RSS
St. Maarten or St. Martin, a 37 square mile Caribbean island with dual Dutch and French flair, is experiencing a renaissance. The island is a favorite destination for sailors and yachtsmen because of its duty-free status and the availability of international products.
The yachting industry is by far one of the largest, fastest-growing sectors. The Simpson Bay Bridge was widened to allow mega yachts to enter the lagoon and most of the marinas now cater to the larger mega yachts. The island's paramount sailing event is the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta that has been held annually in March for the past 26 years.
Another highlight of the yachting world is the St. Maarten Yacht Charter Exhibition (SYCE) scheduled for December. The show, now in its third year, attracts yachts, yacht brokers, enthusiasts and media personnel from around the world.
The ultra-modern cruise facilities at the Port of St. Maarten puts St. Maarten in the ninth place among the top twenty world cruise ports and destinations, according to G.P. Wild International, a management, marketing and economic consultancy practice based in the United Kingdom. The Port of St. Maarten also ranks number nine of leading ports and destinations in the Caribbean Region.
The island as a cruise destination has grown from 105,000 cruise passengers in 1980 to more than 1, 4 million in 2006. The Port of St. Maarten offers simultaneous accommodation for four cruise vessels alongside the 2100 feet cruise pier. Facilities include seaside and boulevard promenades along with the John Craane Cruise Terminal offering bus, taxi and water taxi operations, car rentals, banking, tours, telecommunication services and much more.
The tender jetty facilities cater to home porting, water taxis and water base tours. The new tender jetty has been described as the largest in the Northeastern Caribbean.
The tender jetty is four meters (14 ft) wide by 120 meters (390 ft) long featuring a nine meter (25.2 ft) bridge section and four finger piers and a 24 meter (67.2 ft) covered section. A depth of six meters has been dredged to allow vessels with a draft of five meters to safely approach the berthing facility. The island also witnesses a record number of arrivals through private jets as well.
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