IGY's Isle de Sol Marina, Simpson Bay. (Edward Penagos photo)
SIMPSON BAY--The sight of St. Maarten marinas full to capacity with mega-yachts is always a reliable indicator the Caribbean winter tourist season is here.
Aside from a brief hop to neighbouring Saint Barthélemy to join the New Year’s Eve celebrations where billion-dollar super-yachts rubbed shoulders with each other to ring in the New Year, these vessels will remain in St. Maarten for the entire season before returning to the Mediterranean for the summer.
The burgeoning mega-yacht industry, a major contributor to St. Maarten’s economy, continues to expand worldwide with more and more yachts in production. That in turn is fuelling development of more marinas to accommodate this growth.
Given these fast-moving developments in the region particularly, is St. Maarten still holding on to its share of the market? The question was put to Brian Deher CMM, International Global Yachting’s (IGY) Head of Global Marina Operations.
“St. Maarten remains one of the primary winter home ports for yachts in the Caribbean. Its close proximity to St. Barths – one of the world’s premier charter destinations – gives St. Maarten a meaningful competitive advantage over many other regional home ports,” Deher said. “That said, new marina developments elsewhere in the Northeast Caribbean, including on St. Kitts, have increased competition for a finite pool of vessels.
“Approximately 380-400 yachts over 80 feet visit the Northeast Caribbean each winter, and with more home port options available, these yachts are now more widely distributed. As a result, marinas in St. Maarten and across the region are experiencing increased pressure on both occupancy levels and pricing.
“St. Maarten continues to enjoy significant competitive advantages that make it an ideal base for charter activity during the Christmas and New Year period. The challenge going forward is not attracting yachts for peak season, but rather retaining them throughout the winter and extending activity into the shoulder months – effectively transforming a traditional four-to-six-month season into a seven-to-nine-month season.”
According to Deher, this is not an easy objective, but meaningful progress is being made. St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA), in coordination with other industry stakeholders and the Government, is actively working to promote events, enhance infrastructure, and expand shipyard and service offerings to encourage longer stays.
“In this regard, it was particularly encouraging to see Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten proactively touring Lagoon marine facilities to gain a first-hand understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the maritime sector.”
In recent years, the Government and key local stakeholders – such as IGY Marinas and Port St. Maarten – have been constructive partners in protecting, supporting, and growing the marine industry. Maintaining this collaborative approach is critical. A lack of communication or insufficient understanding of the marine sector by the government can have immediate and severe consequences for occupancy and economic activity. Deher cites the Bahamas as where this lack of understanding occurred.
“The Bahamas provides a clear cautionary example. After successfully growing its marine sector and establishing a charter yacht show, the government implemented significant fee increases on visiting vessels without adequate consultation with the industry,” he explains
The result was widespread resistance from yachts and cruising vessels, a sharp decline in visitation, and the cancellation of this year’s Bahamian Charter Yacht Show. Many marinas and ancillary service providers have since faced reduced occupancy, financial losses, and staff reductions.
Rather than increasing government revenues, the new fee structure reduced them, harmed the overall maritime sector, while simultaneously harming local adjacent businesses and workers.
“This outcome underscores the importance of continued, open dialogue between the Government of St. Maarten, the SMMTA, IGY Marinas, and other key stakeholders,” Deher emphasised. “ With coordination and communication, St. Maarten can continue to strengthen and extend its yachting season; without it, the risks to the industry – and the broader economy – are significant.”
Deher acknowledged that yachts are getting bigger and bigger, noting that St. Maarten has a great opportunity to cater to the largest yachts in the world as they want to be as close to St. Barths as possible.
“I think that through cooperative efforts we can expand the offering of large yacht slips on SXM and offer more shipyard services so that the largest yachts in the world can consider St. Maarten as their home-port in the Caribbean for the foreseeable future.”
IGY invests significant time and resources in tracking yacht migration patterns year over year, giving a clear, data-driven view of market conditions. Based on this analysis, the Caribbean experienced a slower-than-usual start to the season.
A key factor was Hurricane Melissa, which impacted Jamaica in October. The storm’s size and slow movement delayed many yachts in Europe and the United States until weather conditions stabilised.
For many vessels, this disruption had a cascading effect. Yachts typically require routine maintenance and light repair work before entering winter charter service. Because many were unable to reach St. Maarten and other Caribbean destinations in October and November; they elected to begin that work elsewhere.
As a result, arrivals to St. Maarten were delayed not just by weather, but by extended service schedules once yachts committed to work in other locations. Importantly, “shipyard services” are not limited to haul-outs. A substantial portion of yacht maintenance occurs while vessels remain in the water.
“This is precisely why continued investment in expanding shipyard and in-water service capabilities is so critical for St. Maarten,” Deher stressed. “Locations like Simpson Bay – an IGY marina – are exceptionally well positioned to benefit from this strategy. When yachts can efficiently complete service work on the island, they arrive earlier, stay longer, and deepen their economic contribution to the local community.”
He could not comment directly on the Lagoon sewerage issues raised by SMMTA, but said it was very encouraging to see SMMTA working constructively with the Government to investigate and address the matter.
“The Simpson Bay Lagoon is one of the island’s most valuable assets, and its protection is a shared responsibility. The yachting sector has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to environmental stewardship, and visiting yachts and cruising vessels are generally very willing to support and comply with environmental initiatives.
“The SMMTA, together with industry stakeholders, continues to do an excellent job planning and hosting events throughout the winter season to encourage yachts to remain in St. Maarten rather than repositioning to other islands during non-peak charter periods such as February.
“A great example is the annual Crew New Year’s fireworks celebration in Simpson Bay, scheduled this year for Friday, January 9. Because most crew are working on New Year’s Eve while vessels are on charter, the SMMTA recreates the celebration across marinas – particularly in Simpson Bay – as well as at local restaurants and bars in Simpson Bay and Cole Bay.
“This event grows each year and reflects the collaborative spirit that distinguishes St. Maarten’s marine industry. Rather than competing against one another, the industry works collectively to promote the entire island. That shared approach – supported by the SMMTA, the Government, IGY Marinas, and other key stakeholders – is a central reason for St. Maarten’s continued success. I remain optimistic that this collaboration will continue, allowing us to protect and build upon what has taken decades to establish.”
