Sint Maarten "18:02.10N 63:05.90W"

VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Fri 15 Apr 2011 00:02
Sint Maarten/Saint Martin is a real curiosity. A verysmall island (only 88 sq. km), it is divided into two different jurisdictions. About 60% of it is French and part of the EU, using the euro as currency. The other 40% is Dutch and uses US dollars (shop prices are actually all in Netherlands Antilles Florins, but in reality it seems these are not in circulation so everyone uses US dollars. And on the French side they take dollars as equivalent to euros, thus making the same item in the same shop much cheaper in dollars than euros (on the Dutch side they have a proper exchange rate). Passing from one side of the island to the other by land or in your dinghy incurs no border formalities of any sort - but in a boat you must check out from one side and then ito the other. The paperwork, time and cost in doing so is much less on the French side. They speak French on the French side (of course!), and English on the Dutch. The Dutch side is now a separate country, one of four comprising the Kingdom of the Netherlands - the others are Aruba, Curacao and Holland (= the Netherlands), while the French side is an autonomous region of France. Wierd, or what?
For us the island has a huge attraction - full scale European standard marine facilities. But to our surprise it also has a seven screen cinema with an escalator - the first one we've seen since leaving Europe, and proper supermarkets. Wow!
 
We came here to pick up the new genoa (large front sail) that we had ordered in Antigua some weeks ago. The trip from the BVI was foul and gruelling - 100 miles right into a strong wind, very big lumpy seas, lots of rain and in the "wrong" direction - we're supposed to be going west and north, not east . When we got here last Friday the sail had not arrived from South Africa where it was made, and when it did so on Monday we discovered that the guy who sold it to us and we thought we were meeting to fit it was in fact on holiday at the next island, St Barts. Confusion! So we threw the sail on the boat, cleared Immigration and set off in a rush for St Barts some 16 nautical miles (25km) away to meet him before he returned to Antigua on the Tuesday. And Alison so loves to rush, as some of you will know.
 
Here is the Dutch-style lifting bridge giving access from the sea to the inner lagoon on the Dutch side of the island. Note the superyacht masts in the lagoon. We stayed at anchor in the cheap seats outside. 
 
 
More on St Maarten when we return from St Barts - I have found some lovely big green iguanas sunning themselves by the side of the lagoon so I hope that those of you just gagging for more of those lovely lizard photos will be in for a real treat.