Canadian Yachting October 2016 - 33

ence where you can stretch your skills a little and do some blue water sailing to other islands in a safe environment the island of St. Martin is definitely worth investigating since you can make short offshore daysails to the British island of Anguilla to the north, the French island of St. Barthelemy to the southeast and the Dutch island of Saba to the southwest. On most days with good visibility all three islands are within view when you leave St. Martin. A real plus is that St. Martin is easy to get to. The Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side of the island is a Caribbean hub with direct flights from major cities in Canada, the USA and Europe making it easy for guests and crews to fly in without having to waste time making connections allowing them to get out on the water as soon as possible. The cruising destinations from St. Martin as a base are only limited by time, weather, the charter companies' restrictions and experience. BING. BING. BING. We could hear the barrier gates on the bridge go down to stop the traffic on the road so the bridgetender could raise the single bascule bridge allowing us to transit out of the lagoon. There are only two ways to exit the huge Simpson Bay Lagoon which spans into both the French and Dutch territory and harbours hundreds of boats at anchor as well as several marinas and boat yards. On the Dutch side you exit from the Simpson Bay Bridge at Cole Bay and on the French side you exit at Sandy Ground Bridge at the main town of Marigot. Spanning the lagoon on the Dutch side near the border is the new Causeway Bridge allowing you passage from one territory to the other. All bridges have scheduled openings throughout the day. "This is the Simpson Bay Bridge. The bridge is now opening. All vessels proceed to the bridge." Having been stuck in road traffic on many occasions which can back up for miles if there are lots of boats transiting, Paul had positioned Distant Shores II to slide through the opening just as the bridge was safely open so no time would be delayed. The boats behind us kept up close and no one was tempted to slow down or, heaven forbid, stop and look around to decide which way to go which would cause a pile up of boats behind them that were sliding through the bridge opening with nowhere to go to avoid them. Anguilla - Beach at Sandy Island A magical desert island. A great place to relax and get away from it all. You can rent the whole island for private events such as weddings. Ahhh. Out into the wide blue yonder. We had cleared out of the Dutch side of St. Martin the night before so our options were open. We could carry on to Marigot to anchor off the picturesque town (port fees apply) and clear in at the port authority office at Marigot Ferry Dock or at the capitainerie in Port La Royale in the lagoon. If we chose to stay at Marina Port Louis the marina staff handles clearance for their customers. It is a delight to stroll through the town, climb up to the old fort for fabulous views of the island and lagoon, hunt for bargains at the straw market at the waterfront and, best of all, enjoy French restaurants, bakeries and cafes. Just up the way a little further north is the anchorage of Friars Bay that has a reasonable beach and beach bar, good for a lunch stop on your way on to Grand Case. Grand Case is the gastronomic centre of St. Martin and during high season there is a weekly street party. Definitely plan to eat out here. The Saba - Charming homes in the small villages of Saba The Sabans are proud of their island and maintain their traditional homes in pristine condition. www.canadianyachting.ca 33 http://www.canadianyachting.ca

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting October 2016