The "Ship and Egg Yokes" Story

Click to enlarge.  The Simpson Bay drawbridge can be seen in
the center of the photo.  The building to the right of the drawbridge
with the yellow roof with red and yellow stripes is the Yacht Club.

It was an ordinary day.  Eating bacon and eggs over easy with home fries and toast while Carol is having fruit with an  English muffin.  Today's breakfast is at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club on the Dutch side of the island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin.  The club is at #90 Welfare Road, directly next to the drawbrige and is known worldwide for its St. Maarten Heineken Regatta which is held the first weekend of March every year.  

Carol watching a boat come through the drawbridge.

For years we would pass over the Simpson Bay drawbridge during our travels around the island, but never thought of stopping at the tiny property called the Sint Maarten Yacht Club which is right next to the drawbridge and where chairs are lined along the water to watch everything from dingys to mega yachts go through.  

Drawbridge beginning to open.

Then one night last year, while having supper with a friend we met on TravelTalk- Online, which is an online travel forum, Norm asked if we had ever eaten at the club.  Told us of all the fun times he and Betty had watching the ships go through while having a meal.  So, we knew we had to try something new this year during our visit to the island.  

Very large sailboat flying the British
flag passes through the drawbridge.

The bridge has set times for inbound and outbound traffic and Carol and I decided we wanted to watch both so we arrived for breakfast this morning about 5 minutes before the bridge opened to the outbound traffic.  After viewing a disappointing three small craft pass through the drawbridge, we had a leisurely breakfast and conversation with our waitress, trying to stretch out the time until the next opening.  The hour passed and the bridge opened once again and I had my camera ready.  One catamaran went through, then a series of very large yachts went through followed by a boat that seemed to be floating on air.  

Yacht Club flags from all over the world cover the ceiling
of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club.

Passed me and I realized it was a tunnel-hull vee boat with a central hull and a pontoon on either side.  Pretty neat design.  When all boats had passed and the drawbridge had descended, we called it a day and after saying Goodbye to our waitress, headed to the capital of the French side of the island, Marigot, to visit our favorite art gallery on the island.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - A few more photos from the yacht club follow.  Remember to click on them to enlarge them.