Apart from a minor detail, Rubber Ducky II, a 30’ Alberg sailboat, might have set speed records for taking just 11 days from Newport, R.I., go through a hurricane and stop at Freeport, Bahamas, before arriving Sunday morning at Crown Bay at St. Thomas.
But the minor detail was Rubber Ducky II was transported comfortably and safely on the deck of the mighty Super Servant 4, a 169-meter-long, 32-meter-wide vessel weighing more than 10 tons and operated by Dockwise Yacht Transport.
Super Servant 4 off-loaded the largest-ever fleet that it has brought to St. Thomas, 43 yachts, Sunday at Crown Bay.
The 41-foot deep berth where Super Servant 4 tied up is the only berth deep enough for Dockwise to submerse its decks to float the boats off.
The open berth for off-loading was perfect timing for Dockwise, as cruise ships are expected for the next six days at Crown Bay, according to Colleen Coombs, of C and C Port Services, Dockwise’s local ships agent.
The yachts’ crews began arriving promptly Sunday morning with ice and provisions in hand to help take their boats off the slowly submerging deck of the yacht transport.
The process of flooding the submersible deck began around 7 a.m. and would finish sometime around noon, according to Ann Souder, Dockwise’s sales manager for the East Coast and the Caribbean.
The Canadian-flagged Rubber Ducky II, owned by Ken Stephenson of Kimberley, Ontario, left her home port of Georgian Bay by truck to Newport, where she boarded Super Servant 4 with the rest of the privately owned yachts headed south for the Caribbean sailing season.
Stephenson decided to use Dockwise on the recommendation of his son, who lives on Tortola. Shipping the boat to the Virgin Islands has been uneventful for the vessel and her owners.
“For me it’s a non-event,” Stephenson said. “I motored on, tied up and that was that.”
Super Servant 4 is carrying both sailboats and motor vessels, which realize significant savings by using the transport, according to Souder.
Had Stephenson elected to sail the boat from the East Coast, he would likely have faced the still powerful winds of waning Hurricane Ida.
“For the powerboats, they save money on the cost of fuel and the wear and tear on the engines,” Souder said. Souder estimates that the vessels spend between $10-$20,000 for the transport.
Not to mention that it’s a rare thing for a private vessel to refuel in the middle of Atlantic.
Typically, owners and crews meet the transport at their yacht’s destination.
Super Servant 4 picked up three boats on Sunday before heading for Fort Lauderdale, according to Souder.
