New equipment puts resort town on course as premier yachting destination – PORT ANTONIO, Portland – The installation of a marine travel-lift within the Port Antonio free zone has boosted the attractiveness of the resort town as a yachting destination.

Acquired by the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) at a cost of US$500,000, the lift is used to remove yachts from water to dry dock for servicing or overland transportation. The state-of-the-art travel-lift can accommodate yachts up to 95-feet in length, weighing up to 100 tons.

William Tatham, the Port Authority’s vice president for cruise shipping and marina operations, said the installation of the equipment is a part of the strategic plan to make Port Antonio a full-service facility for yachting.

“Port Antonio is now on par with traditional boat servicing destinations along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. We can now say that our marina is not only a beautiful destination, but it is also one where crews can expect first-rate professional services and equipment.”

Already, there are 25 reservations for boats to be lifted into the boatyard, which can accommodate up to 50 vessels on stands.

“We have the only 100-ton travel-lift in this part of the Caribbean,” said John Louis, managing director of the Port Antonio marina. “This equipment and our free zone status ramps up our advantages, as we now offer hull repairs, custom fitting and engine servicing. We also have a state-of-the-art fuelling facility, so we expect a lot more yacht visits in 2005.”

The self-propelled travel lift has already serviced craft berthed at the marina, and manufacturer Marine Traveller has been training boatyard staff to be certified technicians.

The Port Antonio boatyard forms part of the first phase of the Port Authority of Jamaica’s West Harbour Development Project, which also includes the marina at Port Antonio and the Ken Wright Cruise Ship Terminal, designed exclusively for the smaller vessels of boutique cruise lines.

The Port Antonio marina was recently awarded the Blue Flag accreditation by the Foundation for Environmental Education, a symbol that verifies compliance with the highest world standards of safety and environmental measures for marinas and beaches.

Port Antonio is the ideal point from which to explore a variety of ports-of-call around Jamaica, according to the Port Authority. It is the closest point in the Caribbean Sea to Cuba, with Santiago just 90 miles to the north. Port Antonio is on the northern crossroads for vessels sailing south through the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos to the Central Caribbean.

Sailing from the Windward Passage en route the Yucatan, Cuba or the Cayman Islands, Port Antonio is steadily becoming a significant port for any boater needing fuel, repairs, provisioning, or just a beautiful destination, the Port Authority added.