Provide a suitable quay to land cruise ship passengers

Some declined because events elsewhere overtook our methods and equipment. However others failed through a lack of foresight and initiative on our part and not recognizing how competitors were overtaking us with their energy and forward thinking. I fear this is happening again through our lack of investment.

Cruising is now very big business and I don’t think we fully recognize the potential value it has to our economy.

I understand that at present the island benefits to the tune of £4m. annually from these short-term visitors but the weather does not always allow the ships to lower their tenders to bring them ashore. So instead of landing their passengers they pass us by and go on to more accommodating places.

The large liners would be far too big to moor alongside any quay that we could provide but there are many smaller ships which, if we provided a suitable quayside, could land their passengers ashore, a far more attractive prospect than a rough journey in a small boat.

If we built a quay, either alongside the east arm of the Queen Elizabeth Marina or one to project out at right angles (sea bed and tides permitting) then I believe that more ships would be encouraged to take advantage of this. And if the quay was a solid wall, like our harbour quays, it might accommodate two ships at once. Also it could be infilled with the thousands of tons of inert waste which we don’t know what to do with at present.

I know it would be a very costly venture but the saying ‘one must speculate to accumulate’ should be borne in mind.

It would be interesting to read a knowledgeable comment on this proposal.

However, having read Richard Digard’s recent summary of the essential and costly projects still to be undertaken it was so depressing that I almost decided not to send this letter after all.

B Mauger