Antigua Slipway Ltd.

Antigua Slipway Ltd. A family-owned, full-service boatyard & marina located in English Harbour, Antigua W.I. est. in 1966: 200 ton railway & 35 ton trailer on site

⚓ Where English Harbour’s dockyard story began.This watercolour by Thomas Hearne shows English Harbour and its surroundi...
06/09/2026

⚓ Where English Harbour’s dockyard story began.

This watercolour by Thomas Hearne shows English Harbour and its surroundings in 1775–1776, around 50 years after the original naval dockyard was established at St. Helena—the site now home to Antigua Slipway.

Founded in 1725, St. Helena served ships of the British Royal Navy before the naval facilities expanded across the harbour to today’s Nelson’s Dockyard.

Three centuries later, Antigua Slipway carries that tradition forward, maintaining, repairing and refitting vessels at this historic site, part of the UNESCO-listed Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites.

🎨 Image: Thomas Hearne, “View of Antigua: English Harbour, Freeman’s Bay, and Falmouth Harbour, Monk’s Hill etc.,” 1775–1776. Watercolour. Private Collection / Bridgeman Images, via MeisterDrucke.

1 down, 5 to go! 💥Another important milestone for the Antigua Slipway Railway Project, the largest underwater marine inf...
21/08/2026

1 down, 5 to go! 💥

Another important milestone for the Antigua Slipway Railway Project, the largest underwater marine infrastructure project in the history of Antigua and Barbuda.

The first of six 4m x 12m underwater support frames is now complete and looking the part as it emerges from the paint shop at Blastclean in Cornwall.

Built for long-term protection, each frame is being:

⚙️ Blasted to Sa 2.5
🎨 Coated with Interzone 954 GF at 250 microns
🎨 Finished with Interzone 954 at 300 microns
🛡️ Protected by a coating system specified for 25-year maintenance
🗺️ Destination: Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬

The light-coloured finish was deliberately selected to improve visibility during underwater installation and future inspections, while also reducing heat absorption when exposed to the sun.

These frames will form part of the permanent underwater structure supporting the new marine railway rails.

A major job making full use of Blast Clean & Coatings’ blasting and coating facility in Cornwall.

Onto the next one, fellas! 👊

HAUL OUT. STRAP DOWN. STAY SECURE. 🌪️⛵We’re hauling this Thursday, 20 August, from 9:00 am at Antigua Slipway, English H...
16/08/2026

HAUL OUT. STRAP DOWN. STAY SECURE. 🌪️⛵

We’re hauling this Thursday, 20 August, from 9:00 am at Antigua Slipway, English Harbour.

Solid concrete ground. Brownell certified boat stands welded into a single cradle. Hurricane straps anchored directly to the concrete.

Insurance coverage is available for boats stored at our facility, subject to your policy terms.

Call our office on +1 (268) 460 1056 to book and learn more.

16/08/2026

BACK TO BOATS… WITH A LITTLE DETOUR 🐾

Today, we’re taking a little turn from boats and introducing you to someone who has been part of the Antigua Slipway story for years. My shadow, Irie.

Born and raised in Antigua, Irie is half Rottweiler and half good old-fashioned Antiguan mongrel, and 100% character.

She has accompanied me through just about every big and little journey at the yard. Walk the facility and, more often than not, you’ll find Irie somewhere by my side, inspecting the boats, greeting the team, welcoming customers, or making friends with their four-legged crew members.

Her unmistakable smile brings a little joy to the yard every day. She has been my most loyal companion and undoubtedly my biggest fan, although I suspect the feeling is mutual.

Irie also represents something about the atmosphere we want at Antigua Slipway. We are proudly a pet-friendly yard. Boats travel with families, and very often those families have four legs.

Dogs are always welcome. We simply ask owners to respect the yard, clean up after them and make use of our designated pet-friendly areas for bathroom breaks.

A working boatyard can be a busy place, but it can still have a little heart.

And for me, a lot of that heart walks around on four paws.

Meet Irie. Antigua born and raised. Slipway through and through. 🐾⚓️

14/08/2026

BACK TO BOATS | S/Y ASPARA

Today we feature the magnificent S/Y Aspara.

Built by Royal Huisman and designed by Dykstra Naval Architects, this 56-metre (184 ft) ketch is a beautiful example of modern yacht building inspired by classic sailing tradition.

Originally launched as Aquarius, Aspara has the proportions and elegance of a traditional sailing yacht, combined with the engineering and performance of a modern superyacht.

Builder: Royal Huisman
Length: 56 m / 184 ft
Naval Architecture: Dykstra Naval Architects
Interior: Mark Whiteley Design
Rig: Ketch
Year: 2018

There are boats that impress because of their size, and others because everything about them simply looks right.

Aspara is one of those boats.

Another beautiful visitor to English Harbour, and another reason we never get tired of looking out across the yard.

Back to Boats.

12/08/2026

Back to Boats. ⛵️

Today we feature a true American classic ⭐️Ticonderoga ⭐️

Designed by the legendary L. Francis Herreshoff and launched in 1936 as Tioga II, Ticonderoga is one of the most recognisable classic sailing yachts of her generation.

At approximately 72 ft (22 m), this beautiful two-masted ketch combines the sweeping lines, long overhangs and powerful sailing pedigree that made Herreshoff designs so distinctive.

