Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 08, 2021 (SKNIS): The second cruise pier at Port Zante is completed and will be operationalized when the need arises.
Tuffida Stewart, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA), gave the assurance on Wednesday (September 08) during an appearance on the radio and television programme Working for You.
“Pier two is ready and is available for vessels to berth for the upcoming season and as early as next month,” Ms. Stewart stated, referencing the expectation that additional cruise vessels will include St. Kitts on their itinerary.
She noted that dredging work was undertaken by the contractor to allow for an added layer of protection for the larger Oasis Class vessels that frequently called on St. Kitts in the past.
“We did ask the contractor to dredge down to 37 feet, and in some areas, they dredged to 36 feet. While the Oasis Class [vessel] can berth safely at that level, SCASPA has to look out for its interest and potential liabilities, and should we have a drop in the ocean levels it means in our view that we do not have enough clearance,” Ms. Stewart added.
As such, plans to execute remedial dredge work will be commissioned at the commercial port at Bird Rock and Pier I at Port Zante. At Pier I, the eastern side of the pier will be dredged to accommodate Oasis Class vessels. The work will now incorporate Pier II at Port Zante.
“When that is done, we would have on every pier the capability of berthing an Oasis Class vessel on any side,” she said.
Ms. Stewart added that there were several minor repairs to be carried out but assured that they do not impact the capabilities of the pier in hosting the largest cruise vessels in the world.
