BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A new twist has recently taken place in the development of the Cockleshell Bay Marina with the signing of an operating agreement between St. Michael’s Development Ltd. and one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious yachting businesses, Camper & Nicholsons Marinas.
In a release today (Aug. 5), the Cockleshell Bay Marina’s owners, through its Toronto-based St. Michael’s Development Ltd., signed a 10-year operating agreement with Camper & Nicholsons Marinas.
The agreement will commence from Tuesday, September 1, 2009, and the partnership will cover the development and operation of the 153 berth Cockleshell bay Marina on the Southeast Peninsula of St. Kitts.
According to the release, the partnership would “bring a new level of quality and service to yachting in St. Kitts, an island that is known as one of the most tranquil, clean and safe places in the Caribbean”.
Work will commence in January next year and the marina is scheduled to open in November 2012.
“It will be the centrepiece of an exclusive shore side development, and has been designed to cater for yachts up to 70m. There will be a select number of berths offered for sale with the remainder available for seasonal rental or visitors,” the release added.
The development includes a fabulous five star hotel, magnificent spa and world-class shopping and dining facilities. Luxury villas, as well as variety of real estate opportunities on the beachfront and surrounding hillsides, will combine to make this a high-class and sophisticated destination.
Quoting Chris Kanhai, the principal of St. Michael’s Development, the release said: “St. Kitts’ topography and culture, not to mention its waters teeming with game fish, make the island a popular place for sailors and yachters and this development will establish St. Kitts as one of the Eastern Caribbean’s prime yachting centres.”
It further stated that Kanhai acknowledges that only the best professional services would deliver the right product to customers together with a good return to investors.
“The global reach of the Camper & Nicholsons brand together with its obvious technical and operational expertise confirms our belief that we have identified the right partners to help us achieve just that,” Kanhai said.
Camper & Nicholsons CEO, Nick Maris, is delighted to add Cockleshell Bay Marina to the company’s growing network of premium branded marinas.
He said, “We are familiar with yacht owners demanding the highest service standards in the marinas they visit, but it is not just about meeting the expectations of yacht owners, it is also about the investors in the modern marina market who expect the same service standards and professionalism they would receive ashore in a top class hotel. With the signing of this new operating agreement we will demonstrate that St. Michael Development and C&N are dedicated to delivering that level of excellence.”
St. Michael’s Development Ltd. is a limited company located in Nevis and is owned by Kanhai, who is a Canadian national. In 1998, Kanhai negotiated the purchase of the extensive site at Cockleshell Bay to build a five star resort, residential real estate and marina components for this development.
Its new partner, Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, is known to be one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious yachting business names, with origins dating back to 1782 when boat building began at Gosport, England.
Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, a subsidiary of Camper & Nicholsons Marina Investment Limited, is a marina and waterfront development specialist and has provided services to clients in more than 25 countries over a 40-year period.
