Tuesday, March 20

Powering a small city ?


The latest addition to The Reef is not terrifically subtle (and that is an understatement!). As many of our owners and frequent guests are very much aware, Hurricane Ivan devastated Cayman in September 2004.

After Ivan, The Reef was forced to close due to over $7m of hurricane damage to the resort, but was the first resort to re-open (in January 2005). We would have been in a position to open even earlier if we had not had to wait for power until December 2004.

We therefore decided that we wouldn't rely on a series of small generators in case of future disasters or prolonged power outages of any kind, but instead would get a big (umm... that picture is a 40 foot container !) generator with oodles of power capacity.

It took us a while to source this enormous/gigantic (please comment with your choice of the ideal adjective!) generator, but we recently built up some concrete stands and installed the generator.

Now, this is not exactly the most attractive thing in the world, but it is a major and positive addition !

Our resort manager, Mr. Lawrence Haughton, and his team of "green thumbed" gardeners will be coming up with a way to surround the generator and let plants grown around it to screen it, then the only time anyone will know it is there will be in the event that we have a prolonged power outage where it will be fired up....it does have a lot of sound deadening, but it won't be silent by any means !

12 comments:

Ausbury said...

Sounds like a "means to an end" and a smart move business-wise to me!

Anonymous said...

Will it have any effect on our utility charge or annual fees ?

Anonymous said...

Does it make any noise?

Anonymous said...

Now thats discreet. Perhaps you can use it to advertise timeshare in a subtle manner?

TomCayman said...

To answer the comments :

1 : The generator and wiring will benefit out timeshare owners so clearly will have to be billed out in terms of the maintenance fee, although for the time being the developer is paying the upfront cost.

2 : Yes, it will make noise, all generators do, but it is for emergency use only.

3 : re advertising timeshare... very droll :)

Anonymous said...

You do what you have to do Tom.....one thing, can't tell exactly from the photo where it is at the Resort?
Celine

scotzur said...

I personally am partial to the descriptive phrase "delightfully absurd"

Unknown said...

Celine, can't you tell, it's right outside your window!

Anonymous said...

shriek Carl! Actually, after we drive in, we never even SEE the front of the bldg.......with those balconies and that ocean, who cares what's in the front! Does look like it's in front of YOUR unit though, on second glance! Any chance of you two getting to the Reef end of June?
Celine

Anonymous said...

UGLY, UGLY, UGLY

It should have been placed in the area between the tennis court and the offices.....NOT in the parking lot so that potential guests and owners can see it!! Insane.

TomCayman said...

The generator is placed in the only feasible location.

I thank you for your suggestion to place it between the offices and tennis court, but :
a) Could you please first explain to me how we would get a 40' container unloaded into a space only about 15' wide ? (couldn't get the hammarlift truck in there if we tried)
b) how we would be able to wire the generator into the a/c chillers from such a distance ?
c) oh, and last but not least, would you like to explain to the Cayman Islands fire service why we blocked their legally required fire lane with a 40' container ?

Sorry to be sarcastic, but the management of the resort did give this a lot of thought before taking this action, so off the cuff remarks like these must surely be designed to provoke a response ?

Anyway, one reason for putting up the initial photo was so that everyone can see the difference once we have finished masking the look of the generator.... in progress right now.

Anonymous said...

Looks like it may be put to some use here soon...God bless, and we'll see you next time. We were supposed to fly in for our 1st visit Monday, but Dean is intervening. Heading to Vegas instead. If a hurricane hits there, we know Gore is right!