ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands (29 Mar 2007) -- Bad weather coupled with logistical issues Tuesday thwarted a second attempt by the U.S. Coast Guard, along with other federal and local agencies, to remove a ferry grounded on Triangle Reef. A barge carrying a crane positioned itself near the reef to lift the boat Tuesday afternoon so that it could then be pulled away from the reef by tugboat, but that plan initially failed because of high seas and winds, said U.S. Coast Guard marine science technician chief Drew Doxsee. A tugboat tried five times to pull the stranded vessel without success from the reef Monday. The delicate nature of the salvage operation requires near perfect weather, Doxsee said. "It was too dangerous to continue," Doxsee said. A required Coast Guard inspection of the crane and its operator also contributed to slowing removal preparations Tuesday, Doxsee said. Because of liability issues, the Coast Guard had to make sure all of the contractor's paperwork was up to date, he said. The American Pride, a 96-foot vessel carrying 15 passengers and three crew members, struck the reef and became stranded on the morning of March 17 about a quarter-mile south of Morningstar Beach. The boat had just departed from the St. Thomas Harbor en route to Tortola. The American Pride is owned and operated by Caribbean Maritime Excursions. No injuries were reported in the incident, and all aboard the vessel were evacuated. Doxsee said the operation is expected to continue today - weather permitting - so the ferry can be extracted safely from the reef. In preparation for the removal, all the water was pumped out of the vessel's compartments, and the boat has been patched and filled with airbags. The plan is to lift the American Pride's stern from the reef so the boat can then be pulled away for an immediate inspection before it is hauled off, Doxsee said. The crash has created ongoing environmental concerns. The ferry's portside fuel tank ruptured in the collision and spilled about 350 gallons of diesel into the sea. A second fuel tank, holding another 350 gallons of diesel, is below the water's surface, authorities said after the incident last week. Additional environmental hazards include 55 to 65 gallons of oil from engines and generators, two 5-gallon drums of lube oil and 8 to 10 gallons of hydraulic fluid. Coast Guard spokesman Ricardo Castrodad said Tuesday absorbent materials were sprayed around areas of the ship carrying the liquids to minimize damage should they spill. Because of the location of the diesel fuel, Castrodad said, it is unclear whether any of the remaining diesel fuel leaked into the sea. | | The 'American Pride' ferry grounded on Triangle Reef in the Virgin Islands damaging coral and spilling fuel oil into the sea. The crash likely caused extensive damage to coral on the reef that could take years to undo, said Tyler Smith, a University of the Virgin Islands coral reef researcher. "I'm sure that a lot of coral was crushed," Smith said. The initial impact likely created a large swath of damage to the reef later exacerbated by any movement of the ship in the days following the crash, Smith said. While the coral can recover, that will take a long time - some corals can take decades to grow even to a small size, he said. In addition, any fuel spilled by the ship - even fuel that evaporates easily, such as diesel - can cause some damage to the reef, Smith said. But fuel damage would have been much worse if the ship were carrying crude, he said. The V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources will send divers to assess damage to the reef after the removal, spokesman Jamal Nielsen said. Fines against the boat's owner remain a possibility, Nielsen said. "Our legal counsel is looking into that right now," Nielsen said. The project to extract the ferry is a joint effort by a contractor hired by the owner of the ferry and a variety of specialists, including representatives from the Coast Guard, DPNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Coast Guard's Marine Safety Detachment is investigating to determine what caused the ferry to run aground. Castrodad said that investigation is ongoing. SOURCE - The Virgin Islands Daily NewsSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
