UN/LOCODE: KYGEC📍 Cayman Islands
Port of Georgetown, Grand Cayman (UN/LOCODE KYGEC)
❖ Coordinates: 19.3000°N, -81.3800°E
❖ Time Zone: America/Cayman
❖ UN/LOCODE: KYGEC
## About the Port
The Port of Georgetown (UN/LOCODE: **KYGEC**) serves as the principal maritime gateway for the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory situated in the western Caribbean Sea. Located on the western shore of Grand Cayman at coordinates 19.3000° N, 81.3833° W, the port operates within the America/Cayman timezone (UTC-5 year-round, no DST). Unlike deep-water ports capable of accommodating Panamax or New Panamax vessels alongside, Georgetown functions primarily as a **tender port** for cruise tourism and a **lighterage port** for containerized and breakbulk cargo operations. Vessels anchor in the designated anchorage areas offshore—most notably the "George Town Anchorage" to the northwest—while passengers and cargo are transferred via tenders, barges, and lighters to the fixed and floating dock facilities along the waterfront. The Port Authority of the Cayman Islands (PACI) administers the facility, overseeing navigational safety, pilotage, and stevedoring regulations under the *Port Authority Act (2019 Revision)*. The harbor is protected by a fringing reef system, requiring precise navigation and mandatory pilotage for all vessels exceeding 50 gross tons.
## History
Maritime activity in Georgetown dates to the early 18th century when the natural harbor provided shelter for turtling vessels, merchant schooners, and Royal Navy patrols suppressing piracy. The town was officially designated the capital in 1823, cementing the harbor’s role as the administrative and commercial nucleus. For over a century, the economy relied on "wrecking" (salvage), turtling, and rope-making from silver thatch palm, with cargo handled manually over the beach or via small lighters.
The transition to modern port infrastructure began in the 1930s with the construction of the **Royal Watler Terminal** (initially a simple dock for mail boats and the *Cimboco* freighter). The post-WWII era saw the rise of the cruise industry; the first purpose-built cruise pier, the **Port Authority Dock**, was completed in 1977. A pivotal moment occurred in **2015** when the Cayman Islands Government signed a memorandum of understanding for a controversial **Cruise Berthing Facility** (CBF) designed to accommodate Oasis-class vessels. Following intense public debate regarding environmental impact on the coral reefs and a successful 2019 people-initiated referendum where voters rejected the project, the government formally withdrew the CBF agreement in 2021. Consequently, Georgetown remains a tender port, preserving its marine ecology but limiting maximum cruise vessel capacity to ships capable of tendering operations (typically up to ~5,000 passengers per call).
## Infrastructure & Facilities
The port’s physical infrastructure is distributed across three primary zones, managed by the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands.
### Cargo & Commercial Operations
The **Cargo Terminal** at the North Sound (accessible via the channel north of the main harbor) handles the vast majority of the island’s imports. Key assets include:
* **Berthing:** Two marginal wharves (Berths 1 & 2) with a combined length of ~240 meters and alongside depths of 7.5–8.5 meters (chart datum), accommodating Lo-Lo (Lift-on/Lift-off) container vessels and Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) freighters up to ~180m LOA.
* **Handling Equipment:** Two mobile harbor cranes (Liebherr LHM 420/500 class), reach stackers, empty container handlers, and a fleet of terminal tractors.
* **Storage:** ~15 acres of paved container yard (approx. 3,500 TEU ground slots), 120 reefer plugs, a 20,000 sq. ft. transit shed for breakbulk/palletized cargo, and a dedicated **Cement Terminal** with pneumatic unloading capabilities supplying the construction sector.
* **Tanker Operations:** Petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel) are discharged via **Single Point Mooring (SPM) buoys** and submarine pipelines located offshore, bypassing the main harbor entirely. This mitigates pollution risk and frees berthing space.
### Cruise & Passenger Facilities
As a tender port, fixed infrastructure is limited to reception points:
* **Royal Watler Cruise Terminal:** Historic finger pier (approx. 120m) serving as the primary tender drop-off for the harbor anchorage. Features a covered arrivals hall, customs/immigration halls, and retail arcade.
* **Spotts Anchorage Tender Drop-off:** Secondary landing site on the south coast utilized during Nor’wester wind events (winter months) when the primary harbor anchorage becomes untenable.
* **Port Authority Dock:** Multi-use berth for government vessels, inter-island ferries (Cayman Brac/Little Cayman), and occasional small expedition cruise ships.
### Support Services
* **Pilotage:** Compulsory for vessels >50 GT. Provided by PACI-licensed pilots operating high-speed pilot boats (24/7 availability).
* **Towage:** Two azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs (approx. 50–60 bollard pull tons each) based at the Cargo Terminal.
* **Bunkering/Water:** Truck-to-ship bunkering available at Cargo Terminal; barge delivery at anchorage. Potable water via shore connection at Cargo Terminal.
