Fort Bay is the official and only port on the island of Saba, in the

Caribbean Netherlands The Caribbean Netherlands (, ) is a geographic region of the Netherlands located outside of Europe, in the Caribbean, consisting of three special municipalities. These are the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (island), Saba,"Bonair ...

. It is located on the south side of the island, about by road from The Bottom. The port is very important for the island as most of its supplies arrive here by boat.

History

Prior to the opening of the road to Fort Bay, the primary way to get goods and people on or off the island was via Ladder Bay (and its 800 perilous steps hand-cut out of the cliffside). Fort Bay's first

pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

was constructed in November 1972.Van Vilsteren, W.L
Fort Bay, Saba: A study on hurricane condities
October 2001.

Delft University of Technology The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft; ) is the oldest and largest Dutch public university, public Institute of technology, technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. It specializes in engineering, technology, computing, design, a ...

. Since then, Fort Bay harbor has grown to multiple piers: * Capt. Leo Chance Pier, the larger pier, dedicated to cargo boats, dive boats, and ferries * Multipurpose/fishermen's pier, mostly used by local fishermen * Tender pier, used for tendering passengers from yachts and small cruise ships During 2010–2011, various improvements were made to the Fort Bay harbor, including the quay wall, boat ramp, and retaining wall.New Quay Fort Bay Harbour Saba
Janssen de Jong Caribbean. Retrieved 11 November 2018. In 2023, upgrades were done to Capt. Leo Chance Pier and the roll-on/roll-off pier. The port is also home to the Saba Sea Rescue Organization that have a rescue ship stationed just outside the mouth to the port. The ship is equipped with decompression tanks, rescue equipment and personnel. On land at Fort Bay, there is a

hyperbaric chamber A diving chamber is a vessel for human occupation, which may have an entrance that can be sealed to hold an internal pressure significantly higher than ambient pressure, a pressurised gas system to control the internal pressure, and a supply of ...

for diving emergency situations. The port has two bars and one restaurant which are frequently visited by locals and tourists. Additionally the island's only gas station is situated located just past Fort Bay. Fort Bay has been affected by several

hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

over the years, including breakwaters damage in Hurricane Lenny in 1999, one of the piers being destroyed by Hurricane Omar in 2008, and the fisherman's pier being damaged by

Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Hurricane Maria, Maria two weeks later. At the time, it was considered ...

and later destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017.Durand, Hazel
Fort Bay harbor Saba damaged after Hurricane Maria
21 September 2017. Caribbean Network News.

Transport

Fort Bay has multiple

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

services operating between Saba and

Sint Maarten Sint Maarten () is a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean region of North America. With a population of 58,477 as of June 2023 on an area of , it encompasses ...

, including ''The Edge'' (based on Sint Maarten), and the ''Dawn II'' (based on Saba) with almost daily trips.Travel Info
Saba Tourist Bureau. Retrieved 11 November 2018.

Gallery

File:Trent Bay with Fort Bay Ferry Terminal (6550045533).jpg, Tent Bay (left) and Fort Bay (right) File:Saba Deep with Water Treatment Plant (6549980927).jpg, Dive center and water treatment building near entrance (from road) to Fort Bay File:Edge II Aqua Mania Saba Shuttle (6550044209).jpg, Ferry in Fort Bay harbor File:Bijleveld Fort Bay, Saba, 27 september 2019.jpg, View of Fort Bay from ferry

External links

*
Saba Ferry Services

References

{{coord, 17.6164, N, 63.2514, W, source:wikidata, display=title Geography of Saba (island) Buildings and structures in The Bottom Transport in Saba (island)