Dear Sir;

It is very encouraging to see that the yacht service business at St George’s will be expanded and, hopefully, bring some added employment and revenue to the Olde Towne.

However, this in itself will not be sufficient to revive St George’s from the serious business depression that has become the norm for the past several years at the East End of the island.

What is needed is a regular cruise ship that can dock in St George’s and put the passengers on shore straight into the shopping area! Tendering passengers from Murray’s Anchorage or elsewhere offshore will not provide the necessary business impetus and will not solve the problem. Usually, they hop on a bus or taxi and head for Hamilton.

St George’s Harbour does present some challenges with the larger cruise ship sizes being the norm. But there are still ships available that would be suitable for St George’s, and access could be upgraded by improving the channel.

This is not going to be an easy problem to solve, but with creative and positive thinking, it should be possible to arrive at a solution.

In future, the Olde Towne deserves to see the traditional Pilot Flag on more than just the Pilot Boat at Ordnance Island!

ALLAN DAVIDSON

Paget