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Presents BUILDERS OF TORTOLA |
Frank Doty Born in Washington D.C. (USA) Frank grew up in North Carolina – but still supports the Washington Redskins Football team. He now lives in “Hilltop House”, a large home at the crest (940 feet O.D.) of Luck Hill, which he built with his wife Patti in 2000-2001 (they moved in on Thanksgiving) after retiring to Tortola. But at the dawn of the twenty-first century Frank was no stranger to the BVI.
He first came to these islands in the late summer of 1973, upon the recommendation of a friend, on a snorkeling-from-the-beach holiday with his (now ex-) wife. From 1973-1985 he visited frequently with different groups of friends on bareboat sailing vacations with North-South charters. He liked the islands and the islanders, as well as the sense of stepping back in time to a relatively unspoiled place with a low crime rate. In the early 1980s he was sailing on “Camelot” with skipper and mate Mike Burrill and Geli Maynard and expressed an interest in spending more time in the BVI. In the summer of 1985 Mike called Frank and suggested he apply for an opening on Marina Cay, and Frank did so.
Marina Cay, now home to a branch of Pusser’s, is a small island in Trellis Bay and is too diminutive to appear on many maps, but it is famous as the home of Robb and Rodie White. They made it their home for a few years beginning in 1937, and their story led to a book – “Our Virgin Island” aka “Two on an Isle: A memory of Marina Cay” – and a movie (1954) with John Cassavetes, Virginia Maskell and Sidney Poitier, called “Love and Laughter on a Virgin Island. A story on idyllic Marina Cay in the British Virgin Islands.” It may never have been a film classic, and only approximated the tale in the book, but it may have had the longest film title in history.
So in the fall of 1985 Frank quit his government job in Washington D.C. and after successfully negotiating the BVI labour laws moved to Marina Cay with his dog, Nicki and his girlfriend. Its owner did deliberately not develop Marina Cay at this time – it was designed to be rustic at best. It had a telephone and a generator but few other amenities – not even screened windows. Owned by an American and leased to another American it was resort of sorts, but not a luxury operation. The owner closed it for a year in 1985 and Frank was to be caretaker (“island-sitter”) until it reopened in 1986.
After successfully completing his ‘mission’ Frank and Nicki returned to the States to work with Hughes Aircraft Company in Virginia, and then Martin Marietta (aerospace) in California and then again in Virginia. But he kept returning to the BVI on vacation. In the late 1990s he came down with some friends and Patti on a 36-foot monuhull and then essentially stayed on. Patti and Frank bought their land (on Luck Hill) and while renting in Lambert, spent a year building their present home.
A lot has changed since 1973. There was then little land-based tourism. Although water-tourism is still dominant, land facilities have increased and improved. There has been much modernization, with the good and the bad that comes from this process. There are many more expats, both black and white. There are many more people, many more homes, more cars, and many more businesses with (e.g.) good hardware stores and much better (quantity and quality) food outlets. When Frank first came here most people had to go to the telephone company offices in order to make a long distance call. Other forms of communication – such as the Internet, have also been revolutionary in their impact. ‘Downtown’ has been especially transformed with more roads and more, bigger buildings. In those days Main Street was THE street, and much of Ridge Road was at best a dirt track – much like Luck Hill Road today!! Things have changed.
Although Frank feels much of the change has been for the better, with more stores and better roads and services, it has not all been for the best. Crime has increased greatly – it was almost unheard of forty years ago, when houses were left unlocked, and cars left with their keys in the ignition.
The short-term future holds more of the same in the BVI for Frank and Patti, although health and family reasons may dictate a return to the US of A in the future. If Frank were to do things differently, he would change little but would have built “less house”. His current home is too large for two people (he now feels) – although a neighbour has been an even larger home - and a more expensive building may be more difficult to sell in the present market.
Draft of December 20th of interview of December 15th 2009.
Builders of Tortola Guide