Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors
4 harbours
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: 4 harbours, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.
Formalities
outside the EU customs unionCurrency: US dollar
Clearing in: Special municipalities of the Netherlands (Caribbean Netherlands), outside the EU, the EU customs territory and Schengen. Each island has one port of entry: on Bonaire Kralendijk (first to a red and white mooring or the arrivals dock of a marina, then customs and immigration in town, free of charge; anchoring is prohibited everywhere on Bonaire), on Saba only Fort Bay (to the mooring or check-in mooring, then customs and immigration, the harbour office from 6 am to 6 pm, then register the yacht with the Saba National Marine Park; ashore only via Fort Bay), on Sint Eustatius only Oranjestad (Gallows Bay). Whether you must clear again between the islands is not settled: check before you go. Pre-arrival notice via SailClear.
Ausreise: Clear out at a port of entry before departure (port clearance): the next state asks for the certificate on clearing in.
Documents: Passport, the identity card is not enough; no visa for at most 90 consecutive days per 180 days, with a return or onward ticket, accommodation and sufficient funds. Boat papers, insurance.
Fees: Bonaire: mooring according to sailors 10 USD per night (Harbour Village Marina, VHF channel 17), STINAPA nature fee for every person on board (25 USD, divers 40 USD). Saba: harbour fee 20 to 40 USD by tonnage, departure tax 10 USD per person (according to sailors), nature fee 1 USD per visitor and night. Sint Eustatius: marine park 10 USD per night, at most 30 USD per week, payable on clearing in at the harbour; customs and immigration free of charge.
Fairway: Buoyage follows IALA system B: red to starboard when entering from seaward, the reverse of Europe. All three islands have only open roadsteads; on Bonaire only moorings and marinas, on Saba yellow moorings for yachts up to 20 m or 50 t, at most seven days; on Sint Eustatius the Oranje Baai is the anchorage in the marine park.
Nature: Bonaire National Marine Park around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire: anchoring prohibited, only on the park moorings, no fishing in the protected zones, do not touch coral. Saba: anchor only in designated zones, never on coral or in dive zones. Sint Eustatius: no fishing or anchoring in the marine park reserves, throw nothing overboard, do not touch coral or animals; STENAPA monitors VHF channels 17 and 16.
Tropical storm season: 1 June to 30 November, peak August to October; Bonaire lies south of the hurricane belt and is rarely hit, Saba and Sint Eustatius have no hurricane hole, the roadsteads are open. Insurers usually restrict cover during the season: check your policy.
Emergency: Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (rescue coordination centre in Curaçao): emergency number 913 or +599 9 463 7620, listening watch on VHF channel 16.
Sources: Noonsite: Bonaire, STINAPA Bonaire: Nature Fee, Saba Conservation Foundation: Check-in Procedure, STENAPA: Yachting, Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland: toeristisch verblijf, Kustwacht: contact, Noonsite: Saba, Auswärtiges Amt: Netherlands (with the Caribbean), travel and safety advice (as of 2026-10-20)
Harbours by cruising area
Bonaire (Kralendijk, Klein Bonaire)
Saba and Sint Eustatius (Fort Bay, Oranjestad)
Frequently asked questions
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: Do I need to clear in?
Special municipalities of the Netherlands (Caribbean Netherlands), outside the EU, the EU customs territory and Schengen. Each island has one port of entry: on Bonaire Kralendijk (first to a red and white mooring or the arrivals dock of a marina, then customs and immigration in town, free of charge; anchoring is prohibited everywhere on Bonaire), on Saba only Fort Bay (to the mooring or check-in mooring, then customs and immigration, the harbour office from 6 am to 6 pm, then register the yacht with the Saba National Marine Park; ashore only via Fort Bay), on Sint Eustatius only Oranjestad (Gallows Bay). Whether you must clear again between the islands is not settled: check before you go. Pre-arrival notice via SailClear.
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: Which documents do I need on board?
Passport, the identity card is not enough; no visa for at most 90 consecutive days per 180 days, with a return or onward ticket, accommodation and sufficient funds. Boat papers, insurance.
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: What fees apply?
Bonaire: mooring according to sailors 10 USD per night (Harbour Village Marina, VHF channel 17), STINAPA nature fee for every person on board (25 USD, divers 40 USD). Saba: harbour fee 20 to 40 USD by tonnage, departure tax 10 USD per person (according to sailors), nature fee 1 USD per visitor and night. Sint Eustatius: marine park 10 USD per night, at most 30 USD per week, payable on clearing in at the harbour; customs and immigration free of charge.
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: What is the emergency number at sea?
Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (rescue coordination centre in Curaçao): emergency number 913 or +599 9 463 7620, listening watch on VHF channel 16.
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?
Sailseer covers 4 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning.