Conveniently located at the north-eastern extremity of the chain of eastern Caribbean islands, Anguilla is an ideal halt for vessels cruising the Caribbean. It is also conveniently situated at a distance of only seven nautical miles from St. Martin making it also an attractive destination for charter vessels. Yachting has been identified in the Interim Report as potentially an important tourism growth sector for Anguilla. For this to happen, the most urgent issues that need to be addressed are:
• The lack of marina facilities, particularly for larger yachts; and.
• The lack of boatyard, chandlery, water/fuel and other ancillary facilities for visiting yachts (which are normally found at, or close to, marinas).
Major yachting centres, such as St. Martin/St. Maarten (17 marinas) and the British Virgin Islands (7 marinas), are well equipped with such facilities. A number of possible marina sites have been identified over the years. Two locations stand out: Road Bay (which is the presently the main yachting centre) and Blowing Point (which has the advantage of directly facing St. Martin/St. Maarten whence the great majority of visiting yachts originate). In addition, both sites are close to existing Customs and Immigration clearance facilities. Both locations have the potential to become a major magnet for visiting yachts and other visitors, if appropriately developed and presented, but (based on discussions with local sailing industry representatives) a marina in Anguilla need not be as large as those in St. Martin/St. Maarten. Finally, it should be appreciated that marinas are almost invariably developed as part of mixed ventures, such as hotels or resort communities which largely depend upon tourism demand rather than yachtsmen to be successful.
(i) Yacht Marina at Blowing Point
Blowing Point has the advantage of directly facing St. Martin/St. Maarten whence the great majority of visiting yachts originate. In addition, the proposed site at Blowing Point is close to existing Customs and Immigration clearance facilities. The location has the potential to become a major magnet for visiting yachts and other visitors, if appropriately developed and presented.
The main proposal is for
• A 125-berth marina to provide facilities for 50 large yachts and around 75 smaller vessels.
• A floating or fixed dinghy dock.
• A marine complex providing repair, chandlery, fuel and other facilities, particularly for yachts.
• An associated hotel (50-80 rooms) and condominium development (80-100 units).
• A commercial centre offering indoor and outdoor shopping experiences with onsite food and beverage outlets, minimarket, ATM, toilets, taxi service, etc.
The estimated cost will depend upon the results of a detailed feasibility study with the inclusion of real estate, costs could be in the region of US$30M.
Action
GoA (FEDICT) and the Air & Seaports Authority are actively seeking a developer to undertake a marina project at Blowing Point and are understood to be open to different joint venture concepts and arrangements.
