We visit the Dutch Caribbean Islands Sint Eustatius, Saba, and Sint Maarten. Will they make us feel at home in the tropics?
The video is in the making.
Become our patron on Patreon to get exclusive access for the first 14 days after the video is published.
Dominica (DMA) – Sint Maarten (NLD)
“I’m very curious to see the Dutch islands,” Floris confesses. We just visited several Caribbean islands, some of which were French, like Martinique and Guadeloupe, while others had a British past, like Tobago, Grenada and Dominica. The French ones truly felt like they were part of France, thanks to the street signs, the products in the supermarkets, and the amount of French people from metropolitan France. By contrast, the former British ones had their own identity and only the lefthand driving and official language betrayed their former colonial master. As we sail further north, we approach the islands that are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Sint Eustatius, Saba, and Sint Maarten. We wonder what we will encounter there, as they are neither fully independent nor fully Dutch. We will we feel at home in the Dutch Caribbean?
Former Freeport
Our first stop is Sint Eustatius, also known as Statia. We drop our anchor in Oranjebaai and paddle to the shore to check in with the authorities. We have arrived in a Dutch ‘public entity’, a kind of municipality of the Netherlands. Indeed, the Dutch flag flies above the harbour office and some of the officials are from the (European) Netherlands. Others tell us they are from the Dutch Caribbean. They are all quite formal, not overly friendly or welcoming. “It doesn’t feel like we’re Dutch people arriving on home soil,” Floris whispers, a bit disappointed. We even have to pay a fee. “Harbour dues and a departure tax,” one of the officials explains curtly when we jokingly remark that it feels strange to pay to visit one’s own country.
Once we’ve paid the fees – in US dollars, not euros that is – we climb up a trail to the centre of Oranjestad. A peculiar feeling befalls us when we recognize Dutch influences in town. Most street names are Dutch, like Kerkweg and Breedeweg. Some are English, like Sandy Road, while others are a mix, like Roisemarylaan or Cottageweg. We spot the library, which has the same logo as all Dutch libraries. On a wall opposite it is a painted portrait of our former Queen, Beatrix. Brick buildings built in the distinct Dutch architectural style of the 17th and 18th century are being restored, but they seem out of place in this tropical setting. We also notice that the main language is English, not Dutch. We are excited to recognize familiar designs and names, yet also realize that the island certainly has its own identity.
At the old fort towering over Oranjebaai, Fort Oranje, we admire the view and read up on history. An American ship was greeted from here during the Revolutionary War, perhaps by accident, making the Netherlands the first country to recognize the United States as a sovereign state. The event is celebrated to this day.
In the island’s museum we learn that in the 18th century the island was also called the Golden Rock. Back then, the entire Oranjebaai was lined with warehouses. Records show that in 1779 more than 3,000 ships from Europe, America, and Africa called at Oranjestad, as many as in Amsterdam that year. Sometimes there were 200 ships in Oranjebaai at the same time. Just about everything was traded with everyone in this freeport of the Dutch Caribbean: from sugar and tobacco to weapons and enslaved people. When the English realized that our ancestors also supplied weapons to the American revolutionaries, they sent a military expedition to Oranjestad. In 1781 they subdued the Dutch and put an abrupt end to the island’s prosperity.
Bright Spots
The Netherlands did regain control of the island, but Statia never became a Dutch Caribbean hotspot again. Even nowadays, few tourists visit. Many buildings are in urgent need of renovation and the gigantic oil terminal on the northern tip of the island is not exactly a textbook example of a future-proof business model. But we also see bright spots. We hike over beautiful trails to green oases and mountain peaks, which offer a fantastic view of the island, the surrounding sea, and a meadow with solar panels. We stroll over a vast and deserted sandy beach. Behind it, trees and shrubs are being planted to give nature a helping hand and protect the coast from further erosion. “They are surely making an effort,” Floris notes optimistically. Still, to us Statia feels like a somewhat overlooked and undervalued part of the Kingdom.
