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St Martin at 40 to 50m is the Leeward Antilles' hub, not a destination week. A 40 to 50m motor yacht using St Martin as the embarkation base in 2026 peak Christmas and February weeks runs $180,000 to $290,000 per week plus 30 percent APA, takes 10 to 12 guests, and runs out of Simpson Bay (Dutch side) or anchors at Anse Marcel, Grand Case, or Tintamarre on the French side. The active 40 to 50m fleet using St Martin as a base through the December to April Caribbean season is roughly 28 yachts, most repositioning between St Barths, Anguilla, and the BVI on weekly rotations. The Simpson Bay Lagoon bridge access is the destination's structural feature for the bracket and the harbour and lagoon entry tides drive the trip planning.
Why St Martin is the bracket's Leeward hub
St Martin and Sint Maarten share a 37-square-mile island split between French and Dutch territory. The Dutch side carries the Simpson Bay airport (Princess Juliana, the SXM hub for Caribbean inbound), the Simpson Bay Lagoon with the Sint Maarten Yacht Club and the IGY Simpson Bay marina, and the Philipsburg cruise port. The French side carries the anchor positions at Grand Case, Anse Marcel, and the Tintamarre and Ile Pinel offshore cays.
The bracket runs through Simpson Bay because the airport is the regional hub for the Leeward Antilles and the IGY marina handles the 40 to 50m bracket on stern-to berths or in the deeper lagoon holds inside the Simpson Bay bridge opening windows. The lagoon bridge runs scheduled openings (typically 9am, 11am, and 4pm, subject to change) and the lagoon entry timing is the structural constraint at the bracket. The French-side anchorages at Anse Marcel and Grand Case handle the bracket as day positions and as one-night holds.
Weekly rate map for 2026 to 2027 season
Rates below are for peak weeks (Christmas through New Year, President's Day week, Easter week) for the 2026 to 2027 season, before APA at 30 percent and gratuity at 12 to 15 percent. The Dutch-side embarkation does not carry the French Caribbean VAT load and the rate delta to St Barths and the French-side embarkation runs 8 to 12 percent in St Martin's favour at the bracket.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht and large catamaran (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 to 43m | $180K to $215K per week | $145K to $180K per week |
| 43 to 47m | $210K to $250K per week | $175K to $215K per week |
| 47 to 50m | $240K to $290K per week | $200K to $250K per week |
Off-peak Caribbean season (early December outside the Christmas window, mid-January through early February, March outside President's week, and early April outside Easter) runs roughly 20 to 30 percent below the peak headlines. The St Martin Dutch-side VAT advantage versus the French Caribbean side is the headline tax variable and a 47m motor yacht embarking Dutch-side prices roughly 10 percent below the same yacht embarking from a French Caribbean port. For corridor context see the Caribbean bracket page, St Barths bracket page, and the 30 to 40m St Martin bracket.
What the bracket includes in this bracket
Cabins. 5 to 6-cabin layouts dominate. The St Martin booking pattern at the bracket is heavy on multi-couple weeks and family weeks at Christmas, and the 5-cabin charter spec runs through the inventory.
Crew. 9 to 12 on motor yachts. The St Martin crew bench is the deepest in the Leeward Antilles for last-minute substitution because the hub status pulls crew through the season. The chef bench at the bracket is workable through the season. Specify chef's prior Caribbean season and the language at inquiry.
Tenders. A primary 9 to 10m fast tender plus a 6 to 7m beach-landing secondary. The Grand Case shore landings, the Tintamarre beach approach, the Ile Pinel landing, and the Anguilla south-shore landings all run on sand approaches and the secondary tender is operational rather than optional. The Simpson Bay Lagoon tender shuttle inside the bridge windows is the hub access.
At-anchor stabilizers. Mandatory. The St Martin north-shore positions and the Tintamarre anchorage take residual swell when tradewinds build above 22 knots and the at-anchor kit is the comfort line for the bracket.
