There’s good news for boaters who have skipped visits to Cruz Bay because there has been almost no place to tie up a dinghy since the hurricanes of 2017.
The north side of the dinghy dock (attached to the main ferry dock) was rebuilt at the end of January, and the south side is expected to be ready within a couple weeks, according to Dan Boyd, owner of Lovango Enterprises, the company contracted to complete the work.
Each side of the dinghy dock can accommodate between 12 and 14 dinghies, Boyd said.
Although the dinghy dock is attached to the public ferry dock managed by Virgin Islands Port Authority, the government is not paying for the project.
The repairs are being funded by Love for Love City, a foundation launched by country-music superstar Kenny Chesney. Chesney, who owned a home on St. John until it was destroyed by Hurricane Irma, has been active in raising hurricane recovery funds for the Virgin Islands. His foundation has assisted in the reconstruction of homes, businesses, churches, and public projects in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.
Boyd said the new dinghy dock is designed so that the wooden sections in the middle can be lifted out and stored away in the event of an oncoming storm.
The new structure is attached to pilings sunk 16 to 20 feet into bedrock.
