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342 visiting boats were recorded in the port waters of Saint Barthélemy on December 31, twelve of which were over 100 meters long.
The peak period for traffic in the port waters of Saint Barthélemy occurs every year on December 31, New Year's Eve. In 2024, a record number of visitors was set. It was officially broken on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, announced Ernest Brin, Director of Maritime and Port Affairs.
On the last day of 2025, at around 3 p.m., 342 visiting boats were recorded in the port area. There were 313 on December 31, 2024. Within this "armada," twelve ships measured more than 100 meters. These megayachts were: the Dragon Fly (142.15 m), the Rising Sun (138 m), the Kismet (122 m), the Ahpo (115 m), the Renaissance (112 m), the Kaos (110 m), the Bravo Eugenia (109 m), the IJE (108 m), the Ulysses (102.60 m), the Moonrise (100 m), the Koru (125 m), and the Black Pearl (105 m).
In addition to these giants, there are 28 ships measuring between 75 and 99 meters, 33 between 60 and 74 meters, 59 between 45 and 59 meters, and 57 between 30 and 44 meters.
Several hundred million dollars
The price of these vessels ranges from $25 million to $50 million for the least equipped, but their value can reach several hundred million. Among the super and mega yachts spotted in Saint Barth at the end of the year, nearly twenty cost more than $200 million, a dozen between $100 and $200 million, and twenty less than $100 million. For example, the Kismet, the Ahpo, the Kaos, and the Luna are worth between $300 and $360 million. The two three-masted ships, the Koru (125 meters) and the Black Pearl (105 meters), are valued at $250 million and $200 million, respectively.
53 evenings on yachts
Of the 342 visiting boats, the port recorded 3,384 crew members and 1,810 passengers. That's a total of 5,194 people. The port management emphasizes the fact that 53 parties with additional guests were authorized on board these boats, representing approximately 2,000 additional passengers on board.
It should be noted that in addition to visiting vessels, the port area of Saint Barthélemy had 162 boats living there year-round in 2025 (compared to 137 in 2024). As a result, on Wednesday, December 31, the port and its territorial waters were home to 504 boats. This record number of visitors did not come without a few "incidents."
When comparing this to the "festive" year of 2024, port director Ernest Brin highlights a "relaxation" in behavior among some boaters. He mentions the lack of respect for speed limits in the port, but also the "pressure" exerted when tenders dock to drop off or pick up customers. The number of boats combined with limited space created some tension between crews. And the eagerness of some sometimes led to comical situations. Such as when the pilot of a luxury tender opened the throttle without removing one of the mooring lines. A moment of distraction that earned him a few reprimands.
Review of arrivals and departures
From an administrative point of view, for recreational boating, the port authorities recorded the following figures for the last four days of 2025 and the first three days of 2026:
• 55 declarations of arrivals (890 people) and 23 departures (323 people) on December 28.
• 108 declarations of arrivals (1,591 people) and 18 departures (231 people) on December 29.
• 110 declarations of entry (1,442 people) and 34 declarations of exit (419 people) on December 30.
• 56 admissions (634 people) and 17 discharges (179 people) on December 31.
• 18 admissions (211 people) and 153 discharges (2,564 people) on January 1.
• 41 admissions (518 people) and 135 discharges (1,785 people) on January 2.
• 31 entries (397 people) and 70 departures (896 people) on January 3.
For day charters, the census carried out by the harbor master's office shows equally intense activity. Between December 28 and 31, 54 arrivals were recorded for 241 passengers. At the same time, 46 departures were recorded for 149 passengers. Between January 1 and 3, there were 38 arrivals for 97 passengers and 48 departures for 179 passengers.
