Phillipsburg (18°01'N 63°03'W) is situated in a well-protected bay on the southeast corner of St. Martin. The city stands on a narrow bank of sand, which separates the head of Great Bay from an inland salt pond. It is the principal town and government seat of the Dutch part of the island.
Great Bay (Groot Baai) (18°01'N 63°03'W) is entered close west of Point Blanche and is the principal anchorage of Sint Maarten. The west side of the bay consists of a narrow rocky peninsula, on the summit of which stands the ruins of Fort Amsterdam (Figure XL-5). A prominent radio mast stands about 137 m south-southwest of Fort Amsterdam. Between the entrance points, the bay is clear of dangers, but its head is bordered by a flat shelf, with irregular depths 6.2-9.8 ft (1.9 to 3 m), extending from 0.2 to 0.3 nmi offshore. The depths over the shelf are liable to change. A light is shown from Fort Amsterdam (18°01'N 63°04'W). It has been reported (2001) that the Fort Amsterdam Light is extinguished 4 hours after sunset.
Navy vessels normally anchor. Aircraft carriers and other large Naval vessels are required to anchor outside the Harbor.
Figure XL-6 is a portion of NIMA Chart # 25613 showing
St. Martin Island. Soundings are in meters. Heights are in meters above sea
level.
Figure XL-7 is a chart of Great Bay and Philipsburg
area.
Figure XL-8 is an expanded chart of Great Bay.
Figure XL-9 is a portion of NIMA Chart # 25613 showing
Great Bay and Philipsburg. Soundings are in meters. Heights are in meters above
sea level.
Figure XL-10 is a chart of the Marigot area.
Figure XL-11 is a chart of the Marigot area that
includes depth in meters.
Figure XL-12 is a portion of NIMA Chart # 25608 showing
Marigot and Baie Du Marigot (Marigot Bay). Soundings are in meters. Heights
are in meters above sea level.
An L-shaped concrete pier known as the A. C. Wathey Pier, 902.3 ft (275 m) in length, extends southwest from the coast about 0.1 nmi north of Point Blanche. There is a depth of 34.1 ft (10.4 m) alongside the pier, which is unprotected from the prevailing swell. A conspicuous tank is situated close to the south, and several prominent tanks 0.4 nmi north of the root of the pier. There are two yacht marinas on the east side of Great Bay. Bobby's Marina identified on NIMA Chart # 25613 serves as the Fleet Landing (Figure XL-13). Ex-Navy Mike Boats (73 ft (22.3 m)) and Utility Boats (50 ft (15.2 m)) are used to transport shipboard personnel to the Fleet Landing. The boats can carry 300 and 100 personnel, respectively (Figure XL-14 and Figure XL-15). The distance for boat ride from the normal anchorage area to Fleet landing is 1.5 nmi. Small USCG ships up to 110 ft (361 m) can tie up to the pier at Bobby's Marina.
An extensive land fill and cruise ship pier construction project has been completed on the east side of Great Bay between the Great Baii Marina and the A. C. Watley Pier previously described. A 1,837 ft (560 m) Cruise Jetty and wharf are now complete. The new pier is in excellent condition and is structurally sound. Figure XL-16 and Figure XL-17 provide a view of the new structures and facilities. The pier decks are concrete with teflon pads and have a deck height of 7.6 ft (2.3 m). Bollards have a 100-ton capacity and are spaced 82 ft (25 m) apart. The fendering can be seen in Figure XL-18. The minimum depth alongside is 32.8 ft (10 m). According to the Sint Maarten Ports Authority personnel during the site visit in May 2003, the Cruise Jetty is used for cruise vessels only.
Just south of the Cruise Jetty is a 886 ft (270 m) Cargo Dock (Figure XL-19). The bollards and hard rubber fendering can be seen in Figure XL-20. The wharf area is concrete with a deck height of 7.6 ft (2.3 m). The cargo dock is in excellent condition and can accommodate one cruise vessel. Cargo vessels have preference. However, the Cargo Dock can be used for all types of vessels. The coordinating authority is the Sint Maarten Ports Authority.
