Abeking and Rasmussen, the Bremen shipyard founded in 1907, builds in aluminium and composite with a precision that sets its hulls apart from most comparable yards in terms of tolerances, paint finish, and joinery quality. The yard produces both motor yachts and sailing vessels above 30 metres, with relatively few commissions completed each year and each one representing a significant investment by the owner. Chartering an A and R yacht in Saint Martin pairs this rarity with a destination that is itself split between two cultures, two currencies, and two very different approaches to Caribbean life.
Saint Martin and Sint Maarten share a 90-square-kilometre island divided between France and the Netherlands. The French side holds Marigot, the capital, with its waterfront market and boutiques, and Grand Case to the north, widely regarded as the gourmet capital of the Caribbean, where restaurants ranging from Michelin-calibre kitchens to roadside barbecue stalls operate side by side on a single main street. The Dutch side holds Simpson Bay Lagoon, the largest lagoon in the Caribbean, providing protected anchorage for hundreds of visiting yachts year-round. Abeking and Rasmussen charter rates in the Caribbean run from 80,000 euros to above 200,000 euros per week. The advance provisioning allowance adds roughly 30 percent.
Anse Marcel on the French side provides a sheltered north-coast anchorage. Oyster Pond, on the island’s east coast, straddles the border and offers a marina and calm anchorage. The lagoon’s Simpson Bay entrance provides access to the full range of Sint Maarten provisioning, fuel, and services.
