The latest monthly newsletter of The West Indian Company reports that work is expected to proceed on widening the recent dock extension in Havensight, that the results should be known soon of a feasibility study on expanding the Crown Bay docks, and that community groups and individuals are no longer allowed to board ships in port for lunch. Here are details:
* WICO has received Coastal Zone Management Commission approval of a permit modification for construction to widen the WICO dock extension by 20 feet for safety reasons Plans for the project are under review at the Planning and Natural Resources Department, and work is expected to begin on April 17.
The work, known as "dock encapsulation." is targeted for completion by mid-October in order to accommodate the scheduled Nov. 1 arrival of Royal Caribbean's supermega-vessel Explorer of the Seas. Marine engineers carry out dock encapsulation to allow for maximum performance by supermega-ships' Azipod systems, a new type of ship propulsion.
* The findings of a computer model study to determine the feasibility of expanding the Crown Bay docks should be released shortly. Commissioned by WICO, the Port Authority and the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, the virtual study was undertaken to determine for navigators and port officials what vessels can be accommodated at Crown Bay, which is controlled by the Port Authority. With increasing demand for cruise ship berths, the study by Star Center of Florida is "important for planning the future utilization of the docks at Crown Bay," the WICO newsletter said.
* At the end of March, cruise lines with vessels calling in the Virgin Islands collectively discontinued the practice of allowing groups and individuals at ports of call to come aboard for lunch. The newsletter report said that with such requests increasing, the decision was made for safety, security and financial reasons.
The lines stopped hosting such luncheons because of liability concerns in the event of accidents, security concerns in terms of the opportunity for illegal items to be brought aboard, and financial concerns in that "Providing meals to visitors is an expense the lines face in each port of call, not only here," the report said.
