TCI: Largest locally-owned barge arrives; Custom Built Lew Sun now taking freight

#TurksandCaicos, July 6, 2021 – The largest locally owned barge is now in country and Lew 1 Shipping, its owners gave The Magnate a tour up close view of the vessel, the Lew Sun before it departed to South Caicos.  For 36-years Llewellyn Handfield, owner of Lew 1 Shipping has been delivering on a service which is literally out of sight, therefore often out of mind but undoubtedly a major player when it comes to national development.

However, Mr. Handfield, laid it out practically.

“Can a plane take an excavator to South Caicos?  Can a ferry take utility poles to Salt Cay?  Can a fire truck check in at the airport for a flight to Grand Turk?  And how do you think the cars on North Caicos got there?”

I laughed at the thought, then sobered up to realise Mr. Handfield was, as we say in the islands, “talking sense.”

Lew 1 shipping connects the islands in ways no one else can, and it is TCI owned.  North Caicos-family-powered with his son and now grandson on board to continue the legacy. 

For construction of resorts on islands like Pine Cay and Ambergris Cay; for hurricane repairs on islands like Salt Cay and Grand Turk and now the new construction happening in South Caicos, as only a few of the attractions, Lew 1 has delivered containers of food for businesses and for charity including Food for Thought; a charity which provides free, healthy breakfasts to children in Providenciales and North Caicos.

Lew 1 compassionately carries out inter-island transport of the bodies of loved ones at no charge to residents and yes, it has moved donkey’s and  horses; not to mention been the venue for parties on the picturesque waters of the Turks and Caicos.

The new Lew Sun is a tailor made vessel.  Some 120 feet long, 36 feet wide, double draft and able to skid over 4 or 5 feet of water with the help of its tug boat and by the grace of God.  It was an 11 day journey, delayed for any variety of reasons including a storm.  But the Lew Sun is in Turks and Caicos waters now, at home and I am told the name speaks to the brighter days ahead.  In the first week home, Lew Sun will travel to South Caicos, then Grand Turk, then North Caicos.

Mr. Handfield reveals it is an investment of   $1.3 million dollars of the more modern, sturdier and larger Lew Sun.  It is the largest ever owned by the company and with the help of long time clients and Pastor Derek Hamilton, on Monday June 28, 2021 the vessel was blessed and dedicated to God as it was readied to set sail. 

In a final plug for his industry and for his people; Mr Lewellyn Handfield reminded that running freight between the Turks and Caicos Islands should be reserved for Turks and Caicos Islanders and that further, local people should be supported to expand their horizons and enlarge their dreams – he said there is no reason a Turks and Caicos shipping company couldn’t service the entire Caribbean.