Anchorage· St Martin (French side)· Leeward Islands
Simpson Bay Lagoon Anchorage (French side)
18° 3.1′ N · 63° 6.0′ W
Free, swell-free anchoring in the French half of the lagoon between Mont Fortune ('Witch's Tit') and Explorer Island - the cruiser favourite for long stays.
Practical
Position is a charted anchorage mark in OpenStreetMap seamark data, in the area between Mont Fortune and Explorer Island. Depths about 7-10 ft; the channel in from Sandy Ground is as shallow as about 6 ft (a cruiser saw about 0.5 ft under a 5.5-ft keel). Very well protected; free of charge. Private moorings in the area. Explorer Island has a small floating dinghy dock; Ile Marine and Island Water World Marigot are a short dinghy ride for water jugs and parts. Downsides: airplane noise, crowding, and water not clean enough for the watermaker. A chartplotter was stolen from a locked, camera-equipped catamaran here in 2022 - lock up.
Best for
Free long-term lagoon anchoring
Nearby
- Explorer Island (Grand Ilet)0.2 NM away
- Hurricane Season & Lagoon Hurricane Plans (St Martin)0.5 NM away
- Fuel Docks (Simpson Bay Lagoon)0.6 NM away
- Ile Marine Chandlery0.6 NM away
- Simpson Bay Lagoon Anchorage (Dutch side)0.6 NM away
- Dinghy Dock Bar (Simpson Bay)0.7 NM away
- Shrimpy's (Sandy Ground)0.7 NM away
- Palapa Marina0.8 NM away