New Marinas in Barbados

[Bajansailor]

Ummm, well, they havent happened yet, but the new Minister of Tourism (we had an election recently, and the old Opposition got in with a sweeping majority) seems to be very enthusiastic re any interested marina companies 'coming in' - are there any marina operators on this Forum who might be keen?

Have a look at the article below - it was in today's IBI News at
http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20080125153108ibinews.html
And in The Nation newspaper of 11th February - link here at http://bararchive.bits.baseview.com/arch...ion%0A%09%09%09

Barbados government seeks to make island more "yachting friendly"

By IBI Magazine

Richard Sealy, Minister of Tourism for the island of Barbados, said in his first press conference that he intends to make Barbados more yachting friendly. He also added that a "pet peeve" of his was that the marina infrastructure on the island is under-developed.

"Port St Charles is not a true marina, it is a waterfront development. They do offer marina services but we need a full-fledged marina," Sealy said during the press conference.

Sealy told the Nation News that the Ministry of Finance was looking into the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc.'s plans for developing an area called the Pierhead. He also said that his department intended to have discussions with companies interested in developing marinas in other locations.

"We can handle more than two, we just need to look at the facilities. There are simple things we can do to make Barbados more yachting friendly," he told the paper.

He said that Barbadian hospitality "was a selling point" for developing tourism on the island. "Too many Barbadians feel outside of the tourism sector," he said.

(25 February 2008)

The Pierhead is at the entrance to the Careenage in Bridgetown, and opens out to Carlisle Bay. Here is a photo from the Boatyard restaurant, looking west to the Pierhead (the rocky area at the end of the beach), with the Bridgetown Harbour in the far distance. I think that they are talking about putting in a large breakwater from the west side of the Careenage going out into Carlisle Bay, and curving around to the east, with the marina contained within. Much of the beachfront land in the photo is derelict warehouses, and hence ideal for re-development.

 

[AndrewB]

[ QUOTE ]
Richard Sealy, Minister of Tourism for the island of Barbados, said in his first press conference that he intends to make Barbados more yachting friendly. He also added that a "pet peeve" of his was that the marina infrastructure on the island is under-developed.

[/ QUOTE ]The fact that the yachting infrastructure is relatively undeveloped is a very major part of the charm of Barbados. Do you really think it would be improved if it was like Grenada or Antigua? I guess if you are minister of tourism, you do.

 

[Bajansailor]

I think it would be very useful if we did have a 'public' marina here - Port St Charles is a private residential marina, with only 6 or 7 visitors berths on the breakwater (for vessels over 60' ideally - they are not too keen on smaller boats).

And if we could have another haul out yard, perhaps part of or at least near to the marina, then even better! There is only one haul out yard here for yachts, and it is woefully small.

I have heard that many yachts by-pass Barbados as a first port of call simply because there are no marina facilities, hence I think it would be good to be able to provide this service for those who would prefer to be tied up to a pontoon rather than being at anchor out in Carlisle Bay.

I dont think we will be 'maxed out' on marinas too quickly - the one in Carlisle Bay has been talked about for the past 20 years or so, and I think that the Port St Charles folk have plans for another marina just north of their current development.

At the end of the first ARC (which came to Barbados) the then Minister of Tourism promised Jimmy Cornell that we would have a marina by the time the ARC returned the following year.... the same promises were made each year for the next few years, and nothing happened, and then the ARC Organisers announced that they were taking the ARC to St Lucia.
Was the lack of a marina here a contributory factor in this decision? Quite possibly.

 

[Troutbridge]

Speaking as one who has no intention of paying the Boatyard $20 US per day to use their 'docking facility' I only hope that it will still be possible to anchor in Carlisle Bay! Apart from the ARC, I'm not too certain how much money Transat cruisers put into a local economy. I might put the equivalent of £100 per week into the local economy (probably less). As Barbados is so conveniently situated (from an Atlantic crossing point of view) I don't think a couple of marinas would attract more boats. As Barbados is such a sod to get to from anywhere else in the Caribbean (unless you're a hardy bajansailor of course) then the same comment applies!

