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Port Call 11 min read

Port Call St. Barth: Provisioning the Smallest Yacht Port in the Caribbean

Saint-Barthélemy is 25 km² of volcanic rock with one commercial harbour, two big anchorages, and a French-supermarket dependency that shows up the moment NYE arrives. Everything that doesn’t come off the local fishing boats comes by cargo ferry from St. Martin, three times a week. Get the timing wrong and you spend three days looking for eggs — the chef’s nightmare that gave this port call its origin story. Below: the three berths, the supplier list, and the watch-outs nobody warns you about until you’ve been caught.

St. Barth — Where Everything Is Click any pin for phone, hours, maps link · toggle categories below
St. Barth has no agriculture worth the name. The island is volcanic rock with thin soil and no fresh water beyond rain catchment. Outside of a handful of garden plots in Lorient and a few goats, every fresh ingredient lands by boat or by plane. The cargo ferry from St. Martin is the lifeline; the local fishermen at Corossol are the only domestic food production. This single fact shapes every supplier decision below.
The Three Berths
Gustavia · Colombier · Public — one commercial harbour, two anchorages, a tender base.
3 options ▶

Port de Gustavia

Capital harbour · ≤75 m · Med-moor · +590 590 27 66 97 · VHF 12 / 16
  1. The only commercial harbour. Stern-to with anchor, walking distance to AMC Marché U, Match, Le Cellier, the Voyager ferry pier. 📍 Maps

Anse de Colombier

NW anchorage · marine reserve · mooring buoys
  1. Best-protected anchorage on the island. 30-min tender to Gustavia. Principal-friendly when the harbour is full. 📍 Maps

Public

Tender base · small craft · east of Gustavia
  1. Small-craft harbour east of Gustavia, used as a tender base. Useful when the main harbour’s stern-to is full. Walk to Maya’s To Go next door. 📍 Maps
The Brief
Why this port is different — and what to lock in before the charter starts.
3 min▶

Port type: ferry-dependent island, French-supermarket dependency. St. Barth has zero agriculture, no wholesale clubs, no farm markets. Everything fresh comes from one of three places: the local fishermen at Corossol (mahi, wahoo, lobster); the daily-ish Voyager / Great Bay Express cargo ferry from St. Martin (produce, dairy, meat, bread); or air freight via the Saint-Jean strip (premium proteins, ultra-fresh seafood). When the cargo ferry stops — weather, festival surge, NYE saturation — the supermarket shelves strip in 24 h.

Provision the entire NYE block before 23 December. By 30 December the eggs are gone.

The supplier game is small but premium. AMC Marché U is the largest supermarket and the day-one reconnaissance stop. Match in Gustavia is the quick walk-up. Maya’s To Go is the gourmet pre-prepared answer. Le Cellier is the wine merchant. La Petite Colombe is the bakery the principal will recognise. La Crèmerie is the chef-grade cheese counter. Beyond that — for true bulk, premium proteins, the fuller French-import range — you take the Voyager ferry to St. Martin and load Carrefour Hyper Marigot.

Two things to brief your yacht agent on, in writing, two weeks before arrival: (1) the full provision list with brand specs where they matter; (2) any dietary requirements + the principal’s wine preferences. During Bucket / Voiles / NYE, brief six weeks ahead.

Agents, Logistics & Cargo Ferry
The first call before arrival. Customs, supplier coordination, and the Voyager ferry that keeps the island fed.
3 picks▶
📍 WIMCO Yacht Services / IGY-Gustavia agents
Rue Auguste Nyman, Gustavia · +590 590 51 04 00
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The standard yacht concierge on the island

WIMCO and the IGY-affiliated Gustavia agents handle customs paperwork, supplier coordination, tender slots, restaurant bookings, helicopter to St. Martin. The first call before any St. Barth visit. They also handle the Bucket Regatta and Voiles de St-Barth registrations — if you’re in either, you go through them. Brief 2–6 weeks ahead

AddressRue Auguste Nyman, Gustavia
Phone+590 590 51 04 00
Emailinfo@wimcovillas.com
Webwimco.com
📍 Open in Google Maps
📍 Voyager (cargo ferry from St. Martin)
Quai Général de Gaulle, Gustavia · ~75 min crossing · +590 590 87 10 68
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The lifeline · ~3× weekly · passengers + cargo

