Nearly a Year Later, Derelict Boat Still Lingers in Charlotte Amalie Harbor as DPNR Loses Patience
A year after a vessel was damaged during Tropical Storm Ernesto, DPNR says it's done waiting for the owner to act; high bacteria counts in harbor water have lawmakers urging public safety signs as DPNR prepares penalties and possible removal.
2025-07-11 15:44:49 - VI News Staff
A storm-damaged vessel partially submerged in Charlotte Amalie’s waters has remained there for nearly a year, creating an eyesore. Now, both lawmakers and the Department of Planning and Natural Resources say patience is running thin.
Senator Avery Lewis jumped at the opportunity to seek an update when DPNR appeared before the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance on Thursday. “I have one big question. What about the old boat out there?” he asked.
“We have grown impatient with what’s happening right now,” replied DPNR commissioner Jean Piere Oriol. “The contractor was nervous about getting in the water because there was raw discharge that was taking place,” he explained. Aware of that situation, DPNR granted the contractor some leeway. Nearly a year on, DPNR tested the water in the harbor as a means of prompting the contractor to get in the water, and remove the vessel. The results, however, weren’t very favorable.
“We tested the water, actually just last week and this week, and both instances have come back, and the lab has said your bacteria count is extremely high,” Mr. Oriol explained. But DPNR is no longer willing to wait. The department intends to “send notice to the owner that says that by now, you all could have figured out whatever your alternative was,” the commissioner said. DPNR, for its part, cleared several vessels from the harbor after Tropical Storm Ernesto. “They could have used a crane barge to come and lift rather than getting in the water putting float bags underneath it, like we did,” Mr. Oriol argued.