Boating & Yachiting
St. Maarten is one of the Caribbean's leading sailing venues, playing host each year to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and offering plenty of stunning anchorages. Fully equipped marinas welcome visiting boats and rent everything from speedboats to canoes. Day trips can also be arranged for deep-sea fishing or for visits to secluded nearby islands. Every March, hundreds of participants from Europe, the United States, and the Caribbean visit St. Maarten to compete in one of the world's biggest sailing events --- the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta . The event has come to symbolize the island's prominence as a sailing venue, and St. Maarten is one of the few places in the world where the average person can sail on a world-class racing boat.

The St. Maarten 12 Metre Challenge, offered year round, gives visitors the chance to experience first-hand the thrill of America's Cup racing. Aspiring sailors serve as crew aboard the U.S. Stars and Stripes, which raced in 1987, or the Canadian contenders Canada II, True North, and True North IV, as these high-performance boats are put through their paces on a shortened America's Cup course. Previous sailing experience is not necessary, only a sense of adventure.

Sail on one of the big catamarans, or power on over, to the surrounding islands.
Swaliga sails daily to St. Barths. Voyager and The Edge go daily either to Saba or St. Barths. Cruise to a deserted island on a picnic sail and snorkel among the coral reefs aboard Lambada, Blue Beard, Random Wind or Scoobidoo.

All can be booked through The Activities Center. The costs will include snacks or lunch and snorkeling equipment.

Many charter companies offer day trips from Philipsburg to Saba and St. Eustatius (the other two islands that make up the Dutch Windwards group), Anguilla and St. Barth's.

Fishing in Caribbian Waters
The island holds big game fishing tournaments periodically but daily fishing charters are available any day. Marlin , Dolphin, Wahoo are the most common game fish in these waters. If you have your own rod and tackle however you can try salt water fly fishing from the beaches, its still a relatively undiscovered past time here.

Deep-sea fishing is a popular St. Maarten activity, with full-day and half-day charters available year-round. The best fishing grounds are conveniently near the island, meaning less time spent traveling and more time fishing. Charters usually include tackle, bait, food, and refreshments. Bareboat charters are also available. The day's catch can include yellowtail, snapper, grouper, and marlin. Tarpon, barracuda, snook, bonefish and jacks can be caught year round.