Snoopy Island).
All wrecks in the fairways, anchorages, and approaches in the lagoon (Dutch side) are now removed. There are no longer any hazards to navigation in Simpson Bay or the lagoon that did not exist before Irma.
Causeway now operates much less frequently: 0800, 1000, and 1530 (each opening is for traffic both ways).
The Sandy Ground Bridge is not currently operating (as at 15 Feb 2019). Initial repairs are expected to be complete within 2 weeks, but full repairs are not expected until the end of 2019.
Port de Plaisance caters to more than just the megayacht sector, with the South Basin now operational, they have a number of slips for smaller boats.
October 5th: Posted on Sint Maarten Cruisers Facebook Page
The Simpson Bay Bridge is operational. The scheduled opening times were set at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. until further notice.
The ships must call on marine channel 12 before moving under the bridge. Out-going traffic will be allowed to transit first.
There is a clog near the south side entrance of the bridge canal. The salvage operator is coming soon.
All ships will be transiting the Simpson Bay lagoon at their own risk. Sailors should contact marinas for guidance. All ships enter the lagoon at their own risk.
The Causeway Bridge is out of operation. The technicians and a bridge repair kit will arrive from the Low Countries soon.
Causeway opening times have changed from those stated.
Opening times as from 9 December 2015:
In and Outbount Traffic: 08:15, 10:00, 11:45, 15:30, and 17:15
Porto Cupecoy Marina
Just some info on this nice marina that might otherwise be overlooked given that it’s out of the way on the western end of the lagoon. It is now under new ownership. The price, at $5 per foot per WEEK for vessels less than 49 feet, with 10% overcharge for catamarans, was a quarter of that quoted at other marinas such as Simpson Bay. Electricity and water are extra. There is a discount for a 4-month lease.
Your fees include access to amenities of the surrounding development, which includes free Wi-Fi with reasonable speed, a giant swimming pool, tennis courts, and exercise room. The Porto Cupecoy plaza is on the docks as well, with several upscale restaurants and shops. The best part is that a grocery store lies just outside the plaza, stocked with American-branded goods.
They even let you walk your cart to your boat! All of this stuff is literally in the marina. If you need anything from a rental car to fiberglassing, the owner Guy Ciletti, a sailor, will hook you up with the best prices and work on the island. There aren’t a ton of transient spots available, so it’s best to inquire with Guy ahead of time at captguyc@yahoo.com. We had a nice stay.
Melinda Burnett
S/V The Amazing Marvin
July 2015,
Last year January 2015 we arrived at St. Maarten after crossing the Atlantic with the ARC. We came to St. Maarten with a list of repairs, knowing that parts and experts are available there. Most of the repairs we do ourselves but we also had a problem with our alternator. The alternator connected to our main engine did not power up the batteries anymore.
We heard that Electec was the company to go to. As everything is horribly expensive at St. Maarten we expect to pay for high expertise. A new alternator was installed.
March we left for Panama and during this trip, we had a fire in the engine room caused by the new alternator. We did test it at St. Maarten but now we had motored for a full day for the first time.
We called Electec, and with a slip of the tongue, it was mentioned that they already thought that the alternator became very warm when testing it.
That made us pretty angry, why didn’t they tell us! We could have sunk if we had not noticed it in time!!
So we asked them for a replacement as they made a mistake and we had paid big bucks for the alternator. We ended up with a discount but still had to pay for the second alternator. In Panama it took a very long time for the alternator to arrive, so we checked if we could buy it locally. And to our amazement, the price of the same alternator was exactly like the one we got via Electec with discount!
Finally, the alternator arrived, Electec did help us with the online instructions but again the second alternator did not work, delivering a very low voltage. We called again and again but this time nobody returned our calls.
We did get our invoice though so we paid twice for an alternator did does not work. But what bothers me most is that they never even apologized for installing an alternator that burnt through.
A note of warning for others yachts, make sure that you check the prices online, and make sure that you check it thoroughly before you leave. For us? We will try to avoid Electec in the future. We learned our lesson
Gijs – SY Kings Legend