Night time view of Dock Maarten filled with mega yachts. (Edward Penagos photo)
By Robert Luckock
PHILIPSBURG--The construction of Dock Maarten in Great Bay is nothing new. Its evolvement has been progressing steadily in different phases over the years, mostly unseen from the general public. While not fully completed in other areas on shore, the marina itself has now reached its zenith, poised to welcome to its newest slips some of the largest mega-yachts in the world for the 2024/25 season.
As of this writing, the marina is fully booked. Unsurprisingly, Dock Maarten recently attracted the attention of influential “Marina World Magazine” which penned a detailed and complimentary piece on the facility. For this upcoming season the family-owned non-branded marina will receive more than 15 mega-yachts. Six to seven of them will require 100-metre(328ft)-plus slips with drafts up to five metres (16ft). A further 20 boats under 25 metres (82ft) can also be accommodated.
It is all a far cry from the humble beginnings 45 years ago when Michel Deher began constructing the marina in 1978 with his brothers from what was then called Great Bay Marina. It was his vision that led to the state-of-the art marina we see today.
“It started before that in the ’50s when I was growing up. Great Bay was our playground for swimming and boating. We would use the roofs of old cars and paddle around,” Michel reminisced. “More people started getting boats and I was just getting into the construction business.
“My first attempt to build a marina with a friend didn’t work out, but later I was able to obtain the property where we are now from the island government on long lease, and sold my house in Guana Bay. St. Maarten didn’t have a real marina at the time and only Bobby (Velasquez) had a small marina.
“When we first opened, the ground swells in the wintertime were so bad that we had to close Chesterfields restaurant because it was built on a wooden deck. But we later managed to build a stone breakwater which then gave us more protection and enabled us to build piers on the inside. But we also had to contend with Hurricanes Frederick and David which wiped out the piers.
Early stages of Dock Maarten construction. (Edward Penagos photo)
“Fast forward to 1997 when Brian Deher, who had just finished college, became involved with his father in planning a new and bigger phase of the marina. Today Brian is founder and managing director of St. Maarten Ultra Marine, a marina services company.
“The catalyst for us was when the port started their expansion plans and began dredging in around 1998 and 1999 for the cruise ship pier and there was talk of a boardwalk,” Brian recalls. “We had environmental studies done at that time by Delft University who had done a wave model for the port. It wasn’t until 2014 that, working with government, we obtained the water rights and permits, and were able to start construction in 2016 and 2017. But then Hurricane Irma came followed by COVID which delayed construction.
Managing Director Brian Deher pictured on the docks at Dock Maarten Marina. (Robert Luckock photo)
“During that time we took the opportunity to sell some real estate, bought a dredge, learnt how to use it and did enough dredging to accommodate yachts up to 170ft and that was a successful season for us. But because we got held up for so long we were well behind the other marinas in Simpson Bay Lagoon.”
The transition from occasional mega-yacht visits to St. Maarten becoming an in-demand home-porting hub every season has seen the island reap the economic benefits ever since. Prior to the marina development in Simpson Bay Lagoon, Great Bay was the place to be. Even Budget Marine started there with a small shop.
“Not only did marinas grow proportionally but so did all the support services such as FKG Rigging, Budget Marine and others. It’s been a great growth cycle for the last two decades,” adds Michel. “We believe this growth will continue indefinitely because there are way more mega-yachts being built every year than there are slips to accommodate them.
Overhead view of Dock Maarten marina with the cofferdam visible on the right jutting out into the bay. (Edward Penagos photo)
“We are complementary to the marinas in Simpson Bay Lagoon, and agents are delighted that we can take the bigger vessels whereas as before the yachts would have to go to Antigua or St. Thomas to find slips big enough for them. So this is good for the agents, for provisioning, support services and other stakeholders. Our emphasis is on expanding services. The aim is always to get yachts to stay longer, as that provides more opportunities for jobs and repair work.”
Dock Maarten has the advantage of accommodating very large mega-yachts that cannot fit through the Simpson Bay Bridge or do not want to be restricted by bridge opening times. Besides, Great Bay is convenient for yachts going to St. Barths, a 14-mile hop to a location always high in demand for A-listers and well-heeled charter guests.
The marina stands out from other marinas due to two striking features. The first is an eye-popping 624ft-long 40ft-wide cofferdam that two super yachts can tie up to on either side, the largest private dock in the Caribbean. It was completed in December 2023. This coming season will see the cofferdam used for the second time.
Close up of the impressive cofferdam (Robert Luckock photo)
The massive $3-million plus structure is completely enclosed with sheet piling on either side. It serves as a breakwater to protect the inner basin of the marina from swells and, importantly, any type of vehicle can be driven on it; fuel tanker trucks, maintenance vehicles, 100-ton crane, provisioning vehicles, even scaffolding can be erected for any special work needed to service the yachts. Not to be mistaken for a runway, it is a roadway wide enough for two-way traffic.
The second feature is an intricate underwater mooring system, a technological marvel that is as complex as it sounds but offers the marina the flexibility to use this system in conjunction with side-to dockage, depending on the requests of captains and the number of mega-yachts in the marina. In simple terms, a diver from the marina assists the incoming yacht captain in connecting a line to the mooring. Once connected the yacht has rock-solid stability.
Michel Deher has always been hands-on with the construction, all through the process. The entire marina is hurricane-proof, all concrete and steel. Pedestals into which mega-yachts plug for electricity and water are encased in concrete with hardwood doors for access. More than US $10 million has been invested in the marina alone, not including salaries and other expenses, but only $10,000 has been spent on marketing as there is such a high demand for the large slips Dock Maarten offers.
Michel Deher in the cab of a backhoe during the construction phase (Edward Penagos photo)
“I’m very proud of what we have achieved. It has taken a long time to get here from the plans we had 20 years ago, but we have done everything government has asked us to do,” Michel said. “I’m pleased to say that some of my family members will be returning from the Netherlands to work at the marina. Our General Manager is Steve ‘Skippy’ Hammond assisted by Christy Steyn.”
The boardwalk from the port is supposed to come through the property, separated from the marina International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) zone which is entirely fenced off. Once that decision is made it opens up the possibility of retail shops for cruise ship passengers. There are still four acres of property to be developed for maintenance workshops and professional support services that already exist in Cole Bay, and offices for yacht and provisioning agents.
Currently marina facilities include Chesterfields restaurant, Grumpy’s crew bar, marina offices, private showers and bathrooms, a pizza place, a gym and a small beach. Tenant Rusty Parrot also has a restaurant and bar.
Dehers: Owners and developers of Dock Maarten Marina, Kathy and Michel Deher. (Edward Penagos photo)
