Bucket List Stop…Saint Martin

Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Jill

This post may contain affiliate links. This means I will make a commission at no extra cost to you should you click through and make a purchase. Read the full disclosure here

Bucket List Stop…Saint Martin

We left Buck island around 10:00 am for our overnight sail to Saint Martin.  Correction overnight motor.  It was a nice trip over with a few squalls in the distance but the seas and winds were good.  Arriving in Marigot Bay just after first light.  We made good time and slowed down so that we would get into the anchorage with daylight.  When arriving in a new anchorage we always wait till daylight so that we have good visibility when anchoring.  Once anchored and showered Dave headed into customer and immigration.  We checked in on the French side due to the dogs and the requirements being less strict for them.

I have wanted to come to this island for years and has been on my bucket list so, I am excited to put a checkmark by it.

Once Dave arrived back at the boat we put the pups in the dinghy and off we went to stretch our legs.  Coming into Marigot bay you can see a fort at the top of one of the hills.  This is something we will have to check out while we are here.   But, first, we took a walk around the city and got our bearings.  Ate a little lunch and once the pups were pooped we headed back to the boat.  Later we ran into the grocer and bought some delicious cheeses and meats and produce.  The next day we decided to head over to Grand Case Bay to spend a few days checking this area out.  We heard a lot of great things about the area.  Before pulling anchor we took the pups on a hike up to the fort.  It was worth it!  The views were breathtaking!

Grand Case

A quaint little spot filled with unique shops and lots of bars and restaurants.  This whole island was devastated by Hurricane Irma.  It is all coming back and more things are opening every day.  The devastation is still everyone and will be for a while to come but the people here are resilient and moving on.  One of our favorite spots was Max’s Place located at the end of the dinghy dock.  It is a small little spot that serves some food items and drinks.  On Tuesday night he has live music.  It’s a great place to relax listen to great music and enjoy the breathtaking sunsets here.  We spent almost a week in Grand Case.  We will defiantly be back there is more to see.

Marigot bay/Lagoon

We headed back over to Marigot bay to restock on our groceries and do some shopping.  We also wanted to check out the lagoon and go to some of the chandeliers for items we need for boat projects.  One thing is certain there is always boat projects.  The lagoon is still devastated with sunken boats everywhere.  The Dutch side does seem to have been doing a better job cleaning up their side of the lagoon and removing a lot of the debris.  We found a couple of fun spots on the dutch side that we stopped in.  Another bonus was they had a dealership for our water maker.  This was great we were able to buy a bunch of spares and not have to pay all the crazy shipping prices.

We spent an afternoon exploring Simpson Bay a beautiful little bay on the Dutch side.  When we come back we may anchor here for a day or so….we will see.  There is so much to see on this island between the two countries that we can’t do it all this time.  But, we will be back for a longer stay in the spring.  For now, we must push south.  I have included photos of some of the things we checked out while we were here. I didn’t take any video this time

Cheers,

Jill