The vessel formerly known as Isle Grande has joined regularly-scheduled car ferry Roanoke undergoing repairs at unofficial Enighed Pond Shipyard.
After years of complaints by residential neighbors concerning the seemingly never-ending and expanding shipyard operations in the St. John Enighed Port, V.I Port Authority Executive Director Carlton Dowe has “amended” port rules to limit such work at the port facility’s bulkhead.
But VIPA officials apparently are not taking responsibility for repair work being done by vessels in the port which are not berthed at the VIPA bulkhead.
The two main vessels undergoing repairs in the VIPA facility subsequently have relocated from the bulkhead of the port to the sheet-steel pilings shoreline of federally-protected mangroves on the south shore of the Enighed port.
Work Moves to Residential Neighborhood
The regularly-scheduled inter-island barge Roanoak, which has been conducting major repairs for several weeks while moored against the mangrove mitigation area on the south shore of the port below the Contant residential neighborhood, has been joined by a second vessel under repair.
The vessel formerly registered as Isle Grande, which has been undergoing major repairs at the VIPA facility for most of the past year, is continuing to undergo major repair work and has now rafted up with the Roanoke in the turning area for vessels in regularly scheduled inter-island service against the protected mangrove.
VIPA Calls Change “Amendment”
Although the original federal permit for the construction of the port at the site of the former salt pond with a small outlet to the Caribbean Sea already limited repair work in the facility to minor repairs, VIPA officials announced the as a “change.”
“The Virgin Islands Port Authority has amended the operating plan for the Theovald Eric Moorehead Dock and Terminal at Enighed Pond, St. John,” the VIPA announced in a press release on May 14.
Acting Executive Director David Mapp said that the plan was amended to limit repair activity at the facility, according to the press release.
“Effective May 1, vessel owners can perform minor repairs to their boats at the dock and these repairs must be completed within 14 days,” said Mapp. “Repair work may only be performed during the hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.”
VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe and Marine Manager Kelvin Industrious met with the vessel operators earlier this month and notified them of the changes, Mapp explained. The operators were also given a copy of the amended rules and regulations, he reported.
For more information, the public may contact the VIPA public relations office at (340) 774-1629 ext. 6639.
VIPA Executive Director Dowe has asked St. John Tradewinds to submit a written request for an accounting of fees charged marine operators by VIPA for use of the VIPA facility for any repairs or longterm docking and any balances outstanding.