The Tribune

BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

The Smith’s Point/Taino Beach area suffered severe beach and coastal erosion with the passage of Hurricane Matthew, but proprietors in the area are working diligently to restore the area and reopen for business by November.

The area is a popular spot for locals and visitors, with the popular Fish Fry at Smith’s Point. And just west of it is Taino Beach, where there is Toni Macaroni, the Junkanoo Beach Club, Stoned Crab Restaurant, and Pirate’s Cove water theme park.

The Smith’s Point settlement fared “very well” compared to the other southern coastal communities of Grand Bahama which were devastated by the storm.

Marcel Wilson, of the family-owned ‘Outriggers Beach Club - Home of the Fish Fry,’ said that the clean-up debris has started in the community of about 150 to 200 residents.

The family’s fish fry business is awaiting the delivery of supplies for repairs and expect to reopen to the public in another two weeks.

The huge Casuarina trees that lined the roadside along the bayside of the settlement were taken down in preparation of the sea wall construction, but some were uprooted in the storm, leaving the area naked of vegetation.

The Outriggers sustained damages when one of the huge Casuarina trees was uprooted.

“The roots under a portion of the structure caused some damage when the tree was blown down. At first, it looked worse than it really was, but after cleaning up the debris we started to see our way forward, and now with the supplies on the ground, we expect about another two weeks or so before we should be up and running,” Mr Wilson said.

“It was rough,” he said of the storm. A lot of residents went for higher ground and most of the structures held up very well compared with the other settlements like West End and Pinder’s Point - I think we did very well.”

Homes in Smith’s Point, he said, suffered some roof damage and blown off shingles. “For the most part, it was a lot of debris about the place and we did not have any flooding but the water came up over the beach as far as the hill,” he added.

The community began the clean-up process very quickly because they depend on locals and visitors coming there for the fish fry and to relax and enjoy the beach.

Although the government had signed a contract months ago for construction of a sea wall at Smith’s Point, construction work had not yet commenced.

Mr Wilson stated that residents are looking forward to the seawall. “If we had the seawall, we would have had minimal (coastal) damage,” he said.

The Outriggers lost a lot of sand at its beachside property. “We have started to replenish sand back on the beach with tractors and will continue to work at it until we restore the beach,” he said.

At Taino Beach, the broad walk at the Junkanoo Beach Club was destroyed and the structure sustained some damage. The small straw market there was also impacted.

Prior to the storm, the Stoned Crab Restaurant was under renovation by new owner Olivia Paige. It will probably set back construction and the opening date.

Next door, the newly built Pirate’s Cove water theme park, sustained in excess of $100,000 in damages.

David Wallace, one of seven investors, reported that clean up and beach restoration is now underway. They expect to reopen on November 1.

“Like many other places in Freeport, we received our share of damages to the park. But we have begun the clean-up process early in the week, moving all the debris and down trees that have fallen on the property,” he said.

“We are now in the restoration process of moving sand back onto the beach, and we are going to continue the restoration process by working with the Power Company to get full power at the site,” explained Mr Wallace.

G B Power has restored electricity to 5,200 customers on Grand Bahama, which accounts for 25 per cent of its total customer base. The company continues to energize new areas daily as crews work feverishly to restore the 1,400 down poles, including 250 transmission and distribution poles and their accompanying attachments.

Mr Wallace indicated that their container buildings sustained severe roof damage, and there were minor damages to other structures on the property.

Insurance adjusters are expected to visit the site on Sunday morning. “Once that happens, we will begin the process of tearing down the roof, and once we would have settled the insurance claim we will begin the process of building the roof on the containers,” he explained.

In the meantime, he said that Pirate’s Cove will able to operate.

“We know that Pirate’s Cove is a pivotal part of the tourism destination now, and in order for the cruise ships to begin traveling back to Grand Bahama they want to be assured there are activities on the island for their guests,” Mr Wallace said.

He indicated that the water park is being cleaned to be put back out in the ocean. There will jet skis, banana boat, power boat ride, and jet packs will be available when the park reopens.

When asked about the zip line, he said: “We are in preliminary discussions with a company to put in a mobile zip line that will be able to zip two persons at a time from about 300ft in the air, and we will be offering that in the not too distance future, while we begin rebuilding the park.”

As the island is trying to rebuild and recover from the devastation, Mr Wallace said they want to offer residents and visitors on island someplace they can go and enjoy themselves.