The Virgin Islands Port Authority
(VIPA) owns and operates all of the public seaports in the Virgin
Islands except the West Indian Company Dock in Havensight, St.
Thomas. The following is a synopsis of
the features of each VIPA marine facility accompanied by a photo
of the site.
The
Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility, located in Frederiksted,
is the main cruise ship port in St. Croix. The 1,526-foot pier has
drafts of 29 feet on the north and 36 feet on the south side
of the pier. Voyager-class vessels can berth on the
southern portion of the dock, and eagle-class and smaller
vessels may berth on either side. Anchorage is also available in the
outer harbor for larger ships.
The platform of the pier is equipped with a fendering system that
is designed for submarines. All berths at this facility have
access to potable water, and is requested through VIPA's marine office in St. Croix. Bunkering
services are currently available from the HOVENSA Corporation via
barge. Fuel is available in blends as specified by the cruise
lines, and cargo handling is arranged by the ship's agent or
directly by the cruise line.
A shopping area is located within walking distance to the pier.
Additionally, ground transportation and tours are available from
the pier to historical sites, beaches and dive venues.
As an incentive
to prospective cruise lines, VIPA has waived all marine fees for
cruise ships visiting St. Croix.
The
Gallows Bay Dock, located in Christiansted, is a vital
link for small cargo vessels serving St. Croix and other Caribbean
islands. The dock is conveniently located about a mile from
downtown Christiansted. The length of the dock is 400 feet with a
maximum draft of 13 feet. It can accommodate mini-cruise vessels,
small inter-island sloops, ferries, private yachts, cargo vessels
and U.S. Coast Guard vessels.
The facility is equipped with a passenger lounge, a lighted
walkway, public telephones, limited covered and open storage areas,
and a roll-on/roll-off ramp. Forklifts and other services are
available through the ship's agent. Inter-island ferry service is
available from Gallows Bay, St. Croix to downtown
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas on Monday, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday. Shopping is also available in
Christiansted and nearby at Chandler's Wharf.
The Port Authority plans to shift
all cargo operations from this port to the Gordon
A. Finch Molasses Pier along the south shore of St. Croix.
In 2006, VIPA approved a lease agreement between the Authority and
Gallows Bay Development Partners to develop a luxury marina at the
area of this port currently used by cargo vessels.
Construction of the marina should begin by late 2009.
The
Seaplane Terminal in St. Croix is located in
Christiansted. Air service is available from this facility
daily from Christiansted to downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.
Flights are also available to San Juan Puerto Rico, and packages
are offered to connect passengers to the British Virgin Islands
via inter-island ferries. Visit http://www.seaborneairlines.com/
for more information.
The
Wilfred "Bomba" Allick Port and Transshipment Center,
located in Krause Lagoon, is locally known as "The
Containerport." This facility is located on a 45-acre parcel
on the south shore of St. Croix next to HOVENSA and VIPA’s
Molasses Pier. It is 12 miles from the Ann E. Abramson Marine
Facility, and it is located close to the Henry E. Rohlsen
International Airport and an industrial park. This port is the hub
for commercial and industrial marine activity on St. Croix and
serves as a transshipment center to many other locations.
The length of the dock is 1,000 feet. It can berth vessels with
drafts up to 30 feet.
This facility simultaneously accommodates containerized
roll-on/roll-off and lift-on/lift-off cargo. The pier also has a
30-ton gantry crane to facilitate the loading and unloading of
containers. A 30,000-square foot warehouse is located on the site
for storage of cargo that is less than container load. Several
acres are also available for the open storage of containerized and
other large cargo or equipment.
The
Gordon A. Finch Molasses Pier, located in Krause Lagoon,
sits on an eight-acre site on the south shore of St. Croix. It
provides docking space for cable vessels, cable storage, molasses
and aggregate vessels.
The facility consists of a roll-on/roll-off ramp, two separate
breasting dolphins for berthing bulk-type vessels and space for
bulk cargo storage.
The facility is equipped with asphalt and molasses pipelines that
extend from the dock to storage tanks. It is also equipped with a
560-foot by 70-foot concrete lighted working apron and a 560-foot
sheet pile bulkhead with breasting dolphins on both ends. It can
accommodate large vessels with drafts up to 29 feet.
This multi-purpose facility is primarily used to import molasses
by tanker vessels to the Virgin Islands Rum Industries Limited
distillery. It is also used for the importation of all liquid
asphalt to the island, bulk cargo such as gravel, cement blocks
and other construction material critical to St. Croix's
construction industry. The pier can also accommodate submarine
cable vessels, which are used to lay and repair intercontinental
underwater telephone cables.
VIPA is currently designing plans
to shift all cargo operations from the
Gallows Bay Marine Facility
in Christiansted, St. Croix to the Molasses Pier.
The
Loredon L. Boynes Sr. Dock, located in Cruz Bay, is the
main port of entry to St. John. The length of the dock is 267
feet. It can accommodate four vessels simultaneously. Several
ferry operators provide service from this facility to Red Hook and
the Charlotte Amalie Harbor in St. Thomas. Dinghy dock berthing is
also available. There is also a passenger terminal at this
facility that houses the Port Authority's dock master’s office,
a ferry ticket booth and an open air waiting area.
