The port of St. Symeon on the Mediterranean coast, nine miles (fourteen kilometers) west of Antioch, allows the crusaders to bring reinforcements.

Raymond of Aguilers mentions that the English landed at the port before the crusade reached Antioch, but did not record whether a battle for control of St Symeon took place.

Reinforcements in the form of thirteen Genoese ships reach St. Symeon on November 17, and though the route from Antioch to St. Symeon runs close to the city walls, meaning the garrison can impede travel, joins up with the rest of the crusaders.

According to the Genoese chronicler Caffaro di Rustico da Caschifellone, the Genoese suffered heavy casualties en route from St. Symeon to Antioch.

Bohemond's troops build a counterfort outside Saint Paul's Gate in Antioch's northeast wall to protect themselves against missiles from Antioch's defenders.

Known as Malregard, the fort is built on a hill and probably consists of earthen ramparts.

The construction has been dated to around the time the Genoese arrived.

The crusaders are further bolstered by the arrival of Tancred, who sets up camp to the west of his uncle, Bohemond.

An English fleet led by Edgar Atheling, the exiled King of England, arrives at St. Symeon on March 4 carrying supplies from Constantinople, According to Orderic Vitalis.

Historian Steven Runciman repeats the assertion, however it is unknown where the fleet originated and it is doubtful that it would have been under Edgar's command.

Regardless, the fleet, known as the "Saxon Crusade", brings raw materials for constructing siege engines, but these are almost lost on the journey from the port to Antioch when part of the garrison sallies out.

Bohemond and Raymond escort the material, and after losing some of the materials and one hundred people, they fall back to the crusader camp outside Antioch.