Caymanian-Style Home in Cayman Brac

This 2 bedroom/2 bathroom Caymanian style home is for sale on Cayman Brac. It has been completely refurbished and includes a fully screened wraparound porch to spend outside enjoying paradise. The home is situated on a large .70 acre lot offering plenty of privacy. Priced at $425,000 US, please contact your Cayman Brac real estate experts to view this delightful home.

Cayman Brac Historic House For Sale

The Spellman McLaughlin Home on Cayman Brac is up for sale. One of a few remaining homes built in the traditional manner, the Spellman McLaughlin Home once sheltered 133 people in the 1932 Hurricane and served as a medical and distribution center for scarce emergency supplies after the storm had passed. Priced at US $375,000, the home is located in the Creek district and includes the house and its adjoining lot, including a private graveyard.


In 1995, the National Trust awarded current owner Brunzil McLaughlin-Rivers, the Award of Distinction for the Preservation of Historic Places. With many such homes either being torn down to make way for modern developments or being left to decay, the house is amongst the few of its kind that has been maintained and is in good condition. 

Construction began in 1926, with Captain Spellman McLaughlin overseeing all aspects of the construction process, according to the National Trust. Largely built of imported wood from Mobile, Alabama, the home was completed in 1930 and Captain McLaughlin and his wife raised their four children there. When he passed away in 1991, he willed it to his youngest child, Brunzil McLaughlin-Rivers, who renovated the home and lived there with her husband and son until they left the island in recent months and put the home up for sale. The home covers 1,628 square feet and has eight exterior rooms built around a central dining room. It has a complete wrap-around verandah, and while modernised to accommodate television, internet and telephone service, as well as kitchen and bathroom facilities, the home has changed little since 1930.

According to the Trust’s Historic Programmes Manager Denise Bodden, they only have jurisdiction over homes which are donated to them and cannot financially afford to keep every historic home in the Cayman Islands under their care. Therefore, they encourage homeowners who live in historic homes to care for them. “I would suggest that those who have traditional Caymanian homes on Cayman Brac should try to protect them before development really hits the island,” said Bodden. She said that the Trust has recognised a number of homes on the island that should be protected under the law, particularly the Spellman McLaughlin Home, the Carter House and the Eldemire House, for their unique architectural elements, the fact that they are among the oldest structures on the island and because they survived both the devastating hurricane of 1932 and Hurricane Paloma in 2008.

Cayman Brac Gets Twelve More Homes

With in excess of $600,000 in available funds, The Sister Islands Affordable Housing Development Corporation (SIAHDC) recently made a planning application to build 8 additional homes at the West End site and 4 homes at Watering Place.

SIAHDC is a government-funded, not-for-profit entity formed in January 2006 to build affordable housing for those applicants who meet necessary qualifications. Phase 1 (4 homes) of the plan was completed just prior to Hurricane Paloma in 2008, and Phase 2 (4 additional homes) was completed in April 2010. Local contractors won the bids to construct phases 1 and 2 for $365,500 and $413,031 respectively.

The Watering Place site can accommodate 15 homes and the West End property has room for 20 to 30 homes. 

Successful applicants own their own homes and land outright.

Post Office Finds New Home in Heritage House

After 3 long years of having to temporarily relocate,  the Creek Post Office on Cayman Brac has officially re-opened. The new location is the re-furbished heritage home of the island's first midwife, Petrona Connolly-Bodden, located at 5 Cantlin Drive.  The original post office suffered severe damage from Hurricane Paloma in November 2008. The building also houses the Sister Islands Sports Office.

Customers can conveniently top-up mobile phones for LIME and Digicel, as well as make WestStar payments. Post office hours are:

Monday - Thursday 9am-11:30am, 1:30pm-3pm
Friday - 9am-11:30am, 1:30-3:30pm
Saturday - 9am-11:30am

The official opening was attended by Minister of District Administration and Deputy Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Acting Permanent Secretary of District Administration Tristan Hydes, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary of District Administration Jonathon Jackson, Sister Islands District Commissioner Ernie Scott and Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow.

