Simpson Bay and Sandy Ground Bridge in St. Maarten St. Martin

St. Maarten Island
Simpson Bay Lagoon, being the largest enclosed marina on St. Maarten, St. Martin, is serviced by two Draw Bridges allowing boats and yachts access in and out. On the Dutch Side, the bridge is located at Simpson Bay and on the French Side at Sandy Ground and both bridges have scheduled opening times.

At the Simpson Bay Bridge, opening times are 9:30 and 11:30am and 5:30pm. This schedule is adhered to except perhaps during Heineken Regatta when the bridge will open more frequently due to the increased boat traffic in and out and all bets are off.

When open, the Simpson Bay Bridge will accommodate vessels up to a maximum beam of 56.5 feet and maximum draft to 20 feet. When the bridge is closed there is 8.6 ceiling clearance and there is a 3 mph speed limit when passing through.

On the French Side at Sandy Ground, the bridge will accommodate vessels with a maximum beam of 32 feet and maximum draft of 10 feet which makes the Simpson Bay access the most utilized for all the larger boats. Bridge opening times at Sandy Ground are 8:15am, 2:30 and 5:30pm.