TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Yacht Question

After watching the yachts parked in front of us at SBR the past two weeks I have a question. Do they have to pay a fee to the government to anchor? I don’t know anything about the boating world.

Yes they do have to pay.

Huh. Interesting. I knew that they have to pay in order to go through the bridge, or to dock. Didn't realize they had to pay to use their own anchor at sea. Are you sure about that, Lesley?

I've heard of mooring fees if using a mooring buoy but not at anchor. When we sailed the BVI's that was the case. Some smaller boats have their own mooring buoys they installed themselves in Simpson Bay.

That's kind of what I thought.

All visiting yachts pay a cruising fee to enter the waters. On some islands, there is also a National Park fee to anchor in those areas marked as such.

No free lunch or anchorage.

Yachts pay to enter and anchor in the lagoon as well

how far out do an island’s (country’s) waters extend?

Not sure how far but the nature foundation Marine park extends pretty far and covers a large area.

12 nautical miles according to the UN.

Yep. They have to pay clearance, harbor, and bridge fee if applicable. At the police station by the bridge.

http://www.portstmaarten.com/index.php?id=20

http://yachtingstmaarten.com/clearing-0

I live here on a boat and pay no fees to anchor anywhere. The only fees are for entering the lagoon by the Simpson Bay bridge - though there are rumored fees to anchor on the dutch side of the lagoon, I have never heard anyone paying such.