Nearly a Year Later, Derelict Boat Still Lingers in Charlotte Amalie Harbor as DPNR Loses Patience

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 ...