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Frédéric Blanchard, who has worked at the port for 21 years, has held every position at the harbor master’s office, eventually rising to the role of director on July 6. His priority is to strengthen the team so it can best carry out its assigned tasks.
From his new office on the first floor of the Harbor Master’s Office, Frédéric Blanchard has a breathtaking view of the port of Gustavia. “Let’s just say it changes your perspective,” the forty-something remarks with a smile. He can almost make out the Gustavia anchorage, where he began his sailing lessons in the 1980s. More than just a new office, the newly appointed director of the Port of Saint-Barthélemy now has a comprehensive view of this institution, which is essential to the island’s smooth operation. He knows its strengths and weaknesses. For the past 21 years, he has worked his way through every position at the harbor master’s office—from supervisor to port facility security officer, deputy, and assistant harbor master—until he assumed the role of director on July 6, 2026. “I’ve worked my way through every position, so naturally, I know the day-to-day work on the ground,” he emphasizes. Frédéric Blanchard has no preference for any particular role. What appeals to him is this versatility. “You have to be able to handle a boat, welcome tourists, but also change a valve,” he explains. “The idea is to be efficient.” ” He acquired this resourcefulness as a child, when he and his father built a sailboat out of scrap wood. So when Frédéric learned that Ernest Brin was looking for a successor, he knew he had what it takes. The main question he asked himself was: Am I up to the task? He knows how to make decisions. At sea, you have to react quickly, without hesitation: “I loved being alone on board, making decisions, and enjoying the elements. ” But the scale of the task can be daunting for many. “Honestly, I hesitated,” he admits. “I hesitated precisely because I’ve been here for 21 years and I’m well aware of the workload and responsibilities that come with this position.” But given his track record, Frédéric Blanchard has come to the following conclusion: who would be better suited than him to apply?
Teaching and Efficiency
It wasn’t the prestige of the position that drew him in. The former sailing instructor at the Saint-Barth Yacht Club isn’t interested in titles, but rather in “the substance of the job, personal interaction, and above all, efficiency”—his mantra. One of his first actions since his appointment on July 6, 2026, was to give more responsibility to the harbor master’s office staff. “A director can’t do anything without a team,” insists Blanchard, who seeks to explain his decisions before imposing them. “It’s surely my background as a sports educator—I’m all about teaching,” the sailor explains. One of his priorities is therefore to strengthen the Harbor Master’s Office’s staff, which has been understaffed for several years. “We’d need to fill three harbor supervisor positions to carry out all our duties properly,” explains Frédéric Blanchard. Applications have already been received, but the hiring process couldn’t move forward due to housing issues, which are a recurring problem on the island.
Scaling Back Recreational Boating
The new head of the harbor master’s office is taking over projects already underway under his predecessor’s leadership, such as the commercial port construction. “All these projects are necessary if we want to maintain our current standards. It’s not about offering new services but about managing what we already have,” he explains. “We also have aging infrastructure that needs to be monitored.” Regarding recreational boating, Frédéric Blanchard wants to maintain the current level without seeking to attract more boats: “We’ve already reached a point of saturation; we see this during the end-of-year period. This is the right course of action if we want to ensure safety and a proper welcome for all visitors and port users.” The director has two words on his mind: safety and efficiency. “That’s our role, and our responsibility,” he adds. “The port is the heart of the island—the first thing tourists see when they disembark. We have to know how to make the right decisions. ” Behind his calm and unassuming demeanor, this sailing enthusiast knows how to assert himself, in his own way: “You can be firm, even with a smile.”
