Dockside has grown with the island and alongside the ever-changing size and scope of visiting yachts over the years. Nevertheless, the road to the present day hasn’t always been easy. Founded in 1990, the company originally catered to any vessel visiting St. Maarten. Four years later, Kass Johnson joined the fray.

Dockside grew organically from that point along with the number and size of yachts visiting the island. This growth continued strongly until Hurricane Irma devastated the island in 2017. Following the passage of Irma, the future of yachting in St. Maarten – and along with it, of local companies like Dockside – seemed suddenly imperiled. With infrastructure damaged and yachts largely bypassing the islands, times were difficult for all.

It was around this time that Lila and Kass joined forces with Norina Edelman. Facing an uncertain future at the end of her career, Lila was unsure what to do. Norina stepped in to help rebuild the company with Lila & Kass. Fortunately, in the wake of the hurricane, the boats did, indeed, return, and yachting helped restore the local economy. Just a few short years later, COVID-19 caught the world by storm, nearly stopping all stayover tourism throughout the world. During the pandemic, yachting continued when no other sectors were able to, essentially keeping the island’s economy afloat. Through two serious crises, yachting was a primary economic driver for St. Maarten, demonstrating the importance of yachting for our island ecosystems.

At present, the company has continued to grow from strength to strength and is well equipped to handle the needs of vessels of any size – from a 20-meter catamaran to a 100m plus vessel – while remaining very much an independent, boutique company. In recent years, and at the request of numerous clients, Dockside has expanded into St. Barths, providing the same offering and service at the neighboring island.
A far cry from the simple agency catering for small sailing vessels and military ships back in the day, Dockside’s reputation has grown alongside its expansion. But while Dockside is now established as the superyacht captain’s go-to in the region, the management and team still hold true to their original cheerful can-do attitude, and the promise of excellence made easy.