Over nearly nine decades, Ticonderoga has built an extraordinary history under sail, including an impressive racing career and numerous ocean passages. Today, she remains a wonderful example of what happens when good design, craftsmanship and careful stewardship stand the test of time.

For us at Antigua Slipway, seeing vessels like Ticonderoga in Antigua is a reminder of why the Caribbean and English Harbour in particular remains such a special home for the world’s classic sailing fleet.

Some boats get older. Classics become history.

11/08/2026

Back to Boats. ⛵️

Today we feature Hanuman (JK6), a regular client of Antigua Slipway and an absolute gem of a yacht.

Built by Royal Huisman in 2009, Hanuman is a modern recreation of the legendary 1937 America’s Cup challenger Endeavour II, combining the unmistakable elegance of the J Class era with modern performance.

HANUMAN | JK6 SPECS
Length: 42.19 m / 138 ft
Beam: 6.63 m / 21.8 ft
Draft: approx. 4.6 m / 15 ft
Displacement: 171.8 tonnes
Upwind sail area: 952.9 m²
Builder: Royal Huisman
Naval Architecture: Dykstra Naval Architects
Year: 2009 (jclassyachts.com)

At 138 feet, her sweeping overhangs, black hull and extraordinary proportions make Hanuman one of those yachts you simply stop and admire.

We’ve had the privilege of welcoming her to Antigua Slipway on multiple occasions and she never gets any less impressive.

Let me tell you a little bit about me, my story, and the women behind it.I am the Managing Director of Antigua Slipway L...
09/08/2026

Let me tell you a little bit about me, my story, and the women behind it.

I am the Managing Director of Antigua Slipway Ltd. , but so much of my story, who I am and what I believe in, has been shaped by the women around me.

My mother is the Chairwoman of both Antigua Slipway and The Inn at English Harbour. She has been the strength behind our family for as long as I can remember. She taught us that building something worthwhile takes courage, sacrifice, resilience and, above all, love.

My sister is now writing her own chapter within our family story, redeveloping the marketing team at The Inn at English Harbour and bringing her own creativity, energy and vision to a place that has meant so much to our family for generations.

And my wife, my partner in the life and family we are building together, has followed her own dream, creating East End Antigua, her beautiful boutique hotel and restaurant on the eastern side of the island. Watching her build something of her own, with such passion and determination, makes me incredibly proud.

And then there is me, fortunate enough to be standing in the middle of all of them.

We each have our own dreams, our own responsibilities, our own ideas and, naturally, our own very strong opinions. But beneath all the businesses, titles and ambitions, there is something much more important: we are family.

Perhaps that is why I love this photograph so much.

Leadership isn’t always about the person standing at the front. Sometimes it is the mother who gave you the courage to lead, the sister growing and building alongside you, or the woman you love choosing to dream, take risks and build a future beside you.

These are the women behind my story.

And whatever we manage to build in this lifetime, I hope our greatest legacy will not be the businesses we leave behind, but the love, values and family that keep them together.

🩵

Quality and engineering standards are at the heart of the next chapter of the Antigua Slipway Marine Railway.Pictured he...
04/08/2026

Quality and engineering standards are at the heart of the next chapter of the Antigua Slipway Marine Railway.

Pictured here is structural steel supplied by Barrett Steel Ltd, currently being fabricated to our railway design by Helston Fabrications Ltd in Cornwall, UK.

The new railway system is being designed in accordance with British Standard BS 6349-3 – Maritime Works: Code of Practice for the Design of Shipyards and Sea Locks, with welding procedures specified to BS EN ISO 15614 standards.

Once fabrication is complete, the steel will receive the specified marine protective coating system, with smaller components blasted and coated by Kermick Metal Finishers (KMF).

From design and material selection through fabrication, welding and protective coatings, we are working with established UK specialists to ensure the new railway is built to recognised international standards for a demanding marine environment.

Built properly. Built to standard. Built for the future of Antigua Slipway.

On May 8, 2026, Antigua Slipway quietly lost one of its great custodians.Today, we remember James Peter Zachary, former ...
28/07/2026

On May 8, 2026, Antigua Slipway quietly lost one of its great custodians.

Today, we remember James Peter Zachary, former Chairman of Antigua Slipway, sailor, mentor, and one of the men who helped shape the foundations on which we continue to build.

There is something profoundly symbolic about his passing at this very moment. As we welcome a new generation of leaders, strengthen our team, and invest in the future of Antigua Slipway, one of the men who helped write its earlier chapters quietly takes his leave. Perhaps the stars really are aligning.

Peter believed deeply in this yard, in its people, and in what it could become. His leadership, friendship, and love for the sea left a legacy that will continue to guide us.

To his beloved wife, Hilary, who carries on his memory with grace, and to the entire Zachary family, please know that you remain in the thoughts and prayers of the entire Antigua Slipway family. We send you our love during this difficult time.

Fair winds and following seas, Peter. Thank you for helping chart the course. We will carry your vision forward.

Address

P. O. Box 576
English Harbour Town
N/A

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:00
Thursday 08:00 - 16:00
Friday 08:00 - 16:00
Saturday 08:00 - 12:00

Telephone

+1 (268) 460-1056

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