82 Business View Caribbean - January 2015
The British seized control of the island in 1778 and
settlers took advantage of the harbor's potential as
a naval base. They made petitions through 1889 to
the British government to develop the inner harbor,
but were repeatedly turned down by the admiralty. At-
tention then turned to winning commercial traffic, but,
while a detailed survey was carried out in 1895, no
further action was taken until St. George's first jetty
was constructed more than 40 years later.
Cargo handling prior to that point had been carried
out using lighters that were tediously loaded and
discharged along the Carenage by three cranes. Op-
erations were revolutionized in 1938 by the construc-
tion of an 850-foot wooden pier with 30 feet of depth
alongside. Upon its completion, vessels could berth
alongside the quay and discharge cargo directly into
storage sheds because the pier was connected to the
land by a rubber bank.
The pier lasted just 16 years, though, until it was de-
stroyed by Hurricane Janet, prompting the return of
cumbersome lighters to the port until a new 800-foot
quay – more durable than its predecessor – opened
in 1958 with a connection to the land by more than
three acres of hardstanding. The quay remains in use,
although it now forms part of a much longer quay and
container stacking area.
A 12-foot channel was dredged into the lagoon in
1960, creating a haven for yachts and small craft.
User demand prompted the authority to develop a port
expansion project in 1996, a US$11.5 million under-
taking that was completed in 2000 and involved land
reclamation behind the existing pier and extension of
the main quay farther into the lagoon. The port also es-
tablished a welcome center at the northern end of the
quay to ease passenger flow of passengers through
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