Bad things happen. Here in St Martin for the first time we are seeing significant evidence of just how bad hurricane Irma was.
As we drive around the lagoon we’ve seen the remains of many boats destroyed during the storm. I stopped counting after about thirty, but a guess of 100 or more is not unreasonable.
From our anchorage we can easily spot several buildings missing their roofs and in one case their entire top floor!
We’ve also seen some of our favorite restaurants totally destroyed and gone! Bare concrete pads where once crowded restaurants served some great Caribbean meals.
But…what we’ve also seen is an area that is rebuilding. Rebuilding with better construction to keep both the structures and people safer when the next storm arrives. Many buildings have been repaired and “upgraded” via a fresh coat of paint. At this point, I think that the town looks BETTER than the last time we visited.
So, while Irma certainly caused many a great deal of pain and suffering, overall my take is that ultimately the new St Martin will end up being a new and improved St Martin!
Morpheus Sailing 