St. Maarten - be prepaired to pay

[bobelon]

Before you include St. Maarten in your plans for the upcoming season you may want to check out the new fees.
We cannot post the url but just Google St. Maarten lagoon authority.
If you have stayed there in the past you will be shocked.

[Freesail99]

Here is the link, I think. Strange fees.

Fees & Info

[camaraderie]

Does anyone now if this is simply a Dutch side thing? If it is, one could avoid the fees simply by going around and entering on the Marigot side and avoiding the bridge and fees.

[speciald]

Those "new" fees went into effect last January. Worst part was the bridge was closed for a week after that because of high winds and the $250k/week charters were stuck in the lagoon. The rate increase is supposed to be temporary to get money to repair the bridge - if you believe that I've got a bridge in Alaska I'll sell you. After the fees started, it became alot more crowded on the French side.

[camaraderie]

aah...so it is a dutch side thing. Thanks!

[JohnRPollard]

Okay, I must be missing something.

For boats under 40 feet or so (12M), it's:

$10 Bridge Fee
$20 Harbor Fee (for a week)
$2 Custom Fee
$5 Harbor Clearance Fee
$37 total

We pay $25 for one night on a mooring in Annapolis.

Again, I must be missing something. Do you also have to pay an additional per-night mooring fee?

[camaraderie]

John...no moorings...this is just to set your hook with NO services whatsoever and is a BIG change from ZERO anchoring fees before...anchoring is free everywhere else in the leewards/windwards except perhaps in the Grenadines Park.

[Faster]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

...anchoring is free everywhere else in the leewards/windwards except perhaps in the Grenadines Park.

Our experience too, Cam. Last year we paid $10EC/person/day to anchor at the Tobago Cays. I think it is in part to discourage long term "squatters" within the reef.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

John...no moorings...this is just to set your hook with NO services whatsoever and is a BIG change from ZERO anchoring fees before...anchoring is free everywhere else in the leewards/windwards except perhaps in the Grenadines Park.

Okay, I can see where the gripe is coming from. But when you compare it to a week on a mooring in Annapolis ($175) it doesn't sound so bad. Yeah, you can anchor in Annapolis for free, but the mooring fields occupy the best/closest anchorages. So, pay $175 to access the good anchorage at Annapolis for a week, or pay $37 to anchor anywhere you want at St. Maarten for a week. Still doesn't sound too bad.

I'd also add that while anchoring anywhere else in the Chesapeake is "free", the moorings in Annapolis always seem full whenever we visit.

[sailboy21]

How about moorings in Avalon:

Boats 39' and under $20 per night
Boats 40' to 49' $26 per night
Boats 50' to 59' $35 per night
Boats 60' to 69' $43 per night
Boats 70' to 79' $53 per night
Boats 80' to 89' $61 per night
Boats 90' to 99' $71 per night
Boats 100' and over $80 per night

Still.. anchoring should be free. Seems like the world is getting less and less friendly for us poor folks.