Captains Propose Port in South Sound

Captain Paul Hurlston (left) and Captain Harris McCoy
hold plans for a proposed port facility in South Sound

A detailed map showing the proposed location for a
new port facility in South Sound

by Brian Buckley

Tuesday, September 7, 2004

Captain Paul Hurlston and Captain Harris McCoy have drafted a proposal to build a modern, secure cruise ship dock capable of holding up to a dozen cruise ships in South Sound.

Disappointed that captains and seafarers have never been consulted by government for their input on maritime issues, Capt Hurlston and Capt McCoy took their own initiative and designed a port facility which could hold up to 12 cruise ships and twenty mega-yachts, the type of which current Leader of Government Business Hon McKeeva Bush has indicated he would like to attract.

The captains have accepted the reality that Grand Cayman is undergoing a vigorous phase of development and that sacrifices must be made to accommodate and steer this development as prudently as possible.

“I listen to the radio and the arguing over dredging the North Sound never ends. We’ve looked and considered every area of this Island and the only place that can be sacrificed for the benefit of all lies in South Sound,” said Capt McCoy.

Capt McCoy insisted that he undertook this endeavour with his friend with no other interest than serving the best interests of the Cayman Islands. “I’m not representing anyone. I’m not promoting anything for anybody. This is just my idea from my many years at sea,” he added.

Citing that the eastern-most area of South Sound has very few if any boaters and swimmers, the two captains insist that this reason, along with its proximity to George Town, the possible four-lane road connection to an expanded Linford Pierson Highway, and quick jump to North Sound via Grand Harbour make the South Sound option irresistible.

The two captains also mentioned Carnival Cruise Line’s intention to find a home dock in the western Caribbean. Carnival currently has a home dock serving the eastern Caribbean in Puerto Rico. If Grand Cayman were to secure this contract with Carnival, not only could this idea go forward, but Mr Bush’s plan for a larger airport would fuse with this idea, for the crew members and passengers for Carnival would fly to and from Grand Cayman by the thousands.

The entrance channel to the proposed dock would be 500 feet wide and 40 feet deep. Captain Hurlston noted the latest security measures required in ports. “We’d be building this port from scratch and ports now require a lot of security measures. All these security features can be built into it,” he said.

One such aspect for security would be the fact that the port would only connect to the land in one point, allowing for security personnel to walk around the dock and keep an eye on that one land-sea union.

The two also envision two break walls built into the project, thereby protecting one of the Island’s lowest points from any type of flooding.

The area also has a history of being a safe harbour during severe weather, which further added to their argument, said the captains.

To residents of Prospect Point who may not like looking out upon such a structure the two asked: “Do you want to keep your mangroves or would you like us to pump a nice sandy beach on to their shorefront?”

They dismissed two other spots on the island as completely infeasible. “The Great Sound cannot work. It would not pull away the traffic from Seven Mile Beach. As for Half Moon Bay, the weather won’t allow it to work and the distance to town is too great,” they said.

Captain Hurlston acknowledged that they were not the original designers of a port in Prospect Point. “Captain Theo Bodden proposed a dock in the same area off Prospect Point years ago. I was against the idea in those days, but now I understand his idea to use the existing reef for a foundation for a pier. It’s a great spot close to town and to the airport,” Captain Hurlston said.

The proposed dock could be extended once built to hold up to fourteen cruise ships and up to 30,000 cruise ship passengers at one time.

Captain McCoy concluded: “I repeat. I’m not promoting anything for anybody. The only thing I would get out of this is peace of mind.”

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