Anchored in Oranjebaai, Statia
Downtown Oranjestad, Statia
Dutch street names in Oranjestad, Statia
Fort Oranje on Statia
Luci at gunpoint from Fort Oranje, Statia
Statia’s highest mountain awaits our hike
View from Statia with Saba on the background
Seedlings are protected from the wind at a reforestation site on Statia
Volcano Mountain
After a few days, we check out of Statia and set course to Saba. With the eastern trade wind behind us, we reach it in only a few hours. We could identify the island from afar by its characteristic cone shape; it’s an ancient volcanic mountain. While that makes for a stunning sight, it does mean that there is no good anchorage. It’s simply to deep and steep, even close to shore. Fortunately, mooring buoys for visitors have been placed on the island’s western side. We pick one and are pleasantly surprised by how well-sheltered we are from the wind and ocean swell. On the downside, it is a few kilometres from the small harbour of Fort Bay. We jump in the kayak and start paddling. “This is only possible in calm weather,” Floris concludes. It may be quite exhausting, but the long paddle proves to be a stunning trip along the steep, green walls of the volcano. Landscape-wise, this rugged island of the Dutch Caribbean could not be a bigger contrast to the flat Netherlands!
In Fort Bay a big painted sign welcomes us to Saba. We must clear customs (and pay fees, in USD) again, even though we are coming from another public entity of the Netherlands. The officers are all very friendly and laid-back, so we don’t mind. Once we’re cleared-in, we want to make our way to the island’s capital, The Bottom. Contrary to what the name suggests, it’s quite a way uphill along a very steep, winding road. We don’t have to walk, however, as we can catch a ride from the first person we ask. Picking up hitchhikers, we learn, is part of the island culture. The gesture seems typical of the population. We have rarely been treated so exceptionally friendly by everyone as on Saba.
The Bottom turns out to be a picture-perfect little town with white houses and orange roofs, each very well-maintained. We are thrilled to find original rainforest right on the edges of town. We thank our driver and step from the car straight into the green. From here we hike over narrow paths through lush surroundings, gradually higher and higher. An hour or so later we find ourselves at the start of the trail to the top of Mount Scenery. The weather looks like it could clear up, so we continue our ascent. It proves to be quite a climb. Indeed, at its 887 metres above sea level the volcanic mountain is the highest mountain in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the mountain offers not much scenery today. From the top, we mostly see clouds. Very Dutch!
Ecosystem Restoration
Thanks to our friends Karin and Jeroen from SY White Pearl, we meet Alwin Hylkema. He leads a research and ecosystem restoration project on the island. “Just like on many other Caribbean islands, Saba’s coral is in poor condition. There are various causes. Fish that eat algae, which are harmful to coral, have been overfished. On top of that, the coral has a disease, so it is not as strong as it used to be. Sea urchins, which also eat algae, also got sick. And finally, the water in the Caribbean is quite polluted. As a result of these factors, algae took over. To fight the algae, we breed sea urchins and then release them close to the coral. We provide a protected structure, so they are protected against predators. And we release them at a young age, so they can learn to feed at night and hide during the day,” Alwin explains. “It’s an example of assisted natural recovery.”
Research has shown that these sea urchins are essential for healthy coral reefs around Saba. Yet helping coral is still challenging, Alwin adds, as there are many factors affecting coral, including climate breakdown, which causes coral bleaching and ultimately coral death. Still, releasing algae-eaters on the reefs around Saba appears to be a promising way to assist the coral survive. Like Alwin, we hope that this Dutch example can be applied elsewhere in the world, too!
The trip from Statia to Saba is only a few hours
Closing in on Saba
Luci at her Saba mooring
There is a ladder from Saba’s mooring field
Kayaking from the mooring to the harbour in Saba
Welcome on Saba
The Bottom, Saba’s main town
Houses are very well maintained on Saba
Dutch police car on Saba
On our way to the peak of Mount Scenery on Saba
View on Saba’s airport from Mount Scenery
The highest peak in the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Statia as seen from Saba
Moored at Saba
Alwin shows artificial reefs that help grow the sea urchins
Alwin shows a young sea urchin
Shared Island
When the wind increases, the comfort at our mooring quickly diminishes. We release the bow line and set sail again. All day long we tack our way to Sint Maarten, or rather, Saint Martin. After all, the island is partly Dutch and partly French. We first head for the French part because we have a reservation at a shipyard to de-mast the main mast. Time Out Boat Yard (TOBY) offered a competitive rate, and they are experienced. “We de-mast all the boats we store here during the hurricane season,” manager Keith says matter-of-factly. He skilfully operates a crane to lift his colleague halfway up the mast, so he can attach a sling to it. Not much later the mast comes off and dangles from the crane.
