23 mailboats, 1989, of 3,205 tons, from Government-commissioned study by consultants from Jamaica

From “Project Document Agricultural Sector Services Marketing Component,” by Trevor Hamilton & Associates, International Consultants & Analysts, Kingston, Jamaica, WI, October, 1989, page 12
 
“Twenty-three mail boats are under contract to transport mails to the islands at least once per week. The mail boats have capacities ranging from 62 to 350 tons. Each boat is requires to provide North bound transportation services to farmers and packing houses shipping their agricultural produce to the produce exchange in Nassau. Table-1 which follows, lists the names of the boats, their respective haulage capacities, and the islands they serve:
 
      #       VESSEL NAME                  TONS  PORTS / ISLANDS SERVED
 
1.       M/V Current Pride                       88           Eleuthera
2.       M/V Gloria                                     94           Mangrove Cay
3.       M/V Captain Moxey II                  132         South Andros
4.       M/V Windward Express               95           Acklins, Long Cay
5.       M/V Marcello III                            350         Grand Bahama
6.       M/V Big Yard Express                   102         Mangrove Cay
7.       M/V Miss Juanita                          200         South Eleuthera
8.       M/V Day Break II                          102         North Eleuthera
9.       M/V Grand Master                      214         Exuma
10.   M/V Champion II                            90           Sandy Point, Moore’s Island, Berry Islands
11.   M/V Deborah K                              204         Abaco Island
12.   M/V Central Andros Express        62           Central Andros
13.   M/V Nay Dean                                91           North Long Island
14.   M/V Nay Dean [same name?]     146         North Long Island
15.   M/V North Cat Island Special       98           North Cat Island
16.   M/V Captain Dean V                      80           N/A
17.   M/V Harley & Charley                   91           Central Eleuthera
18.   M/V Lady Blanche                          97           Exuma Cays
19.   M/V Lady Eula                                149         North Cat Island
20.   M/V Current Queen                       79           Ragged Island
21.   M/V Commonwealth                     96           Mayaguana
22.   M/V Lisa J. II                                    298         North Andros
23.   M/V Bimini Mack                           247         Bimini
 
TOTAL 3,205” tons
 
Page 13: “The [mail] boats enjoy exclusivity in provision of shipping services to the Produce Exchange and the packaging houses. The justifications for giving them a monopoly are:
 
          It is uneconomical to return from the family islands with mail only
          It is an informal condition for transporting the mail.
 
The boats are equipped to transport dry goods and a limited amount of frozen foods from Nassau to the Family Islands (South Bound). However, they are not properly equipped with chilling facilities to transport fresh fruits and vegetables. Consequently they are a main attribute to the high rate of spoilage (55%) between the packaging houses and the point of final sale in the Produce Exchange procurement and distribution network [TABLE is inserted here] 
 
In addition to the spoilage caused by the poorly equipped mail boats, there are also a main source of congestion at the Potters Cay Wharf. Their loading and unloading technology is inefficient. Consequently:
          Unloading of fresh produce takes 4-6 hours
          This creates congestion and therefore makes the Produce Exchange an unattractive locations for procuring fresh fruits and vegetables
          The long delays in off loading deteriorate the quality of produce while they are held in the hot storage compartment of the boats
          The Freeport Exchange is a subsidiary institution of the Potter’s Cay produce exchange. It receives produced from Potter’s Cay exchange and distributes it to wholesalers…. “
 
CONTINUES with granular details of “organizations associated with policy/administration” which are not germane to mailboats.