M/V Goldfinger served as mailboat to Andros, lighthouse tender to all Bahamas in 1960s, 1970s, sunk of Andros


The family of Capt. Everett Roberts aboard M/V Gold Finger at Great Isaac Light, left to right: Peggy, Crystal, Dale, Scott, West. From Jim Kerr’s article in Abaco Life Magazine – citation below.

MAILBOAT NAME: M/V Gold Finger
PAST NAMES: used to be a US Navy submarine chaser, name / designation not known
DIMENSIONS: 104′ long 
CONSTRUCTION: wood
YEAR BUILT: 1940s
BUILDER: not known 
EARLY CAREER: US Navy
BAHAMAS CAREER: mailboat from Nassau to Andros in the 1970s, before that was a light house tender under Capt. Everett Roberts of Abaco in the 1960s – Capt. Roberts would take his entire family of 4 children, with his teenage son as mate, to tour from the Cuban frontier (Cay Lobos) to northern Bahamas, servicing a dozen lighthouses with supplies and mail.
CAPTAINS: Capt. Everett Roberts
OWNERS: Imperial Lighthouse Service, then operated as a mailboat briefly before it was lost. The ILS also operated the 147-foot former US Navy LCI named M/V Anna Patricia, however this is not known to have served as a mailboat. 
FATE: According to Jim Kerr (citation below), “The Goldfinger, sold for service as a mail boat, sank in a storm on a run to Andros”. 
Source: THE WAY IT WASSustaining nine lighthouse keepers was his difficult job decades ago  By Jim Kerr  Abaco Life Editor, Summer/Fall Vol 22, No. 2