The spectacular grounding (or rock-climbing attempt) of the Scrub Island ferry recently off the reef near Marina Cay highlights yet again the need for more controls over the rules and regulations that govern commercial vessels plying Virgin Islands waters.
By commercial vessels, I do not mean the charter boat fleet, although the hilarious video (about the credit card captain) of a bareboat out of control at Anegada also highlights the lack of proper controls over who is capable of chartering and therefore running a bareboat.
And one only has to be in Trellis Bay on full moon nights to see several hours of the worst seamanship skills imaginable put on by the bareboaters vying for space to be in the bay for the party. Boat groundings and collisions on those nights are commonplace.
Since the Scrub Island development started, there have been continuous complaints against the ferries and workboats transiting back and forth — mostly between Trellis Bay and Scrub Island. They have caused dangerous wakes, have passed through the Marina Cay mooring and anchoring field above the legal speed, and often have passed far too close to the popular dive and snorkel site of Diamond Reef, which runs parallel to the Great Camanoe coastline.
Last week a ferry went within 50 feet of a dive flag marking the end of a transect where divers were working in shallow water completing the annual Reef Check surveys. I know that I am not the only person who has nearly been hit by a ferry while in my dinghy, and while I have never lodged a complaint I understand that many other people have lodged complaints. It would appear that actions have not been taken to improve captains’ conduct.
History of ferry accidents
Over the years, there have been several accidents involving ferries, yet the big resorts that are responsible for these boats seem to be oblivious to the need to make sure that the rules and regulations are followed. Most ferries fail to give way to sailing vessels — or if they do, they don’t signal that they will give way until the last moment.
Within the last few years, one resort’s ferry went over the towline between a tug and a barge in the Sir Francis Drake Channel, causing considerable damage to the ferry. As that same ferry is a very high displacement vessel, its large wake has often been a huge problem in Trellis Bay for charter boats that are anchored there.
I have scars on my leg from getting cut when working on my vessel and trying to hold on when a ferry’s massive wake came through. From the same wake, a person cruising in the VI was scalded when a pot of boiling water spilled on him. Another time, a diver cleaning the bottom of his boat was nearly crushed when a wake caused his vessel to ground out.
Recently, a Virgin Gorda resort’s ferry had problems with its hydraulics and lost its steering, roaring through Trellis Bay. Fortunately, it caused very little damage, largely because it got caught on a mooring line before it hit the rocks looming up ashore. The hotel guests aboard were wide-eyed and rather worried to say the least! A quick reaction on the part of the captain to turn off the engine’s power would have lessened the risk of potential damage to people and other boats. Other VG resorts’ boats also have been involved in accidents. One boat hit a reef a few years ago one night when leaving an award ceremony at Little Dix Bay. Ironically, I was clutching an environmental award I had received as the ferry crashed into the coral.
West End accident
Within the last few weeks, the wake from a ferry entering Sopers Hole apparently swamped a powerboat, forcing the occupants to swim to shore.
These actions are inexcusable. How much longer do we have to wait until responsible, qualified captains are employed? How much longer do we have to wait for the ferry owners and other big commercial vessels to insist on responsible seamanship?
No one wants to see loss of life at sea caused by poor seamanship or poorly maintained vessels. No one wants to see damage to other vessels caused by poor seamanship. Finally, no one wants to see damage to our coral reefs by groundings that inflict irreparable damage to our marine ecosystem. In other countries, damage to coral reefs incurs massive fines and can also result in the impounding of the vessel — but here in the VI, it seems no one really cares. Fortunately, the Scrub Island ferry was launched high and dry on the rock, apparently levitating over the spectacular re-growth of endangered elkhorn coral that surrounds the rock it hit. Only a couple of coral heads were broken off.
Please let this latest accident be a wake-up call that more stringent controls need to be put in place on such commercial vessels so that such boating accidents become less frequent and lives and our marine environment can be better protected.