Seasonal· St Martin (French side)· Leeward Islands
Hurricane Season & Lagoon Hurricane Plans (St Martin)
18° 3.1′ N · 63° 6.5′ W
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and St Martin is in the strike zone - Irma in 2017 wrecked marinas and boats across the lagoon. Plan where your boat will be before the first named storm.
Practical
Coordinate is the Simpson Bay Lagoon (Wikipedia). French side: when the Prefecture triggers an ORANGE alert, all boats must leave Marina Fort Louis for a safe shelter (a boatyard ashore is recommended), all unsecured vessels must leave, and anchoring anywhere in the French part is prohibited; bridges on both sides stop opening once sustained winds reach 25 knots, so get into the lagoon early. A port protocol governs movements in territorial waters during the cyclone period; the Collectivite publishes lagoon access rules each season and public pre-landfall shelters are listed at marina offices. The lagoon is the island's traditional safe harbour for repairs and storm shelter (Wikipedia), but theft remains a risk for unattended boats on both sides. Captain Oliver's Marina (Oyster Pond) was destroyed by Irma and the Sunset Bar at Maho by Omar (2008).
Best for
Hurricane-season planning
Season
June 1 - November 30