VI Marine sector an eyesore; filled with sunken & abandoned boats
The Territory has long been known for being the sailing capital of the world, however, following the two killer storms in September 2017 many of the marinas, boating stocks including yachts, barges, ferry boats, other large vessels and power boats have sunk, were damaged and even disappeared at sea.
The eyesore of abandoned boats
Throughout many of the islands the unsightly presence of boats battered close to shore, others filled with seawater, half sunk while growing sea moss along with seaweeds, others completely destroyed by the powerful winds of a category five hurricane and still others even on land, on reefs or in shallow seawater just left abandoned.
As one goes through all the Marinas on Tortola and the sister islands, the unsightly eyesore is the same, with broken marina docks some filled with large holes, severely damaged and smashed pleasure and charter yachts and other vessels sunk and filled with water while many barges are left in mangroves, some up on land and others just the same place that both Hurricanes Irma and Maria placed them in September of 2017.
Eyesore adjacent to Village Cay
It was today, Sunday, March 11, 2018 that our roving camera was called at a location adjacent to Village Cay, on Wickham’s Cay I where the government has an area designated for fisherfolks.
We saw many abandoned and sunken boats, sewerage still running in what is left of the mangroves and open sea along with many of the docks broken and in disrepair, as a results of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
The situation is the same all over the Territory, especially, in places like the Sea Cows Bay Habour, Beef Island, West End, Nanny Cay, Pariquita Bay on Tortola, and places on Virgin Gorda and Jost van Dyke.
It is not clear what is government's policy towards the clean up of the Marine Industry, outside of some public announcements from the Shipping Registry asking owners to come forward to retrieve their boats and vessels.
Or is it left up to the private Marina owners to do their own clear up and boat removal, however, many of the abandoned boats, yachts and barges are in public spaces and on government roadways, land and beaches.
What about the environment?
Many of the boats, and other abandoned vessels also pose an environmental challenge as oil from these crafts can leak at sea, causing serious issues for the VI's already fragile environment and eco-system.
As of publication time, efforts to reach the Director of Communications, Mrs Arliene T. Penn as to the government's plan to address abandoned boats, barges and other vessels were unsuccessful.
36 Responses to “VI Marine sector an eyesore; filled with sunken & abandoned boats”
Filled with desperation , pain , abandonment and homeless folks .
Bird santuary for migrating birds destroyed one in village cay and Manuel reef seacows bay boat filled with diesel .oil and gas under water environment disaster not waiting to happened done happen or neighbours the usvi already clean up all three islands and we still here playing the a$$ or I'd is it green greed it pains my heart to see what my country has come too let us get moving and preserved what's left
Nature has a way of exposing us to what’s real; how we need to live, and what we need to cherish in/for each other.
This planet is our home. It’s the only one we know. The Virgin Islands are this part of the planet we call home. A home is where we should experience: LOVE, security, comfort, care, cleanliness, and peace, but if we continue to exercise wickedness, divisions, uncaring, and hatred towards each other- I’m afraid we bound to repeat these lessons until they are learned.
Mother Nature is only reflecting the state of our past and present “being”- inside and out.
Let’s clean up our homes- inside and out- spiritually, mentally, and physically- for what we put in is exactly what Mother Nature will give us back.
“As above, so below.” “As within, so without.” Enough said.
What about the 2 big barges washed ashore in Sea Cows Bay? I was told belonging to EBH. Guess he can't do much from his present "residence"? God forbid, but another hurricane could push them totally on to land