Port of Bridgetown
Encyclopedia
The Port of Bridgetown (AMS Seaport Code: 27201, UN/LOCODE
: BB BGI, Port Callsign: 8PB) is a seaport in Bridgetown
on the southwest coast of Barbados. Situated along Carlisle Bay
, the harbour handles all of the country's international bulk ship
-based trade
and commerce
.
In addition to international-shipping the Deep Water Harbour is the port of entry
for southern-Caribbean
cruise ship
s. The port is one of three (3) designated ports of entry in Barbados; it along with the privately owned Port Saint Charles
marina are the two designated ports of entry for persons arriving by sea. While the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport
is the designated port of entry
for persons arriving and departing by air. The port's timezone is GMT –4, and it handles roughly 700,000 cruise passengers and 900,000 tonnes of containerised
cargo per year.
of Britain, and cost EC
$28,000,000 through completion in 1961. The port was formed by creating a man-made isthmus
across the shallow strait
that existed off the coast of Fontabelle, St. Michael
. The isthmus formed 90 acre
s of new land stretching from the original west coast of Barbados, out to a small uninhabited island nearby named Pelican Island. After the initial completion, the harbour later underwent a $22 million expansion seventeen years later.
In 2002 Barbados Port Inc. contracted with Jan De Nul Group of Companies
of Belgium
to carry out dredging at the port facility. The dredging was deemed necessary to allow some of the world's largest cruise ships to berth
in Barbados rather than anchoring offshore. The project followed a rigorous environmental monitoring programme by the Barbados Port Inc. along with key regulatory agencies, namely the Town Planning Department, the Coastal Zone Management Unit, the Environmental Engineering Division and the University of the West Indies
' Natural Resources Management Programme to ensure that the oceanographic and sediment processes, the water quality, and the marine communities were not compromised in any way. During this operation, the port's depth was increased to 11.6 metres (from 9.6 metres). Reclaimed material from the dredging was added to increase the port's cargo area by 9 acres.
In December 2008, Minister of International Transport George Hutson announced that due to congestion between cargo and passenger ships at the Deep Water Harbour, the country needed to look at expansion at the facility following the last upgrade undertaken in 2002. Due to the importance of Tourism to Barbados' economy, the government is presently reviewing a further $70 million dollar upgrade.
In September 2010, the Barbados government stated it was reviewing a list of joint-venture partners to construct the new cruise ship facilities at the port with expected construction to begin in 2011.
Due to increased activity at the port, officials say it poised to become a "super-hub of the southern Caribbean", rivalling Puerto Rico
.
of Barbados Port Incorporated (BPI). As a statutory corporation
it oversees all matters affecting the efficient operations of the harbour facility. B.P.I. also advises the Ministry of International Business and International Transport who has ultimate authority for the Deep Water Harbour. Barbados Port Inc. is a member of: the American Association of Port Authorities
, the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA), the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (P.M.A.C.), the Shipping Association of Barbados
(SAB), and an affiliate of the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI).
It has been awarded the title of "Caribbean Port of the Year" for: 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998; the "Best Multi-Purpose Terminal (Container terminal)" in 2004 and 2005; and the safest port in the Caribbean region in 2011.
.jpg)
Imports: consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Top import sources (2009):
Exports: manufactures, sugar and molasses, cotton, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, light manufacturing, electrical components
Top export destinations (2009):
for many of the British-based Cruise ship lines operating in the Caribbean
region. Some of the Cruise Line
s which visit or are home ported at the Deep Water Harbour include:
UN/LOCODE
UN/LOCODE, the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations, is a geographic coding scheme developed and maintained by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , a unit of the United Nations. UN/LOCODE assigns codes to locations used in trade and transport with functions such as...
