The "Simpson Bay" Story

Map showing the Simpson Bay and lagoon.  The red arrow
points to the new Causeway with swing bridge that was just
completed.  Directly below the arrow is the drawbridge.

It was an ordinary day.  Checking the photos I have taken over the past couple of weeks while on vacation.  Carol and I had plans to try a few new experiences while on vacation in St. Martin as well as continue some of our favorites, but the weather just didn't cooperate.  About the only new thing we had a chance to try this year was having breakfast at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club so we could watch the large boats and yachts enter and exit the Simpson Bay Harbor.  

The yellow-roofed building is the Sint Maarten Yacht Club.
Next to it is the Simpson Bay drawbridge.

Neat hour or so as we watched the drawbridge raise for departing ships and a half hour later raise once again for the incoming ships.  The Simpson Bay area is a busy area with plenty of high-rise condos and hotels as well as a ton of places to eat.  Wasn't always that way years ago.  Simpson Bay used to be a Danish fishing community that had a small wood and stone bridge across the marshy area that existed to allow the water to flow in and out of the lagoon.  

Old photo I found that shows the very first bridge that
crossed the waterway into the lagoon.

That was when Simpson Bay area had less than 800 inhabitants.  But, with progress, all things must change.  The large drawbridge that exists today now opens six times a day to let the mega-yachts into the Isla del Sol Marina.  Next to this area is the Princess Juliana Airport.  Simpson Bay West is now on the western side of the bridge, closest to the airport and Simpson By East is on the side of the bridge that runs through the area known as Cole Bay.  The drawbridge that exists today is actually known as the John Sainsborough Lejuez Bridge.  

Crossing the Simpson Bay Drawbridge by car.

Years ago it was close to 40 feet wide, but with the advent of the mega-yachts and other huge sailing vessels, it became necessary to either replace or widen the drawbridge.  Years ago a fellow by the name of Leslie Wexner offered to replace or widen the bridge, but was turned down.  At the time you could see just about ever color of marine paint on the concrete walls of the bridge from the larger boats and yachts scraping the walls.  Then in 2006 the government on the Dutch side of the Sint Maarten, where the bridge resides, decided to widen the bridge.  The bridge was widened about 17 feet to it's current 56.5 feet.  Additional counter weights and arm extensions had to be added.  The bridge now can accommodate vessels up to 56 feet or 17 meters wide with a maximum draft of 17 feet or 6 meters.

This photo shows the Marietje Andrea passing through the
Simpson Bay Drawbridge.  This was the longest vessel to
ever pass through the bridge.  Took 20 minutes.

 If your vessel sits lower than appro- ximately 8 feet you can go through the passageway even when the bridge is closed.  All this naturally depends on the tide.  There is a 3mph limit in a "No Wake' zone near the drawbridge.  Passage fees vary depending upon the size of the vessel that is going through the drawbridge.  If you require a special opening of the bridge, count on close to $1,000 for that privilege.  Last year the ship carrying the new Swing-Bridge that was just built had to pass through the drawbridge.  The Marietje Andrea was 413 feet long and 49 feet wide with a gross tonnage of 5,418.  It was the longest vessel to ever enter through the Simpson Bay Drawbridge.  Pretty exciting day for the residents of the island. Well, Carol and I enjoyed our breakfast and viewing the boats entering and exiting the lagoon.  Always neat to try something new when you make a return trip to one of your favorite vacation destinations.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an oridnary guy.