Creation of an Anchorage Zone and new amenities

These anchorage areas will be organized on the French part of the island of Saint-Martin. This study, carried out by the EGIS consultancy, has defined the following main lines.

This operation "ZMEL" (French acronym for Mooring Area and Light Equipment) is financed by the European Regional Development Fund - ERDF - 2014 to 2020 Program with up to 560 000 Euros.


Objectives:
— To better preserve the environment and, in particular, the sensitive and rich marine biocenosis that are the reefs by the implementation of fixed anchoring, which are less destructive.
— To guarantee the safety of navigation and good practices with anchorages adapted to the respect of distances between ships and traffic zones.
— Stimulate and perpetuate pleasure boating by proposing services and infrastructures adapted to the visitors.
— Improve the consideration of natural risks and in particular the risk of hurricanes for ships and boaters.
— Implement a fee on the sites of Grand Case and Cul-de-Sac and improve the collection on the site of Marigot.



Needs:
The estimated needs established in the 2016 EGIS study, based on counts conducted on site, is 80 to 100 moorings for vessels under 20 m with in terms of distribution:
— 80% of vessels smaller than 14.99 m
— 20% of vessels between 15m and 20m.
The parking is of short, medium and long duration.

Constraints:
In view of the bathymetric studies available on the Bay of Marigot and the technical constraints identified, the anchorage area was defined taking into account the following constraints:
— Maintenance of a 90 m wide access channel along the Fort Louis Marina protection dike to allow access to the ferry terminal.
— Setback of 50 m from the coastal strip.
— Maintenance of an access channel to the Sandy Ground channel giving access to Simpson Bay lagoon.
— Maintenance of an access channel to the Fort Louis Marina.



The area thus defined represents an area of about 38 hectares for 75 anchorages with turning circles of 35 m radius.

Solutions:
Establishment of a mooring station:
— An anchoring device (concrete dead body type)
— A mooring line equipped with mixed steel rope, through floats and a mooring line
picn [5]
Beaconing by a sector light fixed on a mast on the coastal shoreline indicating:
— In a white lighted sector, the free zone allowing access to the ferry terminal channel.
— In a red lighted sector, the sector of the LLTA.
Beaconing of the access to the lagoon with two lateral marks Bâbord and Tribord positioned on land on both sides of the entrance of the channel.



Creation of a reception and service area in connection with the Anchorage and Light Equipment Zone.