# Need Suggestions for first Charter in St. Martin?



## Bowedtoothdoc (Mar 10, 2010)

I have an upcoming charter out of St. Martin the first week of February with Sunsail. I am looking for suggestions on an itinerary that would work with our relatively short charter as we will likely be departing around noon on a Monday and the boat will need to be back at the base the following Sunday morning. I have already searched the forums and there seems to be little info for this area.
I will be sailing with a fairly experienced group and we have previously sailed the BVI's and last year down the Florida coast and to the Bahamas.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Saba if the weather/swell conditions allow - short hop from Simpson Bay, a very different Caribbean experience. Mooring buoys on west shore are recommended.

Maybe a couple of days there, then work back around to Anguilla and then....?

I guess it depends on whether or not you're wiling to go to weather - in that case Saba, Statia, St Kitts, St Barts, St Maarten....


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## S/V HONU (Apr 2, 2014)

There's a lot to see and do but I would try and include the following. Sunset Beach Bar on St Maarten the day before your charter. Anchor out at Grand Case on St Martin. Road Bay on Anguilla, rent a car and tour the island. Gustavia on St Barths, Le Select for a burger and beer then walk over the hill to Pelage St Jean or rent a car and tour the island.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Tuesday night at Grand Case on the north side of St Martin has a resturant festival. Its great.
Maybe your monday night at Tintamarre
Tues night Grand Case,
Wed night Great Bay, Phillipsburg,
Thusdays night Isle Fourchue (half way to St Barts)
Friday night St Barts
Sat night Fourchue
Sunday home

St M to St Barts is a work to windward against the current, but quite easy.


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## FDR14127 (Apr 14, 2010)

Last March we left Guadeloupe for Il de Sainte and then on to Dominica and back all in the course of a week. To be candid we were sailing a Catana 47 which goes along at a pretty good clip, so maybe that would be a problem depending on the boat you selected. In any event I would recommend at least a junket to Il de Sainte which was settled by Brittney fisherman and is small and charming. Dominica is a stretch but the northernmost harbor is run by a local co-op of residents and they provide a base of services which they now have been invited to replicate in St Vincent. They arranged a tour of the island which is totally different, essentially a tropical rain forest. They also have a Sunday night chicken barbecue which of course you will not make. Somewhere here I have a massive guide book to the Windward Islands which I would recommend if I could find it. Problem more information than you really need. On another note the Niagara on the Lake SC members have been wintering in Bequia for a number of years. They have help build the hospital, had members do their residency there and have a past Commodore buried there. Must be another small island to visit eh?


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## ohdrinkboy (Dec 27, 2013)

I've done this trip multiple times before. Assuming you are arriving on Sunday, I would....

Eat dinner Sunday night in Grand Case. i like the lolos (talk of the town) and a beer at calmos cafe.

Monday sail to Orient Beach. Spend the night.
Tuesday either Tintamarre or Ile Forche for the night
Wednesday go to Gustavia, St. Barths.
Thursday night, stay in Gustavia or Columbier
Friday night, Phillipsburg or Grand Case
Saturday night Tintamarre or Orient Beach.

It's a fun trip. If the seas are up, don't hesitate to ask for a pilot from Sunsail to get in/out of Oyster Pond. We watched (and listedned on VHF) a stubborn sailor go up on the reef because he was too proud. Local knowledge is a plus with the reef.


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## Bowedtoothdoc (Mar 10, 2010)

Thank you everyone for the replies!
They have been very informative and that coupled with the cruising guide will give us a great deal of information in planning our trip. Yes we are arriving Sunday afternoon and will be sleeping aboard that night at the charter base in oyster pond. We will be doing our own provisioning the following morning and have our briefing at 9am. 
Hopefully we can be off of the dock and underway before noon.

Thanks for the warning on the reef coming in to Oyster Pond. I have already seen in the cruising guide that the entrance can be tricky, especially if approaching from the south.


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## bvander66 (Sep 30, 2007)

go for quality vice quantity.
Grand Case great anchorage, some nice snorkling NE of town.
Anquilla great, again some nice snorkling on N side.
Saba is also great.
Pick a couple and go, dont try to see it all. Recommend 2 ni per location, allows a full day at the spot.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Here's a "Saba" teaser.. this village is called the 'Bottoms', but it's about 1000 ft above sea level.. the island is very steep and rugged with some amazing roads.. it's a place where you're glad there's a taxi service.


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## Bowedtoothdoc (Mar 10, 2010)

Ron,
Thanks for the teaser...gives me something to look forward to after waking up to 8 degrees here this morning


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## Bowedtoothdoc (Mar 10, 2010)

Just to update everyone about our awesome trip. First day was to Ile Fourche beating in 8-12ft seas, our youngest crew member almost got sick and non of us were completely comfortable. The next day after a stop in Anse Colombier for snorkeling and lunch we headed to Gustavia, St. Barts. Had a tour of the area including shell beach and dinner at Eddies. The next day made it to Tintamarre for lunch and snorkeling and then over to Orient Bay for some nudity, reprovisioning, and dinner in the main square. The next day we headed to Anguilla and cleared in and anchored in Road Bay. Did some snorkeling and had dinner at Elvis's beach bar and a some of our crew purchased a couple of CD's from a guy known as Rude Boy. The following morning we left for Marigot Bay. Once anchored we toured the area and found the cut to the backwater area where we took the dingy ashore that evening for another great French dinner. The next morning we hit the local market for some souvenirs and then departed back to Tintamarre for our final night. The next morning we had a leisurely sail back to Oyster Pond and successfully made it back in on our own by 10:30am. We were not allowed to visit Saba per our charter agreement and we also decided to forgo Phillipsburg due to the difficulty getting to customs there. Does anyone know of a boat "Young America" from Washington, DC? We came across her in Anse Colombier, St. Barts. Has to be one of the prettiest yachts that we came across.


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