Fort Louis, Marigot, St. Martin

It is very easy to check in to Customs on the French side of St. Martin and very cheap compared to staying on the Dutch side.  The Dutch side charges a weekly Lagoon fee while the French side is two euros to check in and two euros when checking out.  Bryan had noted when checking out of Customs in Simpson Bay, they record how many times your boat has passed through the bridge and there is a fee associated with that as well.  In Marigot, you can check in using a computer terminal at the Island Water World store or at Isle Marine.  Easy-peasy!

We anchored in Marigot Bay on 1/24/2020.  There is a drawbridge into the Lagoon between Marigot and Sandy Ground, but it has not been working in quite some time.  There has been civil unrest on the French side the last couple of months because it is felt the government has not adequately supported recovery efforts following Hurricane Irma.  New regulations with stricter building requirements have prevented many people from rebuilding homes damaged in the hurricane.  In addition, there are some places that still do not have safe drinking water.  

Marigot is the capital of the French side but there is still much destruction from Hurricane Irma evident throughout the city, especially near the waterfront.  There is a long dinghy dock at the west end of the ferry dock and a waterfront market is open.  The SuperU Super Marche is within walking distance.  Many of the restaurants close to the water have not reopened since Irma, but there are a few.  There is a lot of wreckage and debris along the shore of the Lagoon and many boats sunk or grounded.  Lots of very dilapidated boats appear to have people living on them.  It is sad to see because we have been visiting St. Martin since 2001 and we know how beautiful it was just four or five years ago. 

The weather has been unusually rainy since we returned from Ohio, with very light winds. Marigot Bay can be a rolly anchorage when there are northerly swells, but it has been very calm since we’ve been here.  We took advantage of a sunny day and hiked up to Fort Louis, on a hill overlooking Marigot.  The view at the top was fantastic!  We could see Aquijos anchored at Anguilla and Saba Island beyond the Witch’s Tit.  Joli looked comfortable anchored out in the turquoise water.  We will probably stay on the French side for a week or so and then head to the Virgin Islands.

Fort Louis on the hill in the background