: BB BGI, Port Callsign: 8PB) is a seaport in Bridgetown
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
on the southwest coast of Barbados. Situated along Carlisle Bay
Carlisle Bay, Barbados
Carlisle Bay is a small natural harbor located in the southwest region of Barbados. The island nation's capital, Bridgetown, is situated on this bay, which has been turned into a marine park. Carlisle Bay's marine park is a popular spot on the island for scuba diving...
, the harbour handles all of the country's international bulk ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
-based trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
and commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
.
In addition to international-shipping the Deep Water Harbour is the port of entry
Port of entry
In general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
for southern-Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s. The port is one of three (3) designated ports of entry in Barbados; it along with the privately owned Port Saint Charles
Port Saint Charles
The Port St. Charles marina is an affluent and upscale luxury marina development situated on the western coast of Barbados. Found within the parish of Saint Peter, the marina is in Heywoods and is in close proximity to Speightstown. The Port St...
marina are the two designated ports of entry for persons arriving by sea. While the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport
Grantley Adams International Airport
Grantley Adams International Airport , is found in Seawell, Christ Church on the island of Barbados. The former name of the airport was Seawell Airport before being dedicated in honour of the first Premier of Barbados, Sir Grantley Herbert Adams in 1976. The airport's timezone is GMT –4, and is...
is the designated port of entry
Airport of Entry
An airport of entry is an airport that provides customs and immigration services for incoming flights. These services allow the airport to serve as an initial port of entry for foreign visitors arriving in a country.-Africa:-Americas:-Asia:...
for persons arriving and departing by air. The port's timezone is GMT –4, and it handles roughly 700,000 cruise passengers and 900,000 tonnes of containerised
Containerization
Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...
cargo per year.
History
Construction of the Deep Water Harbour began in 1956 by Costain GroupCostain Group
Costain Group plc is a British construction and civil engineering company headquartered in Maidenhead. It was part of the original Channel Tunnel consortium and is involved in Private Finance Initiative projects.-History:...
of Britain, and cost EC
East Caribbean dollar
The East Caribbean dollar is the currency of eight of the nine members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States...
$28,000,000 through completion in 1961. The port was formed by creating a man-made isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
across the shallow strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
that existed off the coast of Fontabelle, St. Michael
Fontabelle, Saint Michael, Barbados
Fontabelle is located in the parish of Saint Michael, Barbados. Located just to the North-west of the capital city Bridgetown, Fontabelle is a heavily populated area....
. The isthmus formed 90 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s of new land stretching from the original west coast of Barbados, out to a small uninhabited island nearby named Pelican Island. After the initial completion, the harbour later underwent a $22 million expansion seventeen years later.
In 2002 Barbados Port Inc. contracted with Jan De Nul Group of Companies
Jan De Nul
Jan De Nul Group is a family-owned Belgian company, with the financial headquarters in Luxembourg, that provides services relating to the construction and maintenance of maritime infrastructure on an international basis. Its main focus is dredging , which accounts for 85% of the turnover...
of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to carry out dredging at the port facility. The dredging was deemed necessary to allow some of the world's largest cruise ships to berth
Berth
Berth may refer to:*Berth *Berth *Berth , an album by The UsedBerthing may refer to:*The placement of a spacecraft into a berthing mechanism through the use of a robotic arm*A cabin on a ship...
in Barbados rather than anchoring offshore. The project followed a rigorous environmental monitoring programme by the Barbados Port Inc. along with key regulatory agencies, namely the Town Planning Department, the Coastal Zone Management Unit, the Environmental Engineering Division and the University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
' Natural Resources Management Programme to ensure that the oceanographic and sediment processes, the water quality, and the marine communities were not compromised in any way. During this operation, the port's depth was increased to 11.6 metres (from 9.6 metres). Reclaimed material from the dredging was added to increase the port's cargo area by 9 acres.
In December 2008, Minister of International Transport George Hutson announced that due to congestion between cargo and passenger ships at the Deep Water Harbour, the country needed to look at expansion at the facility following the last upgrade undertaken in 2002. Due to the importance of Tourism to Barbados' economy, the government is presently reviewing a further $70 million dollar upgrade.
