Killick (formerly the Admiral Killick Haitian Navy base;[1] also called Point Killick[2]) is the Haitian Coast Guard base in Port-au-Prince.[3] It is the main base for the Coast Guard.[4] It is the other port for the city, aside from the main Port international de Port-au-Prince. It is located about 10 miles outside of downtown Port-au-Prince, and is about a century old.[1] The base is named after Admiral Hammerton Killick of the Haitian Navy, whom scuttled his own ship, the La Crête-à-Pierrot, a 940-ton screw gunship, by igniting the magazine, and went down with the ship, instead of surrendering to German forces, in 1902, at Gonaïves, Haiti.
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The base is approximately an acre in size.[4]
The port facilities at Killick are able to handle boats of up to 40-footers.[5] There were two piers, a north pier and a south pier. The north pier was destroyed in the 12 January 2010 quake.[6]
A heliport is attached to the base.[7]
The base was set up during the 1915–1934 occupation of Haiti by the United States. It was a US Marine base.[8]
The base was used by UN MINUSTAH forces at the time of the 7.0 magnitude 2010 January 12 earthquake in Port-au-Prince. Stationed at the base was a battalion of Sri Lankan UN peacekeepers, and a Uruguayan maritime police unit also with the UN.[1] The Haitian Coast Guard units on base were a 28-footer and a 40-footer.[4]
The base was damaged in the 12 January 2010 7.0 earthquake.[9] Only a handful of structures remained standing at the base. Many destroyed structures appeared to have the roof collapsed down, while the four walls collapsed outwards.[1] The main administrative building, mess hall, and depot were severely damaged. The south pier was damaged, and the north pier collapsed.[6] The heliport was also non-operable as a result of the quake.[7]
Crews from USCGC Tahoma and USCGC Mohawk are helping to rebuild the base.[9] After the tremblor, a field hospital was set up at the base to treat victims of the quake.[10] On the 18th, USS Gunston Hall anchored at the base, and started relief operations.[11] The crew of Gunston Hall made the heliport operational again.[7] As of 9 February 2010, the south pier was mostly operational again. A floating pier had been set up, which has cranes. A second floating pier is on its way. The harbour is being used as an entry port for aid to Haiti.[6]
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