SXM sits at a junction in the Caribbean. Boats that come here for work leave in very different directions — south through the island chain, west to the Virgins, offshore to Bermuda and Europe, or southwest toward Panama and the Pacific. This guide covers practical preparation for departure and passage-planning context for each main route.
Before you leave
Do this in the 24–48 hours before departure, regardless of destination.
- Fuel. Confirmed fuel docks on both sides — see the Arriving guide fuel section. Inside the lagoon: Simpson Bay Marina (IGY) on the Dutch side, Polypat Caraïbes in the Sandy Ground channel on the French side. Outside the lagoon: Bobby's Marina Philipsburg (Dutch), Marina Fort Louis Marigot (French).
- Water. Fill your tanks before departing — passage water use is higher than at anchor. Do not use the lagoon as a watermaker intake; the water quality is not suitable. Fill from a dock.
- Provisioning. Cost U Less, Divico, and Prime on the Dutch side have broad ranges and catering-size packs. For fresh produce, roadside stands selling direct from the Dominican Republic are far better than supermarket shelves — most supermarket fruit and veg has been over-refrigerated and will not ripen. For eggs not previously refrigerated, approach the egg farmers in Columbier on the French side, or ask locally. See The Two Sides — provisioning →
- Spares and last-minute parts. Budget Marine (Cole Bay) and Island Water World (Simpson Bay Marina) are the last well-stocked chandleries before Bermuda, the Azores, and for any route south or west. If you've been putting something off, deal with it here. See Shipping Parts → for anything not in stock.
- Test everything. If you've had work done on the island, test it in the lagoon before you clear out — reverse gear, through-hulls, the engine cooling circuit, all electrical. The bridge queue is not the place to discover a problem. Allow at least half a day.
- Safety equipment. EPIRB — registration current and battery in date? Life raft — last service date? SOLAS flares — in date? SXM has safety equipment suppliers who can help if not. See Getting Work Done →
- Dinghy. Deflate or secure on davits before the bridge crossing — clearances are tight and the queue is no place for a deck-swinging inflatable.
Which way are you heading?
Southbound from SXM is broadly a beam reach — sometimes a little more north in the easterly trades, sometimes more south. The direct route to Guadeloupe is roughly 100nm passing east of St Barths and St Kitts. Antigua is around 100nm and more of a close haul. Many boats stop at St Barths first.
Timing: November through April is comfortable. From May onwards the trades become more variable. If leaving to get south before hurricane season, don't dawdle — the main season runs August through October, but early systems can appear in July.
Hurricane storage south of SXM
Curaçao (~550 nm)
Curaçao sits at approximately 12°N — comfortably below the historical hurricane track zone and one of the few genuinely safe options in the Caribbean for leaving a boat unattended over summer. Marine services infrastructure is centred around Willemstad and Spanish Water.
Panama (~1,200 nm)
Boats transiting the Panama Canal — whether circumnavigating, heading to the Pacific coast of the Americas, or bound for the Marquesas — make this commitment from SXM. You are heading southwest, against the direction of the trade winds for the first several hundred miles. This is not a downwind passage.
Timing: October through December is the standard window. Boats that have spent hurricane season in Curaçao typically target departure in October or November, transiting before the new year if possible.
The Panama Canal transit
The canal is 43nm from the Caribbean entrance at Cristobal to the Pacific exit at Balboa. Yachts under approximately 125 feet transit as "handline" vessels. The transit takes eight to ten hours and is typically split over two days with a night tied to the lock wall at Gatun.
| Fee | Amount (USD, 2024–2025) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transit tolls | ~$1,935 | For yachts under 65 ft |
| Admeasurement | ~$1,100 | First transit only — valid for the life of the vessel. Virtual process via ACP ASEM portal for most yachts. |
| Vessel scheduling | ~$500 | Handline vessels |
| EDCS | $75 | Enhanced Document Clearance System |
| Agent fee | ~$450 | Strongly recommended for first transit — handles scheduling, admeasurement, payment logistics, and line handlers |
| Total (first transit, via agent) | ~$4,000–4,500 | Payment in cash USD at Citibank Panama or via the ACP electronic system |
You need four line handlers plus the skipper. Hire through the marina (~$150/person/day) or swap crew with other waiting boats — the latter is common and free. The Panamanian courtesy flag must be flown from dawn to 18:00 in canal waters.
SXM to Road Town, Tortola is approximately 95nm across the Anegada Passage — a comfortable broad reach or downwind run with the easterly trades behind you. Typically 12–18 hours. A pre-dawn departure to arrive in daylight is standard practice.
- Soper's Hole (Tortola west end)
- Road Town, Tortola
- Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour
- Register with the BVIPO system online before you arrive — the authorities expect it and it speeds clearance considerably
- St Thomas — Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie
- St Croix
- CBP clearance required; have passports and vessel documentation ready
Florida via the Bahamas (~1,400 nm)
Timing: Best done February through April. Leave earlier and you risk winter lows pushing through the Bahamas; leave later and you're pushing toward hurricane season. Most boats target departure from SXM in February.
Bermuda (~950 nm)
Five to seven days for a well-found boat in a reasonable window. Bermuda sits at 32°N at the top of the North Atlantic subtropical high. The first 200–300nm are typically the trickiest — punching through the Caribbean trade wind zone.
- Port of entry: St George's Harbour. Contact Bermuda Radio on VHF 27 when approaching. Clear customs before going ashore.
- Timing: April and May. June departures risk getting caught by the building hurricane season while still south of Bermuda.
- Insurance: Many Caribbean policies exclude Bermuda. Check before you go.
- Bermuda has good chandleries and skilled marine services. Budget for something needing attention on arrival — it often does after a 950nm passage.
Azores (~2,400 nm)
Twelve to eighteen days non-stop. The standard approach is to head north until you pick up the North Atlantic High on your port side, then ride its northern shoulder east toward Faial. Going too far east too early puts you in the core of the high with no wind; too far west risks North American lows tracking east across the Atlantic.
- Pilot charts for April, May, and June are required pre-departure reading.
- Professional weather routing (Chris Parker's Marine Weather Center, Commanders' Weather) is widely used and worth the cost for a first crossing.
- Horta, Faial is the standard landfall. Peter's Café Sport has been the gathering point for offshore sailors for over 60 years.
- Timing: Mid-April to late May from SXM. The ARC+ fleet departs Saint-Martin in May, reaching Bermuda before heading east.
After the Azores, add another 1,000–1,200nm to the UK or the Bay of Biscay. Falmouth is the traditional Atlantic landfall for the UK; La Coruña or Bayona in Spain for those heading to the Mediterranean.
Before you go — the departure survey
If SXM delivered on what it promises — or fell short in ways that would help other cruisers to know — a two-minute departure survey is the way to tell us. The data goes back to the cruising community annually and is shared with the island's marine trade associations.
It's anonymous. And if you're coming back — which we hope you will — we'll be here.