Makana Ferry (St. Eustatius Office)
The catamaran that finally makes island-hopping in the Dutch Caribbean feel easy.
Why Go
For decades, getting on or off Statia meant surrendering to Winair's 19-seaters. The Makana changed that. This 150-passenger fast catamaran now stitches together St. Maarten, Saba, Statia and St. Kitts on a schedule Statians actually rely on – and the tidy little office on Theodore Pandt Road is where locals go to lock in a seat, ask about swell, and swap gossip about who's crossing this week.
The Experience
The Oranjestad office sits a short walk from Fort Oranje in Upper Town, an unassuming door on a quiet residential-commercial stretch. Step inside and it feels more community bulletin board than shipping counter: hand-printed schedules, a whiteboard with the day's departure, and staff who genuinely know the difference between a rolly crossing and a glassy one. Bookings can be made online, but walking in gives you the honest weather read – the crew have watched this stretch of Caribbean Sea for years and will tell you plainly if tomorrow's Saba run is likely to be bumpy. Boarding happens down at Statia's harbor in Lower Town; the Makana itself is a 72-foot Sabre catamaran, air-conditioned cabin below and open-air seating up top. The Statia–St. Kitts leg runs roughly 1 hour 10 minutes, Statia–Saba is a shorter hop, and the St. Maarten run is the long haul most travelers use to connect with SXM's international flights. Bring a light layer for the cabin AC, and if you're prone to seasickness, dose up before you board – the channel between islands can chop up quickly when the trades are honking.
What to Try
Book the morning Statia–St. Kitts sailing on a two-way day and treat it as a proper day trip: you can be in Basseterre by mid-morning, poke around Independence Square and Port Zante, grab lunch, and be back on Statia by evening – no overnight, no airport. On the Saba route, sit up top on the outbound leg for the approach to Fort Bay, which is one of the more dramatic dockings in the Caribbean.
Insider Tip
Confirm your sailing 24 hours out, especially in winter when north swells can cancel the Saba leg with little warning. Locals book directly through the office rather than third-party sites – it's easier to reschedule if weather flips, and staff will often flag a better sailing day if yours looks marginal. Cash (USD or NAf) is welcomed for on-the-spot bookings.
The Practical Stuff
Office at 12 Theodore Pandt Road, Oranjestad (Upper Town), a 5–10 minute walk from most Upper Town guesthouses. Ferry departures leave from Statia's harbor in Lower Town – give yourself 20–30 minutes to get down the hill and check in. Bring your passport for every sailing (St. Kitts and St. Maarten are separate jurisdictions from the Caribbean Netherlands). Confirm the current weekly schedule with the office or via makanaferryservice.com before planning tight connections.
Pair It With
- Fort Oranje Guide — A five-minute stroll from the Makana office and the natural place to kill an hour before or after sorting your ticket – the bastion views double as a look at the harbor you'll sail from.
- Bacchanalia Guide — Nearby Upper Town spot for a proper meal the night before an early sailing, so you're not scrambling for breakfast at dawn.
- Aquarium Dive Site — If your ferry plans get bumped by weather, Statia's marine park is the classic Plan B – the same swell that cancels a crossing usually still allows sheltered dives.
- A Quiet Getaway – One-Bedroom Apartment — Walkable Upper Town base if you're arriving on a late ferry or catching a pre-dawn departure and want to keep logistics simple.
