TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin 7 days sailing sxm

Sailing SXM in January looking for recommendations on itinerary.
Angulla is 208US per day I was told...is it worth it to go to little bay and the dogs?

Is Orient bay worth a stop, is it a good anchorage?

We go from Anse Marcel Sunday morning and have to be back at Grand Case Friday.

You might also want to post this on the sailing site found hereat traveltalkonline. More change of finding info from someone who has done a similar venue and "talks the talk".

As RonDon says, you'll find more sailors over here https://www.traveltalkonline.com/ubbthreads.php/forums/7/1/british-virgin-islands.html but I did a two week out of Anse Marcel earlier this year. I presume you are with Dream Yacht? The base and staff is very good although a lot of the surrounding property was closed. Orient Bay was a horrible anchorage the one time I tried it on a previous trip. It is open to the prevailing winds so lumpy and uncomfortable most of the time. We didn't go to Anguilla this time although have in the past and love Road Bay. However, in my opinion, it isn't worth paying the horrendous fee to cruise the rest of the island.

This trip, we were on a mission to get as far as Montserrat so didn't stay around SXM for very long. With the short time you have I'd head down to Grand Case or Marigot and anchor or go into Fort St Louis Marina if you prefer. I really like the marina there and have spent a lot of time in the past. The anchorage is excellent. I'd then head around to St Barts if your crew will accept a few bumpy hours. Love St Barts. Out of season the marina is good value. Not sure about January though. Anchorage may be very busy at that time of year as well. Great bay anchorage and mooring just round the corner from Gustavia in Anse Colombier. On the way back Ile Fourchue is a pleasant stop. I've also stopped at Tintamarre which is a great day stop. Not sure about overnight.

I'm afraid I've probably outlined a too ambitious itinerary for you as we always have longer trips (and used to own a catamaran based out of the BVI) but hopefully you can get some more answers from others.

We've chartered several times from SXM - but not since the hurricane.

We enjoy staying in Orient Bay. We usually stay one night in the South end basically as close to the reef as we can get - which isn't too close because we have always been in a mono. The reef does a good job of keeping the waves down and the sound is wonderful. You can dinghy ashore at the extreme Southern end where the Club O waterspouts hut used to be and then walk North to the rest of the beach.

We also like to stay a night a Ile Pinel. It's very shallow there so we don't get that close which means we get a bit of a roll sometimes but it's not bad.

Our other stops are Grand Case, and Anse Du Columbier on St. Barts.

We've been to Anegada but didn't want to spend the huge cost to visit the outer islands so we just hit Road Bay. The first time we were there, we really enjoyed a beach bar with music and dancing. The second time, it seemed like nothing was open and it was a bust. It's a long trip for not much really in our mind.

I've spent months sailing around St. Martin and anchored in various places.

Ile Tintamarre - great day stop with both mooring balls and places to anchor. Beach access can be a bit difficult if there is a swell going. In calm conditions it is a great overnight stay with nothing ashore
Ile Pinel - depends upon your draft, it is protected
Orient Bay - depends upon your draft and weather conditions
Ile Fourchue (St. Barths) - mooring balls and usually pretty calm. Uninhabited island to explore with nothing ashore
Anse a Colombier (St. Barths) - one of my favourite anchorages
Gustavia (St. Barths) - busy and somewhat rolly, but it is St. Barths
Shell Beach (St. Barths) - a nice day or overnight stop
Anse a Flamands (St. Barths) - great if the seas are settled
(Skipping Dutch St. Martin)
Marigot - big and open, lots of things to do ashore
Anse a Frere - One of my favorite anchorages for day and night stops on French St. Martin. Restaurants ashore during the day, nothing at night
Grand Case - I've spent weeks anchored there. Good holding in 20 feet or less almost all the way to shore. Busy, crappy dinghy dock. But great restaurants and bars ashore.
Anse Marcel - since that is where you are starting and ending, no comments necessary