We spent hours researching our options and reading reviews before making our reservations. I am so glad we did because Paper Boat Charters exceeded our expectations - and our expectations were pretty high!
Prior to arriving on the island we booked a charter for the second day of our trip. We were excited to explore the islands by sea. We met Elliot, the owner of PBC, at the Anse Marcel Marina at 9am. He introduced us to our Captain for the day, Jean Claude (JC). JC could not have been a better fit. He is a Master Captain and has worked and traveled all over the world. We felt extremely safe and comfortable with him at the helm. He is truly a great guy who made our trip to St. Martin a vacation to remember for a lifetime.
As an example of his hospitality, I asked him if I could buy a PBC shirt. He never
hesitated and said “Sure!” He only had 2 large shirts available. I thought it was odd that he had such a small inventory but I bought them both! We later learned that he did not actually have shirts to sell, he sold us his new uniform shirts that his boss gave him that morning! He just wanted me/us to be happy. The entire trip we had so much fun, lots of laughs and so many wonderful life and family memories.
The boat (Naoli) was outfitted with tons of amenities including beer, wine, booze, soda, water, snorkels, masks, fins, a floating pad, a paddleboard and a great sound system. The Naoli was very spacious and comfortable. As we headed out of the harbor, JC popped a bottle of champagne for us and we kicked off the day with mimosas.
Everything about PBC was outstanding but our favorite aspect was the ability to go wherever we wanted! We visited Dog Island, Meads Bay, Sandy Island, Prickly Pear, and a few other beaches. JC was very accommodating, professional, knowledgeable, personal, fun, and hard working. At the end of the day he even helped us find a restaurant on Orient Bay that was showing a Celtics playoff game that evening!
We had such a great day and enjoyed Captain JC’s company so much that we decided to book a second full day trip later that week! We actually canceled a trip on a large booze cruise catamaran with a different company so that we could spend another day on a PBC charter. Although we enjoyed the Naoli, on our second trip we opted for the newer boat for a little variety. It was gorgeous and stacked with amenities. Everything I mentioned above and more. The best part of the upgrade was the Sea Bob! Self-propelling in the Caribbean waters with sea turtles! So much fun!
We sadly parted ways with PBC Friday afternoon. JC truly felt like a friend of the family. (We invited him to visit us for a Red Sox game - which we sincerely hope he takes us up on!) JC, Thank you my friend for an incredible two days on the water. Thank you Elliot for running such a great company. We will see you again soon!