M/V Island Link serving Long Island and George Town Exuma Ro-Pax capability

by Eric Wiberg
 
M/V Island Link built 2004 in Australia, photo copyright Oliver Bremer

MAILBOAT NAME: M/V Island Link
PAST NAMES: not known
DIMENSIONS: 443 gross tons, 200 DWT tons, IMO # 9323297, Call sign C6S2097
CONSTRUCTION: South Pacific Marine Construction, Caboolture, Australia, described as a roll-on, roll-off or Ro-Ro & passenger (Ro-Pax) vessel.
YEAR BUILT: 2004 (July)
EARLY CAREER: so far as is known she has been serving the Bahamas her entire career
BAHAMAS CAREER: serves Salt Pond and Deadman’s Cay Long Island and George Town, Great Exuma from Nassau. Leaves Potters Cay Dock Tuesdays at 4 PM. Takes 16 hours to Salt Pond, and is said to cost $60.

CAPTAINS: Capt. Jed Munroe
FATE: still operating in April 2014
OWNERS: Munson Shipping, care of Intamico Shipping Ltd , Sterling Group, 2nd Floor, Saffrey Square, PO Box N9934, Bank Lane, Nassau, Bahamas, Nassau. Ship manager: Bahamas Searoad, PO Box N3709, Potters Cay West, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTES:
 
 
This photo from Jan. 20, 2012 shows the Island Link at Salt Pond, Long Island. The caption reads:
 
This is M/V Island Link, shown with her drop gate stern to the government dock at Salt Pond.  She is considered to be a power catamaran.  In the Bahamas, this is the mail boat.  A few call it the freight boat, but generally it’s the mail boat.  Once  a week on Tuesday, she departs Nassau  for Salt Pond, Long Island with anything and everything including the kitchen sink.  From goats to people, cars to trucks, building materials to construction equipment, it all comes by boat.  Most cargo arrives in one of the trailers you would typically see on the open highway.  They can place on average four 40′ trailers on the cargo deck.  She even brings her own jockey tractor to move the trailers onto shore and also a forklift for palletized freight.  One of the most critical items she brings is food including dry goods, refrigerated items and frozen items.  It all comes by the mail boat including the mail.  Most mail boats may service 2 or 3 islands per trip but Island Link’s mission is Long Island.  Should you elect to take the 16 hour journey from Potter’s Cay Dock in Nassau to the government dock in Salt Pond, the fare is $60.00.
 
Source: http://bigrun42.blogspot.com/2012/01/mv-island-link.html (I could not find author’s name)
 
 
Stern view of M/V “Island Link”, a roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel. She serves Long Island and George Town, Exuma. Capt. Jed Munroe. Leaves Nassau Tuesdays at 4 PM