New Docks Nearing Completion, Delivery to Grand Bahama Shipyard
After years of planning, the Grand Bahama Shipyard on Freeport in the Bahamas is preparing for the arrival of its two new large dry docks. They will be among the largest in the Western Hemisphere and permit the shipyard to resume servicing large cruise ships that have been forced to travel to Europe for their overhauls and maintenance.
The shipyard is jointly owned by Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Group along with a share held by the Bahamas government. The yard was established to provide maintenance for cruise ships close to the Florida homeports as well as for other commercial ships during the offseason. Grand Bahama Shipyard was started in 2000 with one drydock capable of handling ships up to 27,000 tons displacement. The yard added a second drydock in 2001 capable of handling ships up to 50,000 tons displacement and by 2009 a third drydock was added, giving the yard a lifting capacity of up to approximately 82,500 tons displacement. However, in 2019 it suffered a casualty that disabled its larger drydock.
Plans for replacements and expansion of the yard were delayed by the pandemic before an order was placed in May 2022 with China’s Beihai Shipbuilding Co. The companies have also entered into agreements with the Bahamas’ government for the investments and expansion of the operations.
The first of the two new docks, East End, is nearly ready to begin the trip from Chian to Freeport, Bahamas (Grand Bahama Shipyard)
“We are close to reassuming our position as a leading, world-class cruise ship repair facility,” said Dave Skentelbery, CEO of the Grand Bahamas Shipyard. “The investment by our shareholders will be a significant boost to the economy of Grand Bahama, providing both direct and indirect employment opportunities.”
The company reports that the first of its two new docks is nearing completion and will begin shipment to the Bahamas. It is reported to be on schedule for delivery to Grand Bahama by the first week of November. The second dock will follow and is expected to arrive in 2026.
This first dock named “East End” is 357 meters long and 76 meters wide (1,171 feet by 250 feet) and capable of lifting to 93,500 tons. It will be equipped with four state-of-the-art modern cranes and control systems and will be in operation in January 2026. The second, larger dock, named “Lucayan” was designed for a 125,000-ton lift capacity meaning that the yard will again be able to service all of the large cruise ships and other commercial vessels.
Working with the Bahamas. The yard is making preparations for the expansion, including the extension of a pier, which is well advanced and will be ready to receive the dock in November. The company also reports it has engaged another 20 apprentices this year and is already in the process of recruiting crane operators to train for the new docks.
The owners are investing a reported $600 million in the project which modernizes the yard and increases its capacity.