* **Repairs:** Limited floating dock capacity (up to 1,500 DWT) for small craft; major repairs require transit to Jamaica or US Gulf yards.
## Economic Importance
The Port of Georgetown is the **lifeline of the Cayman Islands economy**, facilitating the import of over **95% of all goods** consumed domestically, including food, fuel, construction materials, and consumer durables. In 2023, the Cargo Terminal processed approximately **120,000 TEUs** and **650,000 metric tons** of breakbulk/bulk cargo, representing a throughput value exceeding KYD 1.2 billion (USD 1.46 billion).
The cruise sector, while distinct from cargo, drives the service economy. Pre-pandemic (2019), the port handled **1.83 million cruise passengers** across ~550 calls, generating direct spending estimated at KYD 200 million annually. Post-pandemic recovery reached ~1.5 million passengers in 2023. The "tender port" constraint acts as a natural capacity cap, aligning with the government’s "high-value, low-volume" tourism strategy but creating revenue volatility during adverse weather (Nor’westers), which can cancel tender operations for days.
The port employs ~150 direct PACI staff and supports an estimated 2,000 indirect jobs in logistics, trucking, customs brokerage, stevedoring, and chandlery. Port revenues (dues, wharfage, storage, pilotage) contribute significantly to the Port Authority’s self-funding model, requiring no direct government subvention.
## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
### Primary Trade Lanes
Georgetown sits at the nexus of **Intra-Caribbean** and **North America–Caribbean** trade lanes.
* **US Gulf / East Coast (Primary):** Weekly fixed-day services from **Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale)**, **Port of Miami**, **Houston**, and **Mobile** via carriers such as **Crowley, Seaboard Marine, King Ocean, and Tropical Shipping**. Transit times: 3–5 days.
* **Regional Transshipment Hubs:** Feeder connections via **Kingston (Jamaica)**, **Freeport (Bahamas)**, and **Cartagena (Colombia)** link Georgetown to South America, Europe, and Asia. Kingston (~280 nm SE) acts as the primary hub for Asian manufactures arriving on mainline vessels.
* **Inter-Island:** Dedicated Ro-Ro/Lo-Lo services connect Grand Cayman to **Cayman Brac** and **Little Cayman** (2x weekly), vital for domestic supply chains.
### Major Cargo Profile
| Direction | Commodity Groups | Volume Context |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Imports (90%+)** | **Containerized:** Dry groceries, refrigerated provisions (meat, produce), building materials (cement bagged/rebar), vehicles, furniture, electronics. <br> **Breakbulk/Bulk:** Cement (bulk pneumatic), Aggregates (limestone/sand), Steel (rebar/structural), LPG (ISO tanks/barges). | Construction boom (2020–2024) drove cement/aggregate imports to record highs (>150k MT/yr). |
| **Exports (<10%)** | **Reefer:** Lobster (seasonal), high-value seafood. <br> **General:** Scrap metal (ferrous/non-ferrous), recyclables (cardboard, plastics), transshipped empty containers. | Trade imbalance necessitates high empty container repositioning costs. |
| **Energy** | **Petroleum:** Gasoline, Diesel, Jet-A1 (via SPM). <br> **LPG:** Propane/Butane (via dedicated barge berth). | Total throughput ~350k MT/yr. Critical for power generation (diesel) and tourism (Jet-A1). |
The port’s strategic value is amplified by the Cayman Islands' status as a **Category 1** rating under the IMO Member State Audit Scheme and its inclusion on the **OECD White List**, ensuring high regulatory compliance for flag state and port state control. Future resilience planning focuses on **climate adaptation**—raising berth elevations, hardening electrical substations, and digitizing the **Port Community System (PCS)** to reduce vessel turnaround times and paper dependency. For current schedules and tariff structures, stakeholders should consult the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands official publications↗. Regional maritime security protocols align with the IMO GISIS module for Port Facilities↗, ensuring ISPS Code compliance across all terminals.
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
KYGEC
Country
Cayman Islands
Province / Region
George Town
Latitude
19.300000
Longitude
-81.380000
Timezone
America/Cayman
Nautical Map (OpenSeaMap)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Georgetown, Grand Cayman?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Georgetown, Grand Cayman is KYGEC.
Where is Port of Georgetown, Grand Cayman located?
The Port of Georgetown, Grand Cayman is located in Cayman Islands, George Town. Its coordinates are 19.3000°N, -81.3800°E.
What time zone is Port of Georgetown, Grand Cayman in?
Port of Georgetown, Grand Cayman operates in the America/Cayman time zone.
🌊 Live Marine Conditions
Wave Height1.32 m
Wave Direction123°
Swell Height1.16 m
Data provided by Open-Meteo Marine API
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About the World Port Index
This data is sourced programmatically. The UN/LOCODE is the official geographic coding scheme used by the United Nations for trade and transport locations.
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