St Martin / St Maarten to St Barts Ferry Service or Private Boat Charter

When planning a vacation to St Barts, one first needs to decide do I want to fly there on a small plane flying from a nearby island to St Barts, or do I want to get to St Barts by boat from St Martin?

For those who decide to get to St Barts by boat, the question then becomes “Which ferry services should I use?” or “What city is most convenient to set sail from?”. If you prefer a speedy private boat option over a trip on a ferry, there are several companies to choose from.  

We will lay out all the options for you, public and private, so by the time you finish reading this page you will have a good idea which boat service option is the best for you. 

Using a high speed ferry or private boat charter to travel from St Martin to St Barts is a  great option for people who do not like flying, or whose flights don't get into St Martin until after sunset as boats can leave the island later in the day than planes. This way, you don't have to worry about your flight being delayed and missing your connection into St Barts. Another benefit of traveling by boat is that you can bring more luggage than you can on the small planes servicing St Barts.

How to get to St Barts on a Ferry or a Private Charter Boat:

• Scheduled Ferry Boat Service from St Martin / St Maarten to St Barts
• Great Bay Express
• Voyager Ferry Company
• Private Charter Boat Service to St Barts (St Barths)
• Master Ski Pilou private boat charter company
• Jicky Marine private boat charter company
• Once you arrive by ferry or private boat in St Barts

St. Barths Bucket Regatta

The WIMCO Villas Air Department can set-up your flights from the US or Europe into St Martin / Sint Maarten’s Princess Juliana Airport, then make ferry and private boat charter reservations for you that will get you into St Barts.

Ready to book your boat trip? Send an email to info@wimco.com or call 1-800-449-1553 to set-up your ferry or private yacht service to St Barths.

Scheduled Ferry Boat Service from St Martin / St Maarten to St Barts

St. Barts (St. Barths or Saint Barthélemy) ranks among the Caribbean’s signature sailing destinations. No surprise that this legendary isle in the French West Indies is a host to high-profile yacht races. Among the best-known, without question, is the St. Barths Bucket Regatta.

This four-day, invitation-only race typically falls in mid-March, drawing sailing superyachts from all over the world. Inspired by a Nantucket event, it benefits greatly from the unique nature of the coastline of St. Barts: the coves and headlands, the reefs and offshore islets, and steady tradewinds. 

In this guide, we’ll dig into the unique spirit of this regatta, break down its rules and categories, and reveal how sailing enthusiasts can appreciate it firsthand — from onshore viewpoints to WIMCO-facilitated “ride-alongs.” 

After arriving at St Maarten’s Airport (SXM) you can take the ferry to St Barts. There are two routes that public ferries take when traveling by ferry from St Martin to St Barts. 

Great Bay Express operates from the dutch side city of Philipsburg (close to the Princess Juliana Airport). The trip to St. Barts takes 45 minutes one way. The service runs 3 times a day in peak season (November - April). 

Great Bay Express operates two ferry boats, Pride of St Barth, a 68 foot long boat that carries 99 Passengers, and Big B, a 120 foot long boat that carries 150 Passengers. Both boats have AC, and bathrooms.

 The total capacity is 130 passengers and the ride takes a short 45 minutes

A second company, Voyager,  operates from the French side city of Marigot. The trip to St Barts takes 60 minutes one way. The service runs 3 times a day in peak season (November - April). 

You will travel on a 93 foot hydrofoil catamaran called The Voyager 3 Dreamliner, that can carry up to 164 passengers. While on board, relax on a sun or shade decks and enjoy complimentary drinks offered by the professional and friendly crew.

Travelers should note that taking a ferry or private boat charter from St Martin to St Barts requires a 15 mile trip across open ocean. While the waters are often relatively calm, on occasion the waves can be large, and when that happens the voyage can be rough. 

Those travelers who are worried about getting motion sickness may want to consider flying from St Martin to St Barts.

Great Bay Express (Ferry)

What Makes the St. Barths Bucket Regatta Unique?

Great Bay Express Ferry offers ferry service to St Barts from docks in Philippsburg, close to the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM).

Travel time: approximately 45 minutes one way

Great Bay Express Ferry Rates* between St Martin and St Barts

Children 3 years old and under are traveling for free.

* NOTE: the ferry companies may change rates at their discretion, and that rates vary by season, so call to check rates when you are ready to book.

From its inception, St. Barths Bucket Regatta has always been an invitation-only event, and one targeting sail boats classified as superyachts: that is, classic sailing boats exceeding 100 feet in length at the waterline. (The main overall length [LOA] cutoff is 30.5 meters. As we’ll explain, though, there is a category for shorter sailcraft.) 

