On an average day during the tourism high season, sailors tie 20 to 30 dinghies to the dock at Norman Island and wander up to Pirate’s Bight.
Return visitors will likely notice some big changes this season: The sister island bar and restaurant just finished extensive renovations.
The 140-seat restaurant had its beams and roof redone, its timber floor replaced with teak, and its boutique and kitchen renovated.
According to a development application filed with the Town and Country Planning Department, the cost of the renovations was estimated at $300,000.
The bar was expanded and a portion of the deck closest to the beach was lowered to make sure sailors having dinner in the middle of the restaurant have an unobstructed view of the harbour.
“You were always looking at somebody’s head; now everyone’s got a beautiful view into the harbour,” Rupert Starkey, a manager at the restaurant, said Monday.
Former bar
He added that Pirate’s Bight had taken over the structure of Billy Bones, a previous bar that more closely resembled a shack.
“What we wanted to do was to renovate Pirate’s to provide a better experience, a better venue and basically provide an all-around high quality product for the charter industry,” he said.
Though the restaurant’s core clientele of charter guests and cruise ship passengers isn’t likely to change, with a revamped menu and renovated facilities the business can now host more events, he added.
A reopening party on Sunday brought 150 to 200 people to the island, Mr. Starkey said.
The manager added that while the number of boats travelling through the area hasn’t dropped despite the recession, sailors have cut their spending at bars and restaurants like Pirate’s.
“Five years ago there was a very significant drop and over the past two years, there’s definitely been an increase of traffic coming back into the restaurant,” Mr. Starkey said, adding that he’s optimistic about this season. “Gauging from the mooring field there’s still a good number of boats coming in for this time of the year.”
The island and the restaurant are owned by Henry Jerecki, who also owns Guana Island. Apart from two caretakers who monitor a nearby mooring field, the 610-acre Norman Island is uninhabited.
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