Brac Bash Underwater Photo Competition

September 2011 marks the 15 year anniversary of the sinking of the M.V. Capt. K.P. Tibbetts off the shores of Cayman Brac. In celebration of this event, the Sister Islands Tourism Association (SITA) has initiated an underwater photo competition. The competition is open to all non-professional photographers who are not residents of the Cayman Islands. Submission of an underwater photo of the sunken frigate runs to August 30.


The grand prize for the photo contest is free airfare on Cayman Airways, a 7-night stay at the Brac Reef Beach Resort with daily breakfast, lunch and dinner; 6 days of 2-tank diving at Reef Divers and airport ground transfers. The grand prize winner will also receive free admission to the Brac Bash Cook-off and will become an official judge for this fun event. The Brac Bash is an annual event held in honor of the sinking of the M.V. Capt. K.P. Tibbets and is spearheaded by SITA. 

The M.V. Capt. K.P. Tibbets was build in the Soviet Union in 1984 for the Cuban Navy. It was purchased and sunk by the Cayman Islands Government and christened the M.V. Capt. K.P. Tibbets after a Cayman Brac politician. The ship has become a major dive attraction on the Brac. 


There is no format specified for the photos submitted. Entries for the competition should be sent to sita@candw.ky.

New Marine Species Discovered off Little Cayman

Dr. Rick Hochberg and his team of biologists from the University of Massachusetts have recently discovered 15 new species of tiny gastrotrich worms in the well-oxygenated sands off the shores of Little Cayman. The scientists elected to complete a portion of their research at the Little Cayman Research Center (LCRC) because of its pristine environment, while utilizing the facilities at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI). Dr. Hochberg has found enough of these complex species to warrant further studies and will host a workshop at the LCRC, placing Little Cayman firmly on the map of serious scientific research.

Global warming threatens habitat degradation which may wipe out species before they are even discovered. The CCMI has said this type of research is vital for understanding the biodiversity of our earth. The methods Dr. Hochberg is using to determine which species are new and how they are related will assist in how speciation and evolution happens.

The Central Caribbean Marine Institute was incorporated in 1998 as a non-profit 501c3 organization.  CCMI was established as an international charitable organization. Since its first years, CCMI has proven a valuable asset to the effort of understanding changing coral reef and tropical marine environments. Its research and education programs have established a solid foundation for future reef education and awareness in the Caribbean and for students and researchers from around the world.

A key component of the organization's strategy was realized in May 2006 with the opening of the Little Cayman Research Center.  Equipped with wet and dry laboratories, a classroom, library, dormitory-style and private rooms and a sustainable off-the-grid bathhouse as well as easy access to the reefs, the Center is an important new research and education center for all of the Cayman Islands.

Duty Concessions Extended on Building Materials

In an effort to further stimulate economic activity the government has extended import duty concessions on building materials. The Cabinet extended concessions on imports of building materials for a further six months until 31 December 2011.

In announcing the extension, the Premier and Minister of Finance, Tourism and Development the Hon. McKeeva Bush said, “The extension of these concessions is consistent with the Government’s ongoing efforts to stimulate growth in the economy, and I encourage all developers and other stakeholders to accelerate their construction activity during this further concessionary period.”

Imports of building materials to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman will be on a 100% duty free basis for the period 1 July to 31 December 2011. Under the extended concessions, imports of building materials to Grand Cayman will be charged a flat rate of 15% for the period 1 July to 31 December 2011. The normal rate of duty is 22%.

For the purpose of these concessions, building materials have been defined as: “All physical components and substances, whether solid or liquid, used in the construction, renovation or restoration and forming a permanent part of any building or related structure.”    Items such as furniture, accessories, electronics and appliances are specifically excluded.