This St. Barts regatta has also always emphasized spirited yet gentlemanly competition. There’s no prize money at stake, no advertisements or sponsorships involved. The only honor regatta participants strive for is the chance to win the prized “Bucket Cup” itself. 

Great Bay Express Ferry Schedule from St Martin (Phillipsburg) to St Barts (Gustavia)

Great Bay Express Ferry Schedule from St Barts (Gustavia) to St Martin (Phillipsburg)

Why do competitors and onlookers alike value the St. Barths Bucket Regatta?  

Tickets are for sale at the travel agency Saint Barth Tours and Travel, Gare Maritime on La Pointe in Gustavia. You can also call the Great Bay Express at +590 590 52 45 06, fax them at +590 590 52 41 38, or email them at sbh.ferry@orange.fr.

Voyager Ferry Company

Voyager offers ferry service from the town docks at Marigot, Saint Martin. Tickets can be bought in advance (Contact us and we’ll be happy to book this for you for the same price you would book it at Voyager Ferry Company or call them directly at +590-590-871-068), or you can walk up and buy tickets at the desk. 

WIMCO’s Insider Tip: If you arrive in Marigot early, consider trying out one of the excellent French restaurants near the ferry dock, or window shopping in the square that sits in front of the ferry dock.

Ferry Rates* between Marigot, St Martin or Oyster Pond, St Martin and Gustavia, St Barths with Voyager Ferry Company  

Besides the perfection of the island itself, there’s the singular pleasure of seeing the globe’s priciest and most impressive sailing boats square off against each other — for honor and sheer enjoyment of competing rather than for treasure. 

It’s the job of the Race Committee to convince the most competitive boat owners on the planet that having fun is more important than winning.

There’s also a charitable element to the St. Barths Bucket Regatta. Every year, organizers funnel part of the entry fees into a donation to a local non-profit on the island. 

In 2022, for example, the regatta supported the Youth Sailing Program at the St. Barths Yacht Club as well as the Territorial Fire & Rescue Service of Saint-Barthélemy.

St. Barths Bucket Regatta Rules & Yacht Classification

*Departure Taxes/Port Fees: when travelling between St. Maarten / St. Martin and Barts, a departure tax must be paid at check-in before departure. The rate is US $15 / one way or return trip.

*NOTE: the ferry companies may change rates at their discretion, and that rates vary by season, so call to check rates when you are ready to book.

Private Charter Boat Service to St Barts (St Barths)

There are several private boat charter companies that provide a high-speed boat trip from St Martin to St Barts for those travelers who are willing to pay a premium to get on a boat as soon as they land in St Martin. 

If you are not familiar with one or more of the private boat charter companies, contact WIMCO’s Travel Services team at info@wimco.com for a recommendation and pricing. WIMCO can also book your passage, and has a best rate guarantee. Here are several options for last minute high-speed charter service from St Martin to St Barts. 

Master Ski Pilou private boat charter company

Water taxi service between St Martin and St Barts, and between Anguilla and St Barts. In St Martin they can pick you up near the airport in Philipsburg, or at the town dock in Marigot.

Tel: +590-590-279-179

Jicky Marine private boat charter company

Water taxi service from Sint Maarten to St Barts. They can pick you up near the Princess Juliana International Airport in Philipsburg, or at the town dock in Marigot. Their prices are starting at 1300 € for 10 passengers, including: fuel, crew, open bar, beach towel and snorkeling gear. There is a charter tax, 10 € / person. Please note that prices vary by time of day and season and may be changed based on demand, so contact WIMCO for the most up to date pricing.

Tel:+590-590-277-034

St Martin to St Barts Ferry Service or Boat Charter

Ready to book your ferry boat or private boat charter trip? Send an email to WIMCO’s travel services team at info@wimco.com or call 1-800-449-1553.

Once you arrive by ferry or private boat in St Barts

Travelers taking a ferry or high-speed private boat charter from St Martin to St Barts will arrive at the ferry dock in Gustavia. There is an immigration desk at the ferry dock office where you will present your passport. 

Once you clear immigration you are ready to experience St Barts! If you are staying in a villa, a representative from your local villa rental agency will meet you at the arrivals door at the ferry station. 

WIMCO’s Insiders Tip: Ask your local villa rental agency to have your rental car waiting for you at the ferry station parking lot in Gustavia. Your local representative will load your luggage into your rental car, and will escort you up to your villa. If you are staying in a hotel, a hotel minivan will be waiting for you when you clear immigration and will take you directly to your hotel.