In September 2010, the Barbados government stated it was reviewing a list of joint-venture partners to construct the new cruise ship facilities at the port with expected construction to begin in 2011.
Due to increased activity at the port, officials say it poised to become a "super-hub of the southern Caribbean", rivalling Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
Administration
Responsibility for administering the port is vested in the CEOChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Barbados Port Incorporated (BPI). As a statutory corporation
Statutory boards of the Barbadian Government
The statutory boards of the Barbados Government are organisations that have been given authority to perform certain functions in society. They usually report to one specific ministry.*Accreditation Council, The*Archives Advisory Committee, The...
it oversees all matters affecting the efficient operations of the harbour facility. B.P.I. also advises the Ministry of International Business and International Transport who has ultimate authority for the Deep Water Harbour. Barbados Port Inc. is a member of: the American Association of Port Authorities
American Association of Port Authorities
The American Association of Port Authorities ' is a trade association, founded in 1912, that represents over 150 port authority organizations throughout the Western Hemisphere....
, the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA), the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (P.M.A.C.), the Shipping Association of Barbados
Shipping Association of Barbados
The Shipping Association of Barbados is the national shipping institution of Barbados with its headquarters in Bridgetown. Formed in 1981, the association consists primarily of ship members and stevedore companies who meet on a monthly basis to discuss common problems, share information on new...
(SAB), and an affiliate of the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI).
It has been awarded the title of "Caribbean Port of the Year" for: 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998; the "Best Multi-Purpose Terminal (Container terminal)" in 2004 and 2005; and the safest port in the Caribbean region in 2011.
Shipping
Trade
Top trading partners:Imports: consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Top import sources (2009):
- Trinidad and Tobago – 28.52%,
- United States of America – 27.96%,
- Colombia – 7.13%,
- China – 4.76%,
- United Kingdom – 4.39%
Exports: manufactures, sugar and molasses, cotton, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, light manufacturing, electrical components
Top export destinations (2009):
- Trinidad and Tobago – 17.48%,
- Jamaica – 15.63%,
- United States of America – 8.93%,
- Saint Lucia – 8.13%,
- United Kingdom – 5.36%,
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – 5.04%,
- Antigua and Barbuda – 4.12%
Terminals
| Berths | Depth (m) |
Quay length (m) |
Area (m²) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakwater | 11.5 | 522 | For Cruise vessels. | |
| Sugar Berth | 9.75 | 307 | For Bulk sugar, molasses tankers. | |
| (Cross) Berth #1 | 11 | 152 | Naval, auxiliary vessels. | |
| Berth #2 | 11.0 | 183 | Cruise vessels, breakbulk Break bulk cargo In shipping, break bulk cargo or general cargo is a term that covers a great variety of goods that must be loaded individually, and not in intermodal containers nor in bulk as with oil or grain. Ships that carry this sort of cargo are often called general cargo ships... vessels. |
|
| Berth #3 | 11.0 | 183 | breakbulk Break bulk cargo In shipping, break bulk cargo or general cargo is a term that covers a great variety of goods that must be loaded individually, and not in intermodal containers nor in bulk as with oil or grain. Ships that carry this sort of cargo are often called general cargo ships... , container vessels. |
|
| Berth #4 | 11.0 | 184 | Container vessels. | |
| Berth #5 | 11.0 | 65 | Container vessels. | |
| Shallow Draught | 6.8 | 156 | Inter-island cargo vessels (breakbulk) | |
| Bulk Facility | 9.75 | 183 | Dry bulk vessels. | |
| Esso Jetty | 11.6 | 244 | Petroleum tankers. | |
| Needham’s Point | 11.6 | 198 | Petroleum tankers. | |
| Oistins | 10.0 | 172 | Petroleum tankers. | |
| Black Rock | 7.5 | 122 | Petroleum tankers. | |
| Spring Garden | 4.9 | 103 | Petroleum tankers. |
Passenger lines
The Deep-Water Harbour now acts as a home portHome port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
for many of the British-based Cruise ship lines operating in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
region. Some of the Cruise Line
Cruise line
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain,...