Anchorage is available in the southwest section of Great Bay. According to the St. Maarten Port Directory, good anchorage may be obtained, in a depth of approximately 11 m, midway between the entrance point of the bay, with White Kaap (Point Blanche) bearing approximately 110 °. Cruise ships have priority but the anchorage area is open to all types of ships. U. S. Navy and large USCG ships usually anchor in this area or further outside the Port. Pilots indicate during the site visit in May 2003 that aircraft carriers would normally anchor at 18°00.15'N 63°03.6'W. The bottom is composed of sand and provides good holding. However, all the anchorage areas are fully exposed to wind, seas, and swell from the southeast, south, and west. One note of concern is the approach taken by cruise ships when entering the harbor to anchorages or to the cruise pier.
As per a Port Visit After Action Report in June 2001, USS Ramage (DDG-61) was
provided an anchorage position southwest of Philipsburg at 18°00.20'N 63°027'W.
Ramage approached Philipsburg from the west. There were a few select visual
aids that provided great navigation cuts once they were identified. There were
no channel markers. However, the BRB Double Ball Topmark Buoy that identified
Proselyte Reef (17°59.35'N 63°03.66'W) to the east was clearly identified
and was kept 2,000 yards southeast from Ramage. Ramage approached anchorage
on a 084°T course using the green tank at the end of Point Blanche as a
head bearing and Fort William Light bearing 025°T at the drop bearing. Ramage
anchored in 49 ft of water using four shots on deck. Bottom type was sand and
held the anchor well. Other Port Visit After Action Reports identified conspicuous
NAVAIDS that include the Princes Juliana Airport Control Tower AERO, tanks on
Colebay Hill, tanks on the northwest side of Point Blanche Hill, Wathey Pier,
lighted tower located atop Fort Hill. Ships also use a tangent of Ile Forchue,
7.8 nmi southeast of St. Martin that worked very well in good visibility.
One mooring buoy is in Great Bay near the AC Wathey Pier but is not maintained
and thus not used. A Port Visit After Action Report from 1999 did indicate that
the mooring buoy located 500 yards southeast of Fort Amsterdam just outside
the bay was used to hold the stern of anchored passenger liners and was lighted
with a weak red FL 3S light.
The following paragraphs address berths and anchorages that would not be used by Naval vessels:
The minimum approach depth in Great Bay is 36.1 ft (11 m) and the minimum depth alongside the new pier is 32.8 ft (10 m). There is no range and no marked channel in Great Bay. Sea detail normally lasts 40-50 minutes when docking and 30 minutes when anchoring.
Pilotage is compulsory in Philipsburg for the Cruise Jetty and Cargo Dock. Pilots board about 8,000 yards south southwest of Fort Amsterdam at about (18°00.25'N 63°03.95'W). A pilot is also required for anchorage in the Great Bay according to the Harbor Master.
The Pilot can be contacted via VHF Channel 12. St. Martin Harbor Master is available on VHF Channels 12 or 16 and via "Saba Radio" for telephone connection. The Harbor Master is located in the vicinity of Bobby's Marina. Vessels should request a pilot 24 hours in advance. Tugs are not normally used and U. S. Navy ships generally do not use the cruise ship pier. Aircraft carriers always anchor outside the Port.
A private tug owner has tugs rated at greater than 1000 hp. John Miller can be reached locally at 557-1060. Note that Navy vessels normally anchor and do not use tugs.
As of the site visit in May 2003, Ms. Inga Jones is the Husbanding Agent. She
is located at Bobby's Marina and can be reached by phone 599-542-2366, cell
phone 011-599-562212, or fax 599-542-5442/542-2511. Her address is P.O. Box
383, Philipsburg, St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles and her email is husbanding@sintmaarten.net.
She can also be reached on VHF Channel 69.
The Sint Maarten Ports Authority can be contacted at 599-542-2348/2307/4979.
See Paragraph 2.4 for additional information on the Ports Authority.
The following publications and charts provide detailed information on St. Martin harbor and pier facilities:
National Geospacial Intelligence Agency, Sailing Directions Enroute - Pub 147
- Caribbean Sea, The British Virgin Islands and the Leeward Islands, Volume
1, Sector 8, 2001.
National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), U.S. Department of Defense, Navigation
Chart Numbers:
25613, West Indies, Lesser Antilles, Leeward Islands, Approaches to Anguilla,
Saint Martin, and Saint-Barthelemy
25608 West Indies, Plans of the Leeward Islands
St. Martin Panoramic Views web site
http://www.stmartinstmaarten.com/panoramic/panoramic.php?vr=q&node=98FortAmsterdam&title=Fort
Sint Maarten Ports Authority
http://home.no.net/portaut/
http://www.caribbeanportmanagement.com/Island%20Pages/St.%20Maarten.html