Helipad. Useful at the upper end of the bracket for the Anguilla and St Barths shuttle and for the inter-island repositioning. Touch-and-go capable yachts price 5 to 8 percent above non-helipad equivalent for the Christmas window.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The Leeward triangle. Embark Simpson Bay, work to Anguilla south shore for two nights, position to St Barths for two nights at Gustavia and Colombier, return via Tintamarre and Pinel for the final two nights. Seven nights, the classic triangle, anchored on Simpson Bay as the hub. The bracket fits this and the destination grouping is the sweet spot.
The Anguilla and St Barths bookended week. Embark Simpson Bay, position to St Barths for the opening three nights, return through Anguilla for three nights stationary at Meads Bay or Rendezvous Bay, return Simpson Bay. Seven nights, lighter touch on St Martin and heavier on the bookend destinations. Best at the upper end of the bracket.
The St Martin stationary five-night with day-trip overlay. Embark Simpson Bay, anchor base at Grand Case or Anse Marcel for five nights, day-trip to Tintamarre and to Anguilla day-anchor, day-trip to St Barths and return. Seven nights. The bracket fits this and the stationary use simplifies the Christmas-week provisioning rhythm. Best for guests prioritising shore evenings over yacht repositioning.
For destination context see Charter St Martin, Charter St Barths, and Best charter yachts Caribbean.
What the bracket does not do well in St Martin
Stand-alone St Martin weeks. The island's anchor inventory does not support a seven-night stationary product at the bracket because the shore-side restaurant and beach club density on the French and Dutch sides is concentrated and the anchor positions repeat through the week. Build St Martin as a hub for the Leeward triangle, not as the destination itself.
Lagoon entry on tight schedules. The Simpson Bay Lagoon bridge windows are non-negotiable and missing a window costs four to six hours. Charter clients who want lagoon-side stern-to berthing should plan the embarkation and disembarkation around the published bridge schedule, and broker bookings without confirmed lagoon entry slots are the most common St Martin operational mistake at the bracket.
Hurricane-season weeks. St Martin took severe damage in Hurricane Irma in 2017 and the Princess Juliana airport, the IGY marina, and the shore-side amenities are fully rebuilt, but the hurricane-season risk pattern remains. Weeks priced into June to October at the bracket carry weather risk that the Mediterranean reposition does not.
Two we would book
For two couples, seven days in late January, Leeward triangle with two nights stationary at Tintamarre and Pinel and a St Barths and Anguilla bookend: a 43m motor yacht with 5 cabins and at-anchor stabilizers, embarkation Simpson Bay. Budget $225K plus APA, all-in roughly $300K. Booking lead time: 8 to 11 months for peak, 4 to 6 months off-peak.
For a family of 12, ten days at Christmas, hub pattern with three nights stationary at Grand Case, two nights St Barths, two nights Anguilla, and a final two nights Tintamarre: a 47m motor yacht with 6 cabins, twin tenders, embarkation Simpson Bay. Budget $275K plus APA, all-in roughly $370K. Booking lead time: 12 to 15 months minimum.
For a friend group of 10, ten days in President's week, Anguilla and St Barths bookend with three nights stationary at Grand Case and Anse Marcel: a 45m motor yacht with 5 cabins, embarkation Simpson Bay. Budget $245K plus APA, all-in roughly $330K. Booking lead time: 10 to 13 months.
Vintage and refit checks
The St Martin 40 to 50m hub fleet is the Caribbean's most-mixed bracket inventory: European builds repositioning from the Mediterranean (Benetti, Sanlorenzo, Heesen) make up roughly 50 percent, US Florida-programme tonnage (Westport, Trinity, Christensen) the other half, with the Lurssen and Feadship upper-end inventory taking the residual. A 2018 to 2024 build with current AV, full tender complement, at-anchor stabilizers, and a 2022 or later refit is the value zone. We would pass on units without documented post-Irma refit if they were active in the region in 2017, on any unit without confirmed Simpson Bay Lagoon entry or IGY marina slot in writing at contract for the embarkation day, and on any week where the lagoon bridge windows have not been verified against the booked embarkation timetable.