Are VITRAN Ferries Breaching Security?

 

The VITRAN ferries docked at the Cruz Bay ferry dock may be in violation of federal security regulations by extending past the security fence and allowing authorized access.

CRUZ BAY — After almost a year in the territory and a month of operation in scheduled service in July, the two, 200-passenger, $3.6 million, multi-hulled, VITRAN passenger ferries appear to have been successfully moved from storage in Crown Bay, St. Thomas, to storage in Cruz Bay, St. John.

Now the ferries themselves may be violating federal security regulations at the Loredon Boynes Ferry Dock; and Cruz Bay I, operated by Transportation Services, has been damaged from being rafted in the shallows at the pier overshadowing the dinghy dock — with its bow offering access to the pier around the federally-mandated security fence.

“Because the ribs of Cruz Bay I are past the security fence, both the vessel and the facility are unsecured,” one St. John Tradewinds reader wrote. “Anyone can climb these ribs and get on ferry or gain access to facility.”

“The owner is not in compliance” with federal regulations, he wrote. “MARSEC level 1 must be maintained at ALL times.”

33 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter H — Maritime Security, Part (d) 2 says it all: (d) MARSEC Level 1. At MARSEC Level 1, the facility owner or operator must ensure the implementation of security measures to prevent unauthorized access or activities within the area,” the reader wrote. “These security measures may include: (1) Restricting access to only authorized personnel; (2) Securing all access points not actively used and providing physical barriers to impede movement through the remaining access points.

Cruz Bay I has been damaged and its paint scratched from barb wire and the steel fence because of a deflated bumper, above.

VITRAN Blue Paint Jobs Damaged
The new VITRAN blue paint jobs on Cruz Bay I, the vessel closest to the pier, in fact, have been deeply scratched by the razor wire encircling the end of the spiked metal security fence where the pier nears the Cruz Bay beach and dinghy dock.    

Cruz