Visiting Sint Maarten by yacht
The high season is December to April. The St Maarten Heineken Regatta runs 4 to 7 March 2027.
Picture made with AI. It shows the place but is not a photograph.
When to come
| Months | Season | Mean daily high | Rain each month |
|---|---|---|---|
| December to April | High season (Superyacht Services Guide) | 28.6 to 29.8 C | 45 to 94 mm |
| May | Shoulder | 30.4 C | 93 mm |
| June to October | Hurricane season | 31.2 to 31.7 C | 62 to 140 mm |
| November | Hurricane season ends 30 November | 30.2 C | 149 mm |
Climate normals for Princess Juliana Airport, 1971 to 2000 (Meteo Curaçao). The Atlantic hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, with the peak on 10 September (US National Hurricane Center).
St Maarten Heineken Regatta
Where yachts anchor
Simpson Bay
Depths of 10 to 15 ft over sand. Open access and moderate protection. No marinas.
Great Bay
Depths of 7 to 30 ft. Swell from the south and south-east. Not a hurricane shelter.
Simpson Bay Lagoon
Entered through the Simpson Bay Bridge. Best for long stays and hurricane shelter, according to Yachting St. Maarten.
Source: Yachting St. Maarten.
Getting here, money and hurricane history
Airports
Princess Juliana Airport serves the Dutch side and handles private aviation. Grand Case-Espérance Airport serves the French side.
Currency
The Dutch side uses the Caribbean guilder and USD. The French side uses EUR and USD.
Hurricane Irma, 2017
Irma struck in September 2017. A World Bank feature reports 139 shipwrecks that needed clearing and about USD 15 million for salvage and cleanup of the lagoon and Mullet Pond. The feature also lists USD 15.5 million.
Sources. Checked 7 November 2026.
- Port St. Maarten, Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority
- Daily Herald, new opening times for bridges, December 2024
- Daily Herald, extra Simpson Bay Bridge openings during the Heineken Regatta, March 2026
- Daily Herald, Brian Deher on the shoulder season, January 2026
- Daily Herald, new immigration rules, February 2017
- Daily Herald, SMMTA on new immigration rules, March 2017
- Yachting St. Maarten, clearance and regulations
- Yachting St. Maarten, Sint Maarten Marine Trades Association directory
- IGY, Yacht Club Isle de Sol
- IGY, Simpson Bay Marina
- Superyacht Services Guide, St Maarten
- Superyacht Services Guide, bridge opening times
- Superyacht Services Guide, MegaYard
- Superyacht Services Guide, FKG Marine
- Superyacht Services Guide, BWA Yachting
- Dockwalk, Yacht Club at Port de Plaisance
- Dockwalk, visa implications of Caribbean dockwalking, 2009
- Marina Fort Louis
- Palapa Marina, crew placement
- Palapa Marina, contact
- St Maarten Heineken Regatta
- Budget Marine, St. Maarten
- Meteo Curaçao, Princess Juliana Airport climate summary
- US National Hurricane Center, climatology
- World Bank, reviving the Simpson Bay Lagoon
- Wikipedia, Simpson Bay Lagoon
- SuperyachtNews, IMM opening a St Maarten base, 2016
- OpenStreetMap Nominatim, coordinates
- UKSA salary guide 2025
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