As soon as Keith has positioned the mast on a few old oil drums, it’s our turn. We touch up damaged paint and install a new electric cable. Marc, an excellent welder, makes damaged rigging plates stronger than they ever were. Within a week, just before the shipyard closes for the holidays, the main mast stands proudly upright again, and we can finally explore the island.
Ubuntu Christmas
We leave the lagoon of Marigot, pass through a bridge, and drop anchor at Grande Case, on the northeast side of the island. It’s not as busy here as in Marigot, but quite the contrast to sleepy Saba, where there was only one other boat. Now we are surrounded by a daily changing group of up to 50 boats. In town, fancy restaurants, beach tourists, and lots of traffic remind us that Saint Martin is a very popular holiday destination. We flee the scene by following hiking trails. One day we walk along the rugged shore of a national park, on another we climb the island’s highest peak, from where we get good views over both the French and Dutch side. While much of the island is built-up, there is still some nature left, fortunately, not least because some areas on the French side are protected.
One day, Dutch sailors Adeline and Hans treat us to lunch at a restaurant on one of the beautiful beaches. They live on the island and had spotted on social media that we were here. What a treat! During the delicious meal, Hans tells us that the damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017 is still being repaired. We also hear that solar panels on roofs are prohibited here because of the storms, which is understandable but doesn’t really help the renewable energy transition.
When we are back in Grande Case, we are tempted to book a table at one of the many good restaurants in our bay. It’s Christmas, as a rather sad Christmas tree in a parking lot, Christmas parades on the water and in the streets of Marigot, and shop decorations are trying to tell us. Yet Christmas in the tropics just doesn’t work for us. The decision is quickly made. Instead of spending money on a fancy dinner, we decide to pass on the ubuntu spirit that we learned about in South Africa and donate money to a charity. Ubuntu!
Dutch (Trade) Spirit
Just after Christmas, we receive an e-mail about our sails. After blowing out the gennaker twice and then getting a big tear in the main sail, we ordered new ones from our sailmaker and partner UK de Vries Sails in the Netherlands. They are on their way and should arrive in the new year, we read! We check out of the French side and sail around the northern side of Saint Martin to the Dutch part. The sails will be delivered there.
After a pleasant day on the water, we enter the bay of Philipsburg, where we see no less than five huge cruise ships moored in the harbour. While we prepare for anchoring, water taxis and jet skis fly past us left and right. We eventually find a spot at the anchorage close to Pleuni and Jouke of SY Olim. It’s a happy reunion with our friends and being able to speak our mother tongue with them adds to the feeling of familiarity.
On shore tourists, restaurants, and countless shops dominate. There is even a Dutch cheese shop. “What a lively place, dominated by trade,” Ivar laughs. “It’s like a tropical version of Volendam. It can’t get any more Dutch than this, can it?” Floris agrees. As a country within the Kingdom, Sint Maarten has a large degree of independence, but the Dutch trading spirit is definitely there. On the other hand, it has its own currency and English is the most widely spoken language. Indeed, the only Dutch road sign we find is “bushalte” for a (disused) bus stop.
Perhaps we feel most at home in the Dutch Caribbean on New Year’s Eve. But that’s because of the food and company, not so much the surroundings. At the request of the coast guard, we move Luci to make room for a large barge. Ivar spends the rest of the day baking oliebollen, while Pleuni and Jouke have bought Dutch cheese, which they have cut into cubes. After dinner, we make our way to shore to watch the fireworks launched from the barge and toast to 2024, together with hundreds of locals. Everyone is dressed up and in high spirits. At home in the Dutch Caribbean? It’s sure is gezellig here!
Marigot, St Martin
Our main mast is taken off at St Martin
Time for maintenance
View from St Maarten’s highest point
Christmas on St Martin
Tropical Christmas vibe in Marigot, St Martin
Lunch with sailors Adeline and Hans on St Maarten
Philipsburg, St Maarten, on a calm day
Luci anchored in Philipsburg, St Maarten
View on Philipsburg, St Maarten, from our anchorage