The
Victor William Sewer Marine Facility (known as "The
Creek") is located in Cruz Bay, St. John. The length of the
dock is 296 feet with a draft of 10 feet. The facility also has a
small, one-acre area for cargo handling and temporary storage.
However, after the completion of a new cargo facility at Enighed
Pond in 2006, the Port Authority has ceased all cargo operations
at this port. This dock is now used for the berthing of passenger
ferries and tenders. Passenger ferries and charter vessels that
require federal inspection must also use this facility.
VIPA is in
the process of developing designs to reconfigure this dock into a
ferry passenger facility.
The
Theodore Eric Moorehead Marine Facility in St. John was
completed in 2006. The pond was developed into a cargo facility to
accommodate the increase of cargo traffic at the St. John Cargo
Dock, which previously handled cargo and foreign vessels in a
limited space in Cruz Bay, St. John. VIPA has shifted all cargo
activity to Enighed Pond.
The facility consists of 650 lineal feet of berthing space for
cargo vessels, six acres for cargo handling and storage, and a
channel and turn-around area for vessels up to 175 feet in length
with a draft of up to 12 feet. A ribbon cutting ceremony
commemorated the opening of this long-awaited cargo port on St.
John on April 21, 2006.
The Port Authority plans to construct a building
at this cargo port which will house the VIPA dock master's office,
federal agencies, bathrooms and food vendors.
The
Austin "Babe"
Monsanto Marine Facility, located in
Crown Bay, is one of two cruise ship ports in St. Thomas. It has
two docks which can accommodate three cruise ships simultaneously.
The main dock has two berths. The south side of the dock is 940
feet in length with a draft of 37 feet, and the north side of the
dock is 940 feet in length with a draft of 28 feet. The adjoining
dock is 435 feet in length with a draft of 27 feet. Vessels can
obtain access to the Crown Bay Cruise Ship Port through the East
Gregerie and the West Gregerie channels. Potable water, telephone
and taxi services are available at this site.
In an effort to keep up with the increasingly competitive cruise
ship business and meet the demands of the cruise lines who are
building larger ships with more passengers, the Port Authority
invested $28 million in 2003 to develop the Crown
Bay Center - an upscale commercial facility that will offer
dining, shopping and other entertainment venues that can be
enjoyed by visitors and residents alike.
The
Crown Bay Cargo Port is comprised of 20 acres. The
bulkhead at the facility is 2,720 feet, with a maximum draft of 30
feet. Containerized and general cargo are handled at this
facility. This port is a vital link to the Virgin Islands
economy as most of its foods, materials and other goods are
imported. The Crown Bay Cargo Port also serves as a
trans-shipment port for cargo being shipped to many of the other
Caribbean islands.
The
Edward Wilmoth Blyden IV Marine Terminal is located in
Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the Virgin Islands. This facility
is a hub for seaplane service between the U.S. Virgin Islands and
ferry service between the U.S.V.I. And the British Virgin Islands,
and between St. Thomas and Puerto Rico. The terminal houses the
St. Thomas offices of VIPA’s Marine Division, the federal
inspection services, ferry ticket booths and an open-air waiting
area. The terminal sits on the St. Thomas waterfront apron and
hosts a restaurant specializing in Caribbean cuisine on the second
floor with impressive views of the harbor.
The
Charles F. Blair Seaplane Terminal in St. Thomas is located adjacent to the Blyden Terminal, downtown Charlotte Amalie. Air service from
St. Thomas to Christiansted, St. Croix, San Juan, Puerto Rico and
also offers connection packages to the British Virgin Islands via
inter-island ferries.
The terminal was named in honor of the late
Charles F. Blair via Bill No. 28-0194 by the 28th V.I.
Legislature and signed into law on May 10, 2010 by Governor John
P. deJongh.
The
Waterfront, located in the Charlotte Amalie Harbor,
encompasses 3,200 feet of bulkhead space that runs parallel to the
shopping district in St. Thomas. The Waterfront can accommodate
mini-cruise ships and cruise ship tenders. The draft alongside the
Waterfront ranges from four feet to 14 feet.
Urman
Victor Fredericks Marine Terminal (Red Hook), is
located on the eastern end of St. Thomas and primarily serves
passengers traveling between St. Thomas and St. John, and St.
Thomas and the British Virgin Islands.
The
Red Hook Marine Facility has been significantly upgraded to
improve the passenger experience. VIPA hired Island Roads
Corporation in the fall of 2005 as the contractor for this major
capital project, which included expanding the dock and
constructing a 9,500 foot terminal with additional open-air
seating along the dock. The new terminal hosts the ferry ticket
counters, a bar, and a variety of other stores. The VIPA
dockmaster’s office is also located within the terminal.
In
addition, VIPA has constructed a new roll-on/roll-off cargo
facility, created additional parking spaces, a passenger pick-up
area, and a pedestrian walkway along the main road. Construction
began in the fall of 2005 and was completed in Sept. 2007.
The $10 million project was financed in part by the Federal
Highway Administration GARVEE Bonds ($2.5 million) and a grant
from the Federal Economic Development Administration ($1.5
million). The remainder was funded by the Port Authority.
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