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Advertisers Dupuch & Turnquest & Co.
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Freeport Harbour tripling space and upgrading terminal
“We have budgeted $10.9 million to really dress up the harbor to make it very attractive with waterfalls and shopping and so on,” said Albert Miller, chairman of the GBPA. According to Miller, everyone complains that the Freeport Harbor is unsightly because of a nearby cement plant. “We are going to have so many activities going on in the harbor that no one will even see the cement plant,” Miller said with a smile.
By November 2000, new facilities will include a new 40,000-square-foot passenger terminal with centralized check-in facilities; a 23,000-square-foot landscaped retail area with a traditional Bahamian straw market; and a more efficient transportation layout for buses and taxis, according to Mike Power, general manager of the Bahamas Air & Sea Port operations of Hutchinson Whampoa Limited.
Both cruise ships from Florida and local day ferries currently frequent the harbor. When the facilities are completed, it will be able to handle one medium size cruise liner and one ferry simultaneously, or the terminals will be able to be combined to handle a 3,000- passenger home ported cruise vessel. FHC, The Grand Bahama Airport Co. and GBHA are all working together to make home porting a reality.
The entrance to the Freeport Harbour is 500 feet wide and 1,800 feet long with an 1800-foot turning basin and a depth of 47 feet at low tide. It is one of the deepest harbors in the region and can accommodate the largest of cruise ships.
Freeport Harbour can currently accommodate eight cruise ships and five roll-on-roll-off vessels. The roll-on-roll-off facilities are also used to move containerized and LTL cargo. In addition, two 900-foot wet docking berths are available to provide a number of services including but not limited to hull cleaning, bunkering, garbage collection, welding, warehousing and so on.
The FHC is also the landlord for other marine operations that deal with the cruise ship and yachting industries. Lloyd Werft is launching its Freeport Ship Care Facility and Bradford Marine has invested in a facility that caters to the repair and storage of mega-luxury yachts as well as other craft.
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Table of Contents The Bahamas: An established tourism and tax-free financial services center experiences a renaissance |
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Freeport Harbour Co, a joint venture between Hutchinson Port Holdings and the Grand Bahama Port Authority, is undergoing a renovation and expansion that will triple the size of the harbor to accommodate a comprehensive container terminal, dry-docking facilities and yacht repair. It is also getting a face-lift to upgrade cruise passenger terminal facilities and make the harbor more appealing to the one million visitors that visit its shore annually.