 

[Bajansailor]

I would agree with you that the fee for using the Boatyard jetty is a bit extortionate - but there again one can just pull a dinghy anywhere up on the beach, or motor round to the Careenage and tie up in the Inner basin, which is very close to a convenient supermarket.

I think that if we attracted more transatlantic yachts folk here they would certainly put money into the local economy - more so certainly on a per head basis than the cruise ship pax, many of whom dont even get off the ship.
Many yachts would re-provision here after their trans-atlantic voyage, and perhaps engage local repair services - ok, we dont have many at the moment, but if there starts to be a demand, then the supply should happen.

There are probably about 4 visiting yachts in Carlisle Bay at the moment, whereas I would guess that there might easily be 50+ in Bequia, or any of the other popular anchorages in the Windwards. Even at the peak time just before Christmas there were only a maximum of about 30 yachts here - whereas before the ARC at the same time we would have had over 100 anchored in the bay.
Carlisle Bay is not ideal by any means - there are 2 nightclubs ashore (the Boatyard and the Harbour Lights) and the stereo sound from the two of them travels very well across water..... and they keep going until 3 or 4 am most nights.....
However one can anchor off Port St Charles (after checking in there), and it is much quieter there.

I agree that we are a sod to get to from the other islands - but it is not too bad from St Annes in Martinique with a nice Northeasterly - just a close reach on one tack, which is much nicer than eg a long beat from the Grenadines.

 

[capnsensible]

Well I, for one, think its an excellent idea to have a marina in Barbados. I stopped there on the first transatlantic I did and would loved to have been able to step asore for showers, tea and stickies. It was a pain clearing in in Deep Water harbour and a lot less comfortable out at anchor.
I have spoken to rather a lot of people who would have stopped there but for lack of facilities.
Bring it on and I'll be back!!

 

[richardwatson]

I find it hard to believe that Barbados does not have more facilities for visiting yachts.
We made Port St Charles our first port of call after crossing the Atlantic, and we really wanted to be able to tie-up, wash the boat down, and ourselves, and stretch our legs. It had 'only' been a 12 day passage but that was quite long enough for some onboard, and one of the guys who came with us wanted to be home for Christmas, Barbados still having more flights back to the UK than anywhere else in the Caribbean.
The harbourmaster could not guarantee a berth, but when we arrived, we got lucky, however if one of the superyachts wanted a berth we were expected to leave. Fair enough they are huge berths, but there are only half a dozen of them.
I saw a recent post on another website that claimed that maybe 1500 boats a year cross to the Caribbean from Europe, the ARC and its French equivalent amount to just 25% of them. It was certainly easier crossing to Barbados first than trying to lay it from the other islands.

 

[Troutbridge]

Well, I guess it all depends on your budget. I'd agree that checking-in at Bridgetown would be a pain, Port St Charles looks a better bet. I might be tempted to be in a marina for one night, but for me part of the charm of cruising is laying to my own anchor (not to mention the budget, again).
The one time I crossed the pond I was on the late-lamented Mount Gay Rally. We went into the inner harbour at Bridgetown and all officialdom came to us. From memory, we were there about a week before moving to Carlisle Bay and that week was enough. We then took part in the Mount Gay Regatta, which was great and we were allowed one night to anchor en mass some distance up the coast, can't remember exactly where and I definitely can't remember what went on at the party!!!

 

[Foxy]

I agree, bring it on! Its a great place, friendly and fun. Plus there is some fantastic snorkelling and diving in Carlisle bay itself! £100 a week spend for a yacht can make quite a difference if it goes to the right people though. It would be good to have these places to ourselves but not at the cost of giving people the chance to make a few quid when opportunities are tight.