Monday 28 January: Leaving Colombier Bay, St. Barth, and arriving at Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten.
Not the peaceful sleep we hoped for, as we had drums on the stern again. And after breakfast we start making plans for our departure towards St. Maarten. Last minute plans, as usual.
Today’s destination will be Simpson Bay, the lagoon inside. Reading through the pilot book we learn that the bridge in Simpson Bay opens at 11am (too late for that now, we won’t make it) and then in the afternoon. What time, not sure, as the info varies.
By mid morning we are ready to lift the anchor and start the slow and rolly downwind sail towards St. Maarten. 14nm, we should be there in under 3 hours. It was indeed a rolly sail, and I braced myself on the aft deck while sunbathing. Glen kept himself entertained in the shade of the cockpit reading the pilot books and making some water.
Before we know it we arrive in St. Maarten. Philipsburg, the capital, looks fairly developed and a cruise liner is docked there, dwarfing the town. The overall shoreline is also quite developed with lots of large hotels along the beaches. Some still under reconstruction after the hurricane 18 months ago.
The most interesting sighting of the day was super-yacht, with a sailing yacht on the deck! You don’t see that every day:)
Early afternoon we arrive in Simpson Bay where we drop the anchor while waiting for the bridge to lift. Plenty of time to go ashore at the Immigration office to complete our check in formalities and find out what time the bridge actually opens.
At first look there’s not much ashore, and hurricane damage very much in evidence. And as we dinghy under the bridge we see all sorts of scratches along the side walls, lots of boats must have rubbed their hulls on these walls.
Back at Cloudy Bay we have an hour to kill, then at 3pm the bridge is up and we enter into the calm lagoon. Well, calm sea. Noise wise is a chaos, with dinghies speeding in all directions and right under the flight path for take offs from the main airport.
And lots of boats here. Super-yachts stern-to the docks, must be over 100 of them. And at the opposite pole of the spectrum, demasted boats, lots of damaged ones, some half sunk. Quite a contrast.
After lunch we tootle in the dinghy to see where’s what. We find a chandlery but they are closed for the day. When we inquire where we can leave the dinghy to go ashore for a walk, one of the shop assistants gives us a very firm “Why would you want to walk here, it’s not a good place to walk. I’ve lived here since the ‘60s and I am telling you this is not where you would want to be walking, it’s not safe. Go on the other side, where the marina is.”
We get his message and his directions where the rigging company is located, then we continue our tootle towards the safe area. But we can’t see anything other than moored boats, semi-sunk boats and apartments buildings. And it all looks run down and in desperate need for a clean up. This lagoon is far from a glamorous place. Yet, so many super-yachts moored here. The yachting services must indeed be very good here to attract so many.
In lack of any attractions ashore we head back to Cloudy Bay, where Glen removes the vang ready to take it for servicing tomorrow. Fingers crossed on this one, it’s about time the vang gets fixed for good.
For the evening’s entertainment, we have cinema again, starting to watch a detectives series. 8 episodes, that should keep us busy for few evenings…