s which visit or are home ported at the Deep Water Harbour include:
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
- Club Cruises
- Compagnie Des Iles Du Ponant
- Costa Cruise Line
- Crystal CruisesCrystal CruisesCrystal Cruise Lines, most commonly seen as Crystal Cruises, is a Japanese luxury cruise line founded in 1988 and notable for its two medium-sized, high-end ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, which each hold about 1,000 guests. The line is a wholly owned subsidiary of the large Japanese...
- Festival CruisesFestival CruisesFestival Cruises was a Greece-based cruise line that operated between 1994 and 2004. It was founded in 1992 by the Greek entrepreneur George Poulides using second-hand ships...
- Fred Olsen & Co
- Hanseatic Cruises
- Hapag Lloyd
- Holiday Kreuzfahrten
- Holland America LineHolland America LineThe Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
- Majestic Cruise Line
- Martime Universal
- Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
- Orient LinesOrient LinesOrient Lines was a cruise line specialising in exotic destinations that was in operation 1993—2008. The brand was founded in 1993 by Gerry Herrod, who had previously owned Ocean Cruise Lines. Orient Lines was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1998, and ceased operations in March 2008.The brand was...
- P&O Princess
- Passat Ship Management
- Radisson Seven Seas Cruises
- Residensea
- Royal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
- Royal Olympic Cruises
- Saga Shipping
- Seabourn/Cunard
- Sea Cloud CruisesUSCGC Sea Cloud (WPG-284)USCGC Sea Cloud was a weather ship for the United States Coast Guard and United States Navy during World War II. The ship served as the first racially integrated warship in the United States Armed Forces since the American Civil War. Originally a private yacht, she was transferred to the Coast...
- Seadream Yacht Club Cruises
- Seetours International
- Services Transport
- Silversea CruisesSilversea CruisesSilversea Cruises is a luxury cruise line that operates six luxury, all-suite cruise ships that sail itineraries all around the world throughout the year. The line maintains branch offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore...
- Star Clippers
- Sun Cruises
- Swan HellenicSwan HellenicSwan Hellenic is a British cruise line specialising in tours of historical or cultural interest aimed at the upper end of the cruise market.-History:...
- Unicom Management
- V-ShipsV-ShipsV-ships is one of the world's largest ship management companies. The operation is based in Monaco and is the current operator of the QE2. On behalf of Nakheel, the company will oversee the refit of the ship....
- Waybell Cruises
- Westria Holdings
- Windjammer Cruises
- Wind Star Cruises
Ships registry
Barbados has a small but increasing ships registry. The Barbados Maritime Ships Registry (BMSR) has seventy six (76) vessels flying the Barbados Flag.See also
- Barbados Coast GuardBarbados Coast GuardThe Barbados Coast Guard is the maritime division of the Barbados Defence Force. Its responsibilities are patrolling Barbados' territorial waters as well as drug interdiction and humanitarian and life-saving exercises. The Barbados Coast Guard currently is based at its new home at in Bridgetown,...
- Pelican Island (Barbados)
- Transport in BarbadosTransport in BarbadosBarbados has of public paved roads; some historic, mostly unpaved railroad trail; two active marine ports , and one airport, the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport, located in Christ Church....
- List of merchant marine capacity by country
External links
- Barbados Customs & Excise Department
- Caribbean Export Development Agency
- Port of Bridgetown, Ports.com
- About the Bridgetown Port, Barbados Tourism Encyclopaedia
- Barbados Maritime Ship Registry (BMSR)
- Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) For Barbados
- Aerial photo, wikimapia.org