Page6 SectionA

The Abaconian

September 15, 2008

Government and private businesses prepared

Customs Department Assists in
Preparing for the Hurricane

 

Hanna From Page 4

The boat rental companies were all
securing their fleets the best way they
could which involved taking them out of
the water if possible. Jonathan Sweeting
of Rich’s Boat Rentals on Pelican Shores
sounded very calm. “We take all of our
boats out of the water and block them up
but at this time of the year most of our 25
rental boats are already out of the water
as it is ‘dead time,’ out of season so it is
not a big job for us. The boats are nor-
mally secured on the land by the marina.
But if there is a very bad hurricane ap-
proaching, then they are trailered to more
sheltered land near the Sweeting’s tract
on the Airport Road,” he explained.

Troy Cornea of Blue Wave Rentals
was finding it more of a problem to se-
cure his 12 rental boats and six or eight
marina boats. He was busy out on the
dock with his assistants so his mother
who runs the office spoke with me. “It is

   

_—

approaching the Coffey Cemetery.

like a jigsaw of lines out there,’ she said.
“Unfortunately, there is nowhere to pull
the boats up. We do not like any boats to
be left here so most captains take their
boats over to Man-O-War (to be hauled
out). But there are some which stay here
for from four to six months of the year
whose owners are away. We hope for the
best for those that are left. They are tied
with extra ropes and we only put boats in
every other slip. All of the stuff around
the marina, which there is a lot of, is
moved and secured. The rental boats
are put on trailers and taken to our other
yard opposite Snappas. It is a big job,”
said Mrs. Cornea. “After Hurricane
Jeanne we had five boats all jumbled up
together and two on the dock. One had
gone through the plywood on the door of
the office, so we had three feet of water
inside and lost all our paper work. We
hope we will fare better this time,” she
said.

SE Ea pe. = =
The road in the area of the new port facility in Marsh Harbour flooded. This vehicle is

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By Jennifer Hudson

Whenever a hurricane or tropical storm
is traveling in the direction of Abaco, Su-
perintendent Gary Smith of the Customs
Department monitors it carefully and de-
termines when the offices need to be closed
down. The first customs offices to be closed
are Spanish Cay and Green Turtle Cay.

The week prior to the onslaught of Han-
na was a busy one for the Customs De-
partment. As Supt. Smith explained, “Two
cruise ships came into Castaway Cay back
to back within two days
as they had changed
their schedules to be
out before the storm.
These both had to be
cleared by Customs of-
ficers.

“A cargo ship which
came in on the Sunday
prior to the storm was
cleared as quickly as
possible to ensure that
all food stuffs, building
materials, batteries and
other necessary hur-
ricane supplies could
be on the shelves in
the shops for last min-
ute shoppers. These
emergency items were
cleared before anything
else.

“Tt was necessary to
get all of the cargo out
of the Custom’s lot. As
much freight as pos-
sible was cleared off

 

the dock and the remainder was secured
and put into a building. Any vehicles were
moved to higher ground.

“T attended a meeting with a shipping
company which was held to discuss plans
to bring in a ship by Tropical Shipping
on the Sunday evening between the two
storms in order to have food stores well
stocked with supplies for the next storm.
This request came from many of the gro-

 

Please see Hanna

Page 7

 

Prior to the arrival of Tropical Storm Hanna, Ministry of
Works personnel and firemen of the Marsh Harbour Volunteer
Fire Department cleaned out the drains along Don MacKay
Boulevard in Marsh Harbour. Shown here is a fireman down
in the drain assisted by a Works’ employee.

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