The owner of the Kaikoconut floating bar, destroyed by fire Sunday night, has pledged to rebuild the popular attraction as quickly as possible. According to Antigua News Room, Glen Hector says there is "no question" that his luxurious party vessel will return to operation.
The two-level, 175-person catamaran — equipped with a restaurant, waterslides and a trampoline — was a fixture on tourists' must-do lists and drew hundreds of visitors each week. Hector estimates the total losses at more than EC$2 million.
"My boat that took me three years to build, and every cent I had, burnt in less than 30 minutes," Hector said.
The cause of the fire remains unexplained. Hector said his team had followed standard closing procedures shortly after sunset, and no one was aboard when the blaze broke out. "The reason is baffling," he said.
"I am 100 percent rebuilding; there is absolutely no question about that. I have insurance but even if I have to rebuild from scratch, I will do it," Hector said. "I estimate it will take around a year."
Hector was at home with his three-month-old son when two friends called to report flames near Kaikoconut's location close to Valley Church Beach. His daughter Noemie, who manages the bar and lives nearby, went to the scene. "It was already engulfed in fire. I told her to stay far away. There was EC$35,000 worth of alcohol on board, which meant there was a high chance of an explosion," he said.
Since its launch in January 2024, Kaikoconut had built a five-star rating on TripAdvisor and secured a reputation as one of Antigua's leading excursion companies. The timing of the disaster is particularly painful for Hector. "We had got some major cruise ship contracts and 50 confirmed events in the coming months. The day after it burnt down, we had 200 people booked to come. I have already started to refund over EC$120,000 in deposits paid," he said.
The business had also been scheduled to appear at a leading cruise industry event in Miami next month, where it planned to showcase its offerings to some of the world's largest cruise lines.
Hector, who built his excursion company Creole Antigua Tours from the ground up more than two decades ago, had conceived the idea for the floating bar years before construction began. The project was further complicated when the Covid-19 pandemic struck shortly after he started building, forcing Creole Antigua Tours off the water and crippling his finances. He pressed on despite the loss of income, materials shortages and supply chain disruptions. He described completing Kaikoconut as "backbreaking" and the "biggest challenge" of his life.
"I have worked so hard to build up a brand. This year was set to be my best yet thanks to all the events we had booked and the business from the cruise ships," he said.
The fire has left eight staff members out of work. The wreck now lies on the seabed, and the insurance company is expected to salvage the vessel within days to assess next steps.
"I have seen the wreck underwater and honestly I don't know how to feel," Hector said. "But this has been my dream for so many years, and I will never let it die. My kids will have Kaikoconut and their kids after them."
A statement posted to the company's Instagram page on Monday described the fire as "truly heartbreaking" and thanked the community for its outpouring of support. "Your love and encouragement mean more than you know," the post read.