The racing event plays out along the coast of St. Barts and among its offshore isles. Its rendezvous point for participating yachts lies just outside Gustavia’s postcard-perfect harbor.

How to Enter the St. Barths Bucket Regatta

The Bucket Stewards decide which yachts get an invitation for the regatta each year. You can request an invitation by getting in touch with the Race Committee Event Manager at jeanne@bucketregattas.com. 

Those yacht owners who land an invite receive an entry application and Notice of Race in October. They need to file their entry application by mid-December, then pay the entry fee by the first of the year. 

St. Barths Bucket Regatta – A Brief History

The invitation-only St. Barths Bucket Regatta kicked off back in March 1995. 

That inaugural year, a mere four yachts composed the fleet: 

• 131-foot S&S ketch SARIYAH
• Tom Taylor’s 108-foot Ron Holland ketch GLEAM
• Nelson Doubleday’s 130-foot Palmer Johnson ketch MANDALAY
• 127-foot Alden Designs ketch PARLAY.

The roots of the Bucket Regatta, though, extend back further in time. The original iteration of the event was held on Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts in August 1986. 

That contest came about thanks to a Nantucket birthday party hosted by Nelson Doubleday. There, party-goers vigorously debated the hallmarks of the perfect yacht design, plus how various individuals’ seamanship stacked up against one another. This sparked the idea for an entirely impromptu race to be held the next day. 

Seven sailing superyachts thus squared off along a speedily schemed 15-mile Nantucket Sound course. The agreed-upon prize was yearlong bragging rights, but a bucket was spontaneously fetched — and filled with champagne — to additionally award the winner. This marked the birth of the Nantucket Bucket Regatta, which continued until 2001. 

While the Nantucket regatta ended up moving to Newport, Rhode Island, and continued there for a number of years more, the St. Barts event today is the main torchbearer for the Bucket Regatta tradition. 

The St. Barths Bucket Regatta has certainly grown since that four-yacht fleet of 1995. In recent years, 40 or more super sailing yachts have gathered to compete for the coveted St. Barths Bucket.

The Social Side of the St. Barths Bucket Regatta – Things to Do

© www.bucketregatta.com

Not only does this four-day regatta feature world-class racing but there are also plenty of festive post-race social activities in Gustavia’s waterfront race village. 

Anyone visiting St. Barts during the sailing competition can walk down to the main quay in downtown Gustavia and see the spectacular superyachts up close. 

The race village in Gustavia features activities and live music each night after the races. You’ll find all of Gustavia’s Harbor energized by the event during the Bucket Regatta week, especially after sundown. 

Where Can I View the Boats Competing in the St. Barths Bucket Regatta?

© www.bucketregatta.com

Watching the spectacular boats sail around St. Barts is a popular pastime during Bucket Regatta week. During the day, sailing fans gather at hillside villas or on coastal roads in Gustavia, Pointe Milou, Colombier, Toiny, and Flamands to see the passing fleet. Fort Carl in Gustavia is another popular vantage.

Anyone interested in taking in a few minutes of the racing can pull over at any number of spots to see the boats as they circle the island. 

However,  if you’d like a more up-close and personal view of these elite sailing crafts in action, WIMCO Villas can make it happen. 

We can help arrange a chartered yacht for you to motor alongside the racers. Many visitors choose this absolutely one-of-a-kind way to experience the Bucket Regatta. 

To secure a Yacht Broker Referral for this purpose, get in touch with us at info@wimco.com or via our online Air & Charter Form.

Results From the 2022 St. Barths Bucket Regatta

Winner  CLASS A: Les Gazelles des Mers – HETAIROS

Winner CLASS B: Les Elegantes des Mers – AQUARIUS

Winner CLASS C: Les Mademoiselles del Mers – KAWIL

Winner CLASS D:  Les Grand Dames des Mers – ROSEHEARTY

Winner CLASS E: L' Esprit de Mer – SYMMETRY

Winner CLASS F: Les Petites Dames – FREYA

More information about the results of the 2022 race.

Where Can I Stay During the St. Barths Bucket Regatta?

The popularity of the regatta and its winter break / mid-March timing make St Barths Bucket Regatta week the second biggest tourism week of the year after New Year’s Eve week. 

If you plan to vacation in St Barts during this week, you can rent a villa or reserve one or more rooms at a hotel. Given how popular the event is, you are advised to make your reservations as early as possible to ensure that you get the villa or hotel rooms that best suit your specific needs.

Note:  WIMCO Villas is the official villa rental and concierge services partner of the St Barths Bucket Regatta. Interested in vacationing in St Barts during the Regatta? Browse Villas or contact WIMCO Villas.

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St. Barths Bucket Regatta Videos