Roughly 15 tonnes of lead still pollutes Carrot Shoal as lawyers representing the owners of the superyacht that grounded on the reef more than a year ago try to minimise their liability for the mess.
The 178-foot sailing yacht Parsifal III ran aground on the thriving reef off the southern tip of Peter Island on Jan. 2, 2013, rupturing its keel and spilling about 30 tonnes of lead shot. The damage has now been estimated at roughly $1.5 million, according to the Attorney General’s Chambers.
In the months after the grounding, the site was surveyed, and government hired two companies — Husky Salvage & Towing and Commercial Dive Services — to clean up the mess. With the job half done, however, the cleanup has been stalled pending the proceedings before the court.
“Honestly, I’d love to do it voluntarily, but we have to pay our divers. It’s a huge expense,” Kevin Rowlette, the owner of Husky Salvage, said in January. “We want to see it through.”
About half a dozen people, including members of the Conservation and Fisheries Department, sat in the courtroom, waiting for the case to be called. But when a clerk finally announced it around 11 a.m., attorneys were ushered into the judge’s chambers, and the proceedings took place behind closed doors.
After about an hour, the case was adjourned to June 10, according to Dr. Malcolm.
Lawyers for the Parsifal are seeking the limit of liability under the VI Merchant Shipping Act, arguing that they’re only accountable for $250,000 of damage. Outside the courtroom on Monday, Dr. Malcolm said their argument, “in fact, may not be applicable.”
Although he declined to answer further questions, Dr. Malcolm said the damage to the reef was estimated at about $1.5 million.
See the Feb. 27, 2014 edition for full coverage.
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