Many cruisers spend weeks or months in SXM while work is underway. Here is the practical information that makes living aboard comfortable while you're here.
Water
Dutch side
- Budget Marine and Island Water World both have water available at their facilities
- Simpson Bay Marina, Bobby's Marina, and most other marinas have water on the dock for berth holders
- Jerrycan fills from the dinghy dock are possible at several locations — ask at the marina office
French side
- Marina Fort Louis has water on the dock for berth holders
- Water also available at the Île Marine fuel station near the Sandy Ground bridge
Water quality: SXM's water supply is desalinated and safe to drink. Most sailors use it for washing and run their own watermaker for drinking water. Note that lagoon water itself is not clean enough for a watermaker intake — if you need to run your watermaker, do so in open water outside the lagoon.
Fuel
See the Arriving guide fuel section for a full list of fuel docks on both sides with contact details. In summary:
Dutch side
- Simpson Bay Marina (IGY) — diesel and petrol, accessible by boat
- Bobby's Marina, Philipsburg — diesel, direct sea access, no bridge
French side
- Polypat Caraïbes — in the Sandy Ground bridge channel, lagoon side
- Marina Fort Louis, Marigot — ultra-low-sulphur diesel, no bridge required
- Anse Marcel Marina — fuel dock, direct sea access
By jerrycan: Most marinas will allow jerrycan fills at the fuel dock. Fine for small quantities — for anything significant, plan to move the boat to the dock.
Laundry
Dutch side
- Several laundromats near the Cole Bay / Simpson Bay marina area
- Simpson Bay Marina has laundry facilities for berth holders
- Lagoon Marina (Lagoonies) offers laundry drop-off service
- Ask at your marina office for the closest option to your berth
French side
- Laundry services available near Marigot town
- Marina Fort Louis has laundry facilities for berth holders
- Ask locally or at the marina office for current options
Provisioning
For a full breakdown of supermarkets and markets on both sides, see the Two Sides guide — provisioning section →
French side wins on quality and variety. Most cruisers based on the Dutch side make regular trips to the Marigot market — Wednesday and Saturday mornings for fresh fish and produce. The bus from Simpson Bay to Marigot takes 30–40 minutes and costs $2.
Waste oil disposal
Do not dispose of waste oil in the water. SXM is a small island and the lagoon is a closed environment — improper disposal affects the whole marine community.
Boatyards on both sides have waste oil collection facilities. Ask at Bobby's Marina, the MegaYard or Rockstar Marine on the Dutch side, or at JMC, TOBY, or Polypat on the French side. Budget Marine can also advise on the current disposal point if you're unsure.
Wifi and communications
Marina wifi is unreliable. Simpson Bay Lagoon wifi is notoriously patchy — do not rely on marina wifi for anything bandwidth-intensive. This site is specifically designed to work on limited connectivity.
Dutch side SIM cards
- TelEm and Chippie — both offer prepaid data SIMs at shops in Simpson Bay and Philipsburg
- Dutch-side SIMs generally provide the best data coverage across most of the lagoon
- T-Mobile US customers often have roaming that works on the Dutch side — check your plan before arrival
French side SIM cards
- Orange and Digicel available in Marigot
- French-side SIMs work well on the French side of the lagoon and in the anchorages along the north and east coast
- EU roaming applies for EU SIM cards on the French side
Starlink: If you have Starlink, it works well throughout the island and lagoon and is the most reliable option for high-bandwidth use.
Medical
Medical care is readily available on both sides of the island. The key contacts are below — save these before you need them.
Emergency contacts
Dutch side Emergency
Emergency (all services)
911
French side Emergency
SAMU (medical emergency)
15
Centre Hospitalier Louis Constant Fleming — 24h emergency (urgences)
+590 590 52 26 29
Rue Louis Constant Fleming, Marigot
The hospital is accessible by road in 15–20 minutes from anywhere on the island. Princess Juliana Airport (Dutch side) has direct connections to the US and Europe and is the logistics hub for air ambulance services in the northeastern Caribbean.
Non-emergency care
Dutch side
- St. Maarten Health Care Clinic — non-emergency consultations
+1 721 544 3568 · Welfare Road, Cole Bay - Pharmacy — within the shopping area near Simpson Bay marina
- Dr. Halley's Dental Clinic
+1 721 544 3080
French side
- General practitioners, Marigot — several practices accept walk-in patients most mornings, no appointment usually needed for routine consultations
- Pharmacies — several on or near the main street in Marigot
- SXM Dental Clinic — implants, orthodontics, cosmetic, emergency
+590 690 66 55 55 · Immeuble Soualiga, Bellevue, Marigot
sxmdentalclinic.com - Cabinet Dentaire des Caraïbes
+590 590 29 21 01 · Rue de la République, Marigot
cdc97150.com