Word reached The Anguillian newspaper that a local company, Blues & Blues Ltd., has won a tender to operate ferry services between the islands of Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and St. Kitts. The proprietor of Blues & Blues Ltd., Mr. Samuel Connor, popularly known as “Blues” of Blowing Point, Anguilla, is a professional maritime personality, with many years of sea-related transport experience.
The source of the news regarding his company’s selection was Public Entity Saba, the official Government Website of that Dutch island territory. Its report stated in part:
“The selection of Blues and Blues as the new ferry operator is the first phase [in the activation of this service]. The next phase is the drafting of a so-called Public Service Obligation (PSO). The PSO will state the details of the public-private maritime connectivity agreement. It is estimated that the ferry operation can start as early as November 1st, 2021, depending on how long it takes to draft and sign the PSO agreement.”
According to the report, funding for the ferry service comes from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&WM) in The Hague, which has granted a subsidy of 2 million euros for the first two years to realise a sustainable PSO agreement.
Public Entity Saba stated: “The selection of Blues & Blues is the outcome of a successful tendering by the Public Entities Saba and St. Eustatius. The Public Entities jointly issued a tender document on June 30th, 2021, inviting licensed ferry operators to submit proposals to provide regular, affordable maritime connectivity between Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten and between St. Eustatius and St. Kitts.”
Public Entity Saba continued, “By the end of August, a total of seven proposals were received from a variety of contenders. A selection committee comprising of members from the two islands assessed the proposals based upon criteria. These criteria included the suitability of the ferry vessel, the proposed schedule, a Profit and Loss P&L statement in relation to the proposed schedule, a tariff proposal and a vision on the long-term collaboration with the two Public Entities.
“The committee unanimously selected Blues and Blues Ltd. as the clear winner. The Anguillian company already provides cargo services to Saba and St. Eustatius and is an experienced ferry operator. The committee’s advice was presented to the Governments of Saba and St. Eustatius and subsequently approved.”
The Anguillian newspaper reached out to “Blues” to congratulate him on his company’s success in the bidding, and to obtain his comments. He acknowledged:
“We are truly humbled and grateful to be selected as the designated ferry operator for the Saba and St. Eustatius Maritime Connectivity. Blues & Blues Ltd. would like to thank the Public Entities of Saba and St. Eustatius for this opportunity, and we are eager to provide exceptional service to our neighboring islands.
“Blues & Blues Ltd. would like to acknowledge our technical team for assisting with our proposal. This team includes: my daughter Marynell; my nieces Simone and Sara; my nephews Alvaro and Dwayne; my sisters Venetta, Marie, Christobell and Valerie; and my brothers Navin, Alec and Keithley. I thank all of them again, for their hard work.”
“Our ferry schedule will be provided in the near future,” he promised.