Voyager runs ~3 times a week from St. Martin (Marigot or Oyster Pond) to Gustavia carrying passengers AND cargo — pallets of fresh produce, dairy, refrigerated goods, wine cases. Most St. Martin–sourced provisioning rides this boat. ~75 min crossing. Mon/Wed/Fri · cut-off 16:00 day before

AddressQuai Général de Gaulle, Gustavia
Phone+590 590 87 10 68
Emailinfo@voy12.com
HoursMon · Wed · Fri (verify schedule weekly)
Webvoy12.com
📍 Open in Google Maps
📍 Great Bay Express (St. Martin alt)
Daily-ish from Philipsburg / Oyster Pond · +1 721 542 0032
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Backup to Voyager when their schedule doesn’t fit

Daily-ish service from Dutch St. Martin (Philipsburg). Useful for last-minute or contingency runs. Schedule less ferry-friendly for cargo than Voyager but valuable as a Plan B.

Phone+1 721 542 0032
Webgreatbayexpress.com
Supermarkets — AMC + Match
The two French-style supermarkets that anchor everyday provisioning.
2 picks▶
The day-one reconnaissance. On arrival, walk through AMC Marché U with a notebook. See what’s actually on the shelves — produce, dairy, the cheese case, wine. Don’t commit a menu until you’ve seen the supply state. The cargo ferry day determines what’s fresh; the time of season determines what’s deep-stocked.
📍 AMC Marché U (Saint-Jean)
Rue de la Pointe, Saint-Jean · +590 590 27 68 16
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The largest supermarket on the island

Decent French cheese counter, charcuterie, wine selection (Bordeaux/Burgundy at Paris-plus prices), full dry-goods aisle. Fresh produce gets restocked when the cargo ferry lands — empty by the next morning. Open 7 days. Sun closes 13:00

AddressRue de la Pointe, Saint-Jean, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy
Phone+590 590 27 68 16
HoursMon–Sat 07:30–20:00 · Sun 08:00–13:00
📍 Open in Google Maps
📍 Match Supermarket (Gustavia)
Rue Roi Oscar II, Gustavia · 2 min from the quay
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Smaller than AMC but two minutes’ walk from the Gustavia quay

The grab-and-go for last-minute items when the bulk run is already done. Wine, dairy, basics. Triage only

AddressRue Roi Oscar II, Gustavia
Phone+590 590 27 68 16
HoursMon–Sat 07:30–20:00 · Sun 08:00–13:00
📍 Open in Google Maps
Specialty — Wine, Cheese, Bread
Le Cellier for the wine case. La Petite Colombe for the croissants. La Crèmerie for the chef-grade cheese.
5 picks▶
📍 Maya’s To Go (Public)
Public Beach · +590 590 29 83 70 · Eden Rock-tier gourmet
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The gourmet pre-prepared institution next to Eden Rock

Pre-prepared salads, plates, charcuterie, gourmet sandwiches at French-island prices. Where the principal eats lunch before guests arrive, and where you order charter-day platters. Order 24 h ahead

AddressPublic Beach, Public, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy
Phone+590 590 29 83 70
HoursMon–Sat 07:00–19:00 · Sun 07:00–14:00
📍 Open in Google Maps
📍 Le Cellier du Gouverneur (Gustavia)
Rue Charles de Gaulle · +590 590 27 67 64 · Bordeaux + Burgundy + Champagne
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The serious wine merchant in Gustavia · the case-order go-to

Bordeaux + Burgundy at French-import prices, Champagne by the case, eaux-de-vie. The case-order go-to for Caribbean charter wine programs. Closed Sun · siesta 13:00–16:00

AddressRue Charles de Gaulle, Gustavia
Phone+590 590 27 67 64
HoursMon–Sat 09:00–13:00 · 16:00–19:00 · closed Sun
📍 Open in Google Maps
📍 La Petite Colombe (Lorient + Saint-Jean)
+590 590 29 74 30 · croissants + sourdough + pâtisserie
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The bakery + pâtisserie of the island · two locations

Croissants that hold up against any Paris benchmark, real sourdough, pâtisseries the principal will recognise. Two locations (Lorient + Saint-Jean). Closed Mon · sold out by 09:00

