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DECEMBER 2012 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 4
Info
& Updates
Causeway Construction in St. Maarten Lagoon
Boaters should be aware that dredging and pile driving are currently occurring in
the Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Maarten for the construction of a cross-lagoon causeway
bridge. The causeway is being constructed from the north of Yacht Club Port
de Plaisance to the airport runway. The completed causeway will be a maximum of
28 feet off the water. Vessels currently wishing to transit the lagoon should stay within
the marked channel and exercise caution with regard to the construction.
Upon completion of the bridge, vessels taller than 28 feet wishing to transit the full
lagoon will be restricted to the opening of the center portion of the causeway,
which will be a two-lane “swing” bridge, with vessel traffic passing in both directions
at the same time. The opening times of the swing bridge have not yet been deter-
mined. The St. Maarten Marine Trades Association has recommended that the swing
bridge operate “on demand”. The goal of the new causeway/bridge is to ease the
traffic congestion in the Simpson Bay Area. The bridge is expected to be complete
by the end of 2013.
The St. Maarten Nature Foundation has been very active in removing numerous
sea creatures that make their home in the Simpson Bay Lagoon and safely transporting
them away from the causeway construction site. The Epic Love the Lagoon
Project is advocating for government to use the opportunity of having heavy equipment
in the area to remove shipwrecks from past hurricanes from the Lagoon.
Sales Tax Worries Antigua Yacht Interests
Key players in Antigua’s yacht tourism industry are concerned that the Antigua &
Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) will have a negative effect on their business. The ABST is
payable at 15 percent on a wide range of services and goods.
In recent years, thanks to changes in yacht insurance after Hurricane Ivan, Antigua
has augmented its winter sailing season business with storage of yachts during the
summer months, providing many companies on the island with year-round work.
However, when the ABST came on stream yachting wasn’t taken into consideration,
and industry leaders on the island fear that when the owners of stored boats “get
back here and find they have all been charged 15 percent on their bill that they’re
not normally charged, they are going to head off. If something isn’t done, then we
are going to see a major exit out of Antigua come end of next season.” Although
yachts in transit are considered to be an export market and therefore zero-rated,
yachts which stay in Antigua for more than 90 days are liable to have ABST applied
to their invoices.
Visiting yachts often see Antigua & Barbuda as a “high-cost” country, albeit one
that provides high-quality service. However, with growing competition from other
islands, particularly ‘duty free’ St. Maarten and less expensive Trinidad & Tobago,
cost has become an increasingly important factor.
The Antigua & Barbuda Marine Association has approached the authorities to
tackle the problem and is hoping for a solution.
Telfor Does It Again!
Jeff Fisher reports: Telfor Bedeau is famous for circumnavigating Grenada by windsurfer,
and for rowing around the island twice — once in each direction. To celebrate
his 73rd birthday in October, he decided to kayak around.
At seven on the morning of October 6th he set off from Soubise, heading south. He
had expected to make it to La Sagesse or Prickly Bay, but the weather and tide
were favoring him and encouraging him to press on. After a brief stop at Petit
Bacaye to empty the kayak of water and take a stretch, Telfor paddled in the shelter
of the south coast bays to Hog Island for another short rest. A bit over eight hours
after leaving Soubise he paddled into the lagoon in St. George’s to complete the
first leg of the voyage.
The toughest but shortest leg of this circumnavigation took place on his day of birth,
October 15th. Setting out again from Soubise, this time headed north, fighting both
the current and the wind to punch through to Sauteurs and beyond to Petite Anse
Resort four hours later. Navigating the breakers into the beach took some doing and
left him wondering about the next day’s battle to launch himself back out.
—Continued on next page