A developer’s decision to rope off a portion of Oil Nut Bay with swim markers, effectively eliminating boat access to the area, has drawn the ire of some boaters who frequent the area.
David Johnson, the developer behind Oil Nut Bay in North Sound, Virgin Gorda, has defended the measure, which he said is designed to make the area safer.
Julie Swartz, a VG resident, anchored her powerboat nearly 50 yards off the shore from ONB’s beach outside the swimmers’-only zone last Thursday, she said. She proceeded to swim around the markers to use the bay, as she’s done many times in the past during the 27 years she has frequented the area.
But that’s when ONB staffers told her to move her boat because the developer owns the underlying seabed lease rights, she said. She objects to the way the markers were deployed between the shore and the nearby reef, perpendicular rather than parallel to the beach, as she believes the intent is to limit public access.
After she posted her complaints in a Facebook forum, ONB representatives responded in order to “clarify misleading statements.”
“The designated swim area at Oil Nut Bay was demarcated by the Conservation and Fisheries Department and approved by the Cabinet to create a safe recreational environment for everyone due to past incidents of boats traveling at high speeds that have put swimmers, especially children, in danger,” a user named “Oil Nut Bay Bvi,” posted.
See the Aug. 29, 2013 edition for full coverage.
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