News
Palm Cay Marina Projects Smooth Sailing, Best Season
Nassau, 27 Nov 2014 – The manager of New Providence’s newest full-service marina said today he is expecting a “solid season” that could see as much at 50% improvement in boat slip rentals and an even greater increase in fuel and other service-related sales.
Demaro Demeritte, dockmaster at Palm Cay Marina, offered the positive projection after the third hurricane-free year.
“In one week, the official hurricane season will close and at this point there is nothing on the horizon that gives us cause to worry,” said Demeritte, who took the helm of the 194-slip marina in 2014, less than two years after it opened and months after it was equipped with full fuel service, sophisticated electrical hook-ups and wi-fi, placing it in a position to compete with marinas that cater to luxury vessels.
“Yachtsmen look at weather even more than the rest of us do, so when you have one season, then two, without a hurricane, it builds confidence. That is part of the reason I think we are already seeing a good jump in reservations of visiting boats.”
But reasons besides being storm-free are also influencing boaters, said Demeritte.
“Two years ago, Palm Cay Marina was just getting started,” he said. “It was new and relatively unknown. But thanks to the original management and to the developers of Palm Cay who really believed in the marina’s potential, it has become one of the boating hot spots for The Bahamas. BASRA (Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association) has named us an outpost – the only one in this area. It’s the closest marina to Exuma so we are seeing both locals and visitors who know they are cutting six to seven miles off a 35-mile trip between mid-Nassau and Highborne Cay, even more if they were at a dock or marina west of town. And Palm Cay Marina is the site of a lot of family boating activity, particularly with local boaters who can zip out to the south side for a day of fishing and return long before dark.”
The multi-million dollar marina is one of the main features drawing buyers to Palm Cay, according to Sales & Marketing Director for the nearly 70-acre community on New Providence’s southeastern shoreline Zack Bonczek.
“We’re a waterfront community with a natural inlet. There had been a boat repair facility here for decades when investors bought the property,” said Bonczek. “At that time, there was talk that the development could have been built around the existing marina, but when they examined it further, they made the decision to remove all the old docks, rebuild the seawall to make sure it would last for years to come and re-do all the docks, put in 3-phase electricity, provide for wi-fi, install a sea gate for security, everything that makes a marina a good, safe, secure and comfortable place to keep your boat. Yes, it cost a lot of money but these people were not building for the short term. They were looking at a community that would be especially appealing to boaters and to those who love the water for generations to come.”
Palm Cay Marina can handle vessels up to 110 feet with a draft of up to eight feet.
According to both Bonczek and Demeritte, the opening of Billfish Grill restaurant and members’ club last year also added to the appeal.
“Where else in Nassau can you dock a boat, use the swimming pool, take a swim in the Atlantic Ocean, go back, shower and enjoy a 4-star meal or a pizza prepared in a brick pizza oven? The options and choices with Palm Cay are amazing,” says Bonczek. “I don’t think there is another place like it anywhere on this island. Palm Cay has it all.”
Whatever that “all” is, the formula appears to be working. Some 80% of the single family lots have been sold, more than 90% of the first two phases of condominium offerings are sold with the third phase announced ahead of schedule because of demand, construction is on target and townhouse rentals and sales are improving. There is a waiting list for two more phases – the next stage of the 5-phase condos called The Anchorage and a section of cottages to be named Mariner’s Cove featuring architecture reminiscent of Hope Town, Abaco or Harbour Island. The development is slated to be completed and turned over to homeowners in 2017.
Caribbean News
Agriculture Ministry Providing Two Water Trucks to Serve St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine
#Kingston, Jamaica, April 24, 2024 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is to unveil two more water trucks this week, which will be used to service communities in St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine.
Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
He also informed that of the $90 million earmarked to support farmers being impacted by the current drought, the Ministry will be
providing additional support for storage and drip-irrigation systems.
“So, we have targeted about 600 water tanks and about 400 12-millimetre drip irrigation hoses, and that distribution has already started. Additionally, we have earmarked about $8 million to really help with our livestock farmers,” Mr. Green said.
“We know the difficulty that you’re facing now in this time; [it’s] very hard to get the right nutritional support for your animals. As such, we will be providing some hay, and we will [also] provide some trucking of water to you. Again, our livestock farmers, if you are in need, please contact the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and let us see how we can help in these times,” he further stated.
Mr. Green also encouraged farmers to download the RADA App, so that the Agency can “help guide you, not only in relation to what is happening on the rainfall side, but also in relation to your integrated pest management”.
“We do see some increases of certain types of pests during this time, and it’s important that our farmers are paying attention to that. It’s also important that you’re taking drought management seriously [by undertaking] soil mulching, looking at planting drought-tolerant crops, timely harvesting, implementing land husbandry treatments and contour ditches,” he stated.
Contact: Latonya Linton
Release: JIS
Photo Caption: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, speaking during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
Donald De La Haye Photo
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, April 19, 2024 – In an attempt to move to 24-hour-a-day operations Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is steadily recruiting Air Traffic Controllers to work at the Providenciales/Howard Hamilton International Airport, according to Godfrey Smith, TCIAA CEO, reporting to the Appropriations Committee.
Speaking on April 8th Smith said a cabinet paper would be sent soon requesting six more Air Traffic Controllers to make round the clock operation at the Provo International possible and to open the airport in Grand Turk till 12 a.m.
Currently, 17 posts are filled and seven are vacant.
Smith was candid with his responses to recent industrial action from ATCs which led to resignations and firings.
“What we have to do is find systems to mitigate such actions and that has to start with filling these jobs, putting people in that want to
work and doing right by people – and we always try to do right by our staff. Persons may not think that we are but we always do – we ain’t pick no fight,” he said in the meetings held at the NJS Francis building ahead of the National Budget Communication.
Smith indicated that recruitment was an issue across the board, ‘we need to find ways to recruit a little bit better’ he told the committee. Also in need of a push was capital spending or projects according to the CEO, who said the agency had ‘not been very good’ at meeting that mark but insisted they had recognized the issue and could do better.
A very important key performance indicator drawn up by the TCIAA is increasing passenger satisfaction at the Howard Hamilton International Airport. For the TCIAA part of this means a 30 percent increase in seating by Q2 of this year.
When queried on if they could even handle this increase the CEO said,
“The fact of the matter is we already have the capacity there. What we need is to make the service a bit better.”
Staff shortages have become such a frustrating issue that the TCIAA is instituting a scholarship program created by Authority Chairman, Selvyn Hawkins
“What the board wants to do is basically allocate $25,000 annually for a scholarship and they’ve approved it already.”
This process would cover tuition and all other costs for one student.
The student would return as a summer intern and other breaks to work at the TCIAA and upon graduation, assume a role at the company.
“We identify a particular skill we need, we go after it and we build capacity that is in a nutshell the nexus of the program,” Smith said.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is allocated $49 million this financial year; over $20 million goes to salaries.
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