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From Eleuthera, Bahamas: One sunny Saturday shortly after lunch, I decided to catch up on some paperwork in the Current Club office rather than go sailing. I was expecting a good friend from the States to arrive in his private plane that day, so was monitoring our air-to-ground radio while trying to balance the checkbook and ignore the squeals of laughter coming from guests languishing on the beach outside my office window. Several passing aircraft called in to see if we had rooms for them later in the week on their return from Exuma, and finally I heard my buddy calling in to say he was en route from Nassau to the North Eleuthera airstrip, and would make a low pass in front of the Current Club on his way in.

A few minutes later he called in again and I noticed a distinct change in his voice – “Uh, Dann, I’m having a bit of a problem — my engine is acting up and I’m not sure I can make it to the airport!” “Where are you?” I asked, while waving at our Dock-master who had just come in the door. “I’m about ten miles south of the Club, just off Current Island,” he replied. “I’m going to have to ditch – I’ll try for the shallow sand bar in front of the Clubhouse in about five minutes,” his voice faltering. “We’ll be standing by in the Boston Whaler,” I said. “Good luck”.

“Billy, get the Whaler started, I’ll be out in a minute.” Knowing my old friend well, I though he’d be able to accomplish a successful ditching with the landing gear up in his single-engine plane, but my heart rate was climbing and I knew his must be too! I stopped at the bar and grabbed a tumbler of his favorite beverage, Wild Turkey Bourbon, and ran out to meet Billy in our Whaler.

The sea was flat calm, and as we headed down the channel to round the sandbar, we saw the plane gliding towards us. The engine sputtered to a dead stop and after a perfect splash down, we came up behind the left wing as the plane slowed to a stop and slowly began to settle. The door popped open and my friend climbed onto the wing, shoes in one hand and briefcase in the other. He stepped into the Whaler, feet hardly wet, and gratefully sipped on his Wild Turkey as we backed off and watched the plane sink to the bottom in eight feet of crystal clear water.

I looked at my buddy with admiration and commented “I knew you said you’d drop in this weekend, but I had no idea you’d be in such a hurry to get here…”

Believe it or not, that plane was hauled out of the water, pulled up next to the Current Club bar, re-built much to the pleasure and amazement of my guests, and eventually towed to the airport where it flew away!

By: Dann Lewis, May 23, 2008

The first priorities of the newly launched Bahamasair (TTG, June 22) is to provide stable services domestically within the Bahamas, and internationally to Miami and other U. S. gateways.

Mr. Dann H. Lewis, chairman of the new Bahamas flag carrier, said in London last week that Bahamasair would try to maintain the best possible services in the islands and also through the Miami gateway. The next step would be to set up U. S. interline links from Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Tampa. A study of longer haul routes will be made in 1974.

Mr. Dann Lewis, who announced last week that the carrier has launched scheduled services almost two weeks ahead of schedule, said reliable services were of vital importance in the Bahamas Out Islands.

Mr. Lewis said the carrier would have exclusive rights for all domestic flights, and first option on international routes. Lewis confirmed that negotiation are being finalised for Bahamasair to operate a route to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Bahamian government was assisted in the formation of the new carier by an airline negotiating committee under the direction of Mr. Clement Maynard, minister of tourism. Dann Lewis, who was chairman of the negotiating committee and now chairman of the new airline itself, said: “The formation of Bahamasair is the culmination of two years of effort.”

“Slow progress was made in the first 22 months of negotiations, with rapid developments taking place in the last two months.” The setting up of a national flag carrier in any part of the world is a complex business, and it is far from unusual for new carriers to bypass their launch date. Yet, Bahamasair launched its services two weeks ahead of its July 1 target.

Bahamasair’s total staff is now about 300 which includes flight attendants, reservations agents and airport personnel. Dann Lewis said additional staff would be required as the airline receives more equipment and expands its services.

Concerning Bahamasair offices abroad, Lewis said an office in Miami would initially be the first. He added that the airline would be relying heavily on Bahamas Tourism offices in the U. K., Europe and North America to provide support. Billboards and advertisements will also be used employing the slogan that “Nobody knows the Bahamas like Bahamasair”.

Dann Lewis went on to say that negotiations were already underway for international joint fares and interline agreements with many of the worlds major flag carriers to facilitate “through” passenger itineraries and ticketing from international points to Nassau, Freeport, and all of the Bahamas Out Islands.

from - TTG, June 1973

ELEUTHERA, Bahamas - The northern tip of this Caribbean Isle has blossomed overnight into a resort because of a young Boxford, Mass., man who can’t wait to get back to college.

When Dann H. Lewis first gazed on Northern Eleuthera’s rough coral land and heavy brush 18 months ago, he was awaiting graduation from Dartmouth and acceptance from M. I. T. But the sight of this untouched real estate in the Caribbean pushed Tech out of his mind - temporarily.

Since receiving his degree in English from Dartmouth, Dann Lewis has become president of two companies connected with the Current Club, which opens on once wild terrain, on December 27th.

The Current Club is five duplex cottage units in a coconut grove, a clubhouse, and a dock equipped for all types of boating. The Bahamas’ best fishing areas, four hours travelling time (by water) from Nassau, at 10 minutes away.

The 23 year old Lewis, a graduate of Winchester, Mass., High School is now president of two firms: The Current Club Ltd., composed of family members and personal friends from the Boston area; and the Current Development Co., solely a family organization with plans to build a dozen exclusive winter homes in the area for outright sale.

The two firms were organized by young Lewis, who saw possibilities in North Eleuthera because of a nearby airstrip served by two flight daily from Nassau via Bahamas Airways, and a north-south highway to open by the end of December.

The blond, boyish looking Lewis proposed his idea to a willling investor, his father, Robert C. Lewis, president of Calidyne Co., Winchester, a division of Ling-Temco Electronics.

Dann, postponing acceptance to the electrical engineering school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, began construction of his resort in March, 1960.

from: The Boston Sunday Herald, 1960

Good progress on a big new development at the Current, Eleuthera, was reported Friday by a young American Businessman, Dann H. Lewis, of Hanover, New Hampshire.

Dann Lewis, who at 22 must be one of the youngest overseas investors ever to come to the Bahamas, is President of the Current Development Ltd., a family owned company. The firm will be spending the next two years on the construction of some 20 duplex-type beach homes on the south side of Current Island. A Club, to be known as the Current Club will also be built on the south side together with a marina with a fueling dock, and water and power facilities for visiting yachtsman. Dann Lewis said Friday that already two private homes and one duplex had been completed at the Current, and five more buildings are under construction. The main clubhouse is scheduled for completion by mid-December, in time for the winter season.

Current Development Ltd. has bought 25 acres of land with magnificent beach frontages on the north and south sides of the island. There are good anchorages for yachts and swimming conditions that are ideal.

When the main club house is completed, Lewis said boats will be available for water skiing and fishing. The development is near the Current villages and near to the airstrip and main road.

Dann Lewis first came to the Bahamas during his vacations from Dartmouth College. He and his family were so impressed with the beauty of the islands that they formed the Current Development Ltd. to invest here. Lewis, as chief shareholder and President, came down on the eve of his graduation from Dartmouth to start operations in March of this year. He is enrolled as an electrical engineering student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but has taken leave of absence in order to undertake the project. Local Bahamians will both build and staff the new resort property.

from: Nassau Guardian, August, 1960