USVI warns of oil spills after storm damages boats

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Authorities in St. Croix rushed to contain oil spills on Friday after more than 40 boats sank or washed ashore during Hurricane Omar. About half the vessels lost their anchors, including houseboats, catamarans and pricey yachts and sailboats owned by tourists. The other half were tied at local marinas but broke loose, said Carlos Fachette, enforcement director for the Department of Planning and Natural Resources. The hurricane caught many local boaters off-guard because they did not take the storm seriously, according to Kim Jones of the St. Croix Yacht Club. "It's devastating," she said of the damage. "That puts a break into people getting into boating, which is such a way of life in the Caribbean. It's going to take a lot to rebound." Roughly 400 boats are registered in St. Croix, she said.