Sint Maarten to Bermuda
Casamara
John & Susan Simpson
Fri 22 May 2026 15:52
April and May 2026 were spent revisiting old haunts and coming across sights that reminded us of events we’d forgotten from our season in the Caribbean in 2022-3. At that time we had been thinking ahead to crossing the Pacific and getting to Australia, and we left the Caribbean with some trepidation about the unknown journey ahead. Now, returning after three years in other places, we were pleased to rediscover what a fabulous sailing area the Caribbean islands provide. They’re much busier than the South Pacific islands and Indonesia, but with such a variety of landscapes and cultures within a relatively small area, not to mention the quality of food in the shops and restaurants, it was good to be back. On our way from St Lucia to Sint Maarten we day-sailed from island to island, and spent nearly a week at anchor in Antigua, which definitely ranks as one of our favourite islands in the world. In Sint Maarten we were based (fittingly) in Simpson Bay. The ARC Europe 2026 rally fleet gathered there in Simpson Bay Marina and we spent a week preparing for the rally’s departure for Bermuda and getting to know some new fellow participants. Actually we also met quite a few boats we already knew from our 2021 Atlantic crossing, from the ARC Pacific 2023 rally and from the World ARC 2025-26 so it was a real coming together of our big yachting family. We were joined in Sint Maarten by Jo and Mick, two adventurous souls from England that we met in a bar in France when we were land travelling last year. We’d got into a conversation about our sailing exploits and their aspirations and got along so well that we soon invited them to join us to gain some ocean sailing experience. Their ultimate goal is to complete the boat they are currently building in the USA and set sail around the world.  Mick and Jo join Casamara from Sint Maarten to the Azores Sint Maarten (or St Martin on the French side) has been shared by the Netherlands and France since 1648. The Dutch side is slightly smaller than the French in terms of land mass and the story goes that a Dutchman and a Frenchman were stood back to back and told to walk around the perimeter of the island until they met again, face to face. A line would be drawn between the two points and the land divided so that France would keep one side and the Netherlands the other. The Frenchman was given a bottle of wine to take with him, and the Dutchman was given a bottle of gin. As the gin was more intoxicating, the Dutchman was slower than the Frenchman and therefore the French gained the greater part of the divided lands. In fact the exact route of the border between the two has been a bone of contention for centuries and was only resolved by treaty in 2023 as a result of the clean up operation following Hurricane Irma in 2017. The Dutch side was developed for tourism in the 1950’s and is known today for its casinos, nightlife and duty free status. The French side is known for its mix of French and Caribbean cuisine, historical sites and white sandy beaches.  View from Fort St Louis, an 18th century military fort on the French side The Simpson Bay Marina occupies a corner of a large lagoon, accessed through a lifting bridge, and the whole ARC Europe rally fleet was scheduled to exit the lagoon when the bridge lifted at 10.30 am on 9th May. It was quite a sight to see as all 33 boats milling about in the lagoon and then processed out through the cut to the sea beyond. Once across the start line, the route from Sint Maarten to Bermuda would take us due north for a five day passage of about 850 miles. The first couple of days were in perfect sailing conditions. The wind was steady and from a good direction, and the sea state was relatively smooth. Days 3 and 4 were almost completely windless and we ended up motoring for nearly 48 hours. The final day was in complete contrast and we had some of the windiest conditions yet experienced on Casamara, with the highest wind speed logged at 40.4 knots. Thankfully, the wind direction was from astern. Mick and Jo’s inaugural passage certainly introduced them to a variety of ocean sailing conditions! It was a relief to reach Bermuda and anchor in the lagoon opposite St George’s town, despite the gale still blowing. We then had the wettest dinghy ride ever back from Customs & Immigration, with spray being blown off the wave tops into our faces as we made the short journey back to Casamara across the lagoon, but that’s another story ……!! We have been in Bermuda for a week and were due to leave on 21st May, bound for the Azores, but preferred to wait a few extra days for what we hope will be a more comfortable weather window. We plan to leave either on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.  ARC Europe 2026 rally fleet waiting to exit Simpson Bay Lagoon |