Q1 & Q2 2025
William and Vernon are like brothers. For the past 18 years, they have worked together to keep Rodney Bay Marina spotlessly clean. Born and raised in St. Lucia, they are passionate about their job and share a love of life’s simple pleasures like growing plantains, coconut and pineapple.
Rodney Bay Marina is immaculate. How do you keep it looking so great?
Vernon: We clean the whole dock. Every hour we pass by and take care of the garbage. I use a trolley but if there’s a lot of rubbish to clear such as in December when there are more parties, I use a golf cart.
William: We have three main areas to clean – the drains, the ground and the dock – these are the most important.
Can you describe a typical working day?
Vernon: I wake up at 4am in the morning, bathe, eat and get the bus to work. I find out what we have to do and we start work at 6am.
William: We catch the bus at 4.30am and arrive at 5am. We can’t miss that bus because it’s an hour until the next one!
Do you enjoy it?
William: Very much. When I go to sleep, I pray that I will be able to come back the next day. The customers praise us for how we keep the marina so clean which is nice. It’s the same in my house – there’s no garbage anywhere!
Vernon: Same for me. I really like my job. Even when I am away from the marina, I can’t walk past litter without picking it up! I have to do it.
Where did you grow up?
William: We both grew up on the east side of the island, in a village by the sea. When I was younger, I would go scuba-diving for fish, including octopus, barracuda, dolphins and dorado.
What was your first job?
William: I started in construction, building houses and then I started doing cleaning and I got a job with IGY.
Vernon. I also worked in construction before joining IGY as a cleaner. We joined at the same time and have worked together at Rodney Bay for 18 years.
How would you describe the atmosphere at Rodney Bay Marina and how has it changed?
Vernon: It’s very good. It’s a beautiful place, very nice.
William: I remember when they first built the marina – they dredged it out and built the dock. Today, there’s a very friendly atmosphere here. You get good people and bad people anywhere in the world but we have only good people here at Rodney Bay.
What’s the best time of year to visit Rodney Bay?
William: The dry season between March and June, but I also love December because of all the activities IGY organises for guests, like cocktail parties.
What do you enjoy doing in your downtime?
William: I grow food in my garden including plantains, bananas, pineapples and coconuts.
Vernon: I also have a little garden where I grow plants. After work, I bathe, have dinner and relax in the garden. I’m married and I have a boy and a girl.
If you had access to any yacht in the world for two weeks, where would you go and what would you do?
William: I would like to visit India and Australia. These are my favourite two countries.
Vernon: England. I have lots of family there who I would like to visit.
What makes a good cleaner?
Vernon: You have to have a lot of patience.
William: And you have to be responsible, and available to work all hours in any weather.
You’re both fit. That’s important too.
William: I’m 69 and I want to see 100. I go to bed early and I have a good meal each day. I look after myself.