AddressLorient + Saint-Jean, Saint-Barthélemy
Phone+590 590 29 74 30
HoursTue–Sun 06:30–13:30 · closed Mon
📍 Open in Google Maps
📍 La Crèmerie (Saint-Jean)
Saint-Jean · French cheese, fresh imports, cut to order
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Real fromagerie · chef-grade cheese option when AMC’s pre-cut wedges aren’t enough

Comté, Saint-Nectaire, Camembert au lait cru, chèvre — fresh imports, cut to order. Charcuterie counter alongside. Closed Sun + Mon

AddressSaint-Jean, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy
HoursTue–Sat 09:00–13:00 · 15:30–19:00 · closed Sun + Mon
📍 Open in Google Maps
📍 Boulangerie Choisy (Saint-Jean)
Backup bakery · daily bread, brioche, viennoiseries
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The Saint-Jean fallback for La Petite Colombe

Backup to La Petite Colombe. Daily bread, viennoiseries, brioche. Useful when Colombe doesn’t have your volume or you need a Saint-Jean stop on the same run.

Phone+590 590 27 76 86
HoursMon–Sat 06:00–13:00
Direct Fish — Off the Boat at Corossol & Lorient
The only fresh-fish supply on the island that doesn’t come from St. Martin. Build the relationship.
1 channel▶
📍 Direct from local fishermen (Corossol + Lorient)
Mid-morning landings · cash · mahi · wahoo · snapper · lobster
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The only true local food production on the island

The serious fish moves off the boat at Corossol or the Lorient pier when the local fishermen come in (mid-morning). Mahi, wahoo, snapper, spiny lobster in season. No fixed market — build a relationship with one or two fishermen. The yacht-agent network knows who’s reliable. Cash · build relationship Lobster: season + quota

WhereCorossol pier + Lorient pier
HoursMid-morning landings — varies by tide + weather
📍 Open in Google Maps
St. Martin Bulk — The Off-Island Run
For premium proteins, true bulk, the wider French-import range. Day trip via Voyager + ferry the pallets back.
2 picks▶
📍 Carrefour Hyper Marigot (St. Martin)
Howell Center, Marigot · +590 590 87 12 12 · hypermarket scale
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The true bulk answer for a long-charter loadout

Hypermarket on French St. Martin (Marigot). Where serious yacht chefs source premium proteins (Wagyu, dry-aged), bulk dry goods, the wider French-import range. Day trip via the Voyager ferry; load palletised provisions onto the cargo ferry back. Full-day operation Sun closes 13:00 · double holidays

AddressHowell Center, Marigot, Saint-Martin
Phone+590 590 87 12 12
HoursMon–Sat 08:30–20:00 · Sun 09:00–13:00
Webcarrefour.fr
📍 Open in Google Maps
📍 Tropical Provisioning (St. Martin)
Marigot · +590 590 29 38 89 · yacht-grade · ferry direct delivery
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The hands-off way to bulk-source from St. Martin

St. Martin–based yacht-provisioning operator that delivers directly to the Voyager / Great Bay Express dock for pickup in Gustavia. Premium markup vs DIY but saves a full day. The right call when the chef cannot leave the boat or when the principal’s schedule is locked.

AddressMarigot, Saint-Martin
Phone+590 590 29 38 89
⚠ Watch-outs by Season & Event
The few that will actually break your day. Smaller stuff is in the inline ⚠ pills next to each supplier above.
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The Bottom Line
If you read nothing else.
2 min▶

St. Barth is small, expensive, ferry-dependent, and unforgiving when the timing is wrong. Three operational moves do 80% of the work: brief WIMCO two weeks ahead (six weeks for NYE / Bucket / Voiles), walk through AMC Marché U on day one with a notebook before committing a menu, and lock the Voyager ferry slot for any St. Martin–sourced bulk to land on a Mon/Wed/Fri ferry day.

Before you sail away, load French wine cases from Le Cellier, hard-cheese rounds from La Crèmerie, the bakery’s daily output from La Petite Colombe (order the night before), and any premium proteins via Tropical Provisioning’s Voyager-delivery channel. The lobster, mahi and wahoo come direct from Corossol — build that relationship on day two of the charter.

Avoid: arriving without an agent during NYE week (28 Dec – 5 Jan), the Bucket Regatta (mid-March), the Voiles de St-Barth (mid-April), or any active hurricane watch June–November. Those four windows alone account for every horror story you’ve heard about provisioning St. Barth.

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