This past Sunday, March 19th, 2023, Antigua Slipway Ltd. completed the first phase of its Marine Railway Redevelopment Project which included the rebuild and upgrade of a new railway cradle with a maximum vessel haul-out capacity of one-hundred feet (100ft) in length overall (LOA) and one-hundred tons (100 tons) in net weight.
The second phase is scheduled to break ground this summer and it will involve the renovation and upgrade of its underwater railway, which would see an increase in haul and launch capacity to two-hundred feet (200ft) in length overall (LOA) and two hundred and seventy tons (270 tons) in net weight.
With a newly established beam of 40ft, Antigua Slipway Ltd. Marine Railway is now the largest facility to haul and launch Catamarans that could not be previously hauled out on island.
Antigua Slipway Ltd. was established in 1966 and built in 1725. It is the original Antigua Naval Dockyard, most known as Nelson’s Dockyard and is one of the last functioning marine railways in the world.
With the completion of their Marine Railway Redevelopment Project, Antigua Slipway will boast the largest haul and launch facility in Antigua and Barbuda and one of the largest in the region. Additionally, its traditional Railway Technology is one-of-a-kind in the entire Caribbean. This will add immense value to the local and regional marine industry, most notably the classic yacht and super-yacht market.
This historic milestone achievement was made possible through a collaboration between Jack Gifford from Jack Gifford Naval Architect Ltd.; Mark S J Cann and Lorraine Harris from L & M Shipwright and Antigua Slipway Ltd.
Special thanks to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, Office of the Governor General, Port Authority and National Parks Authority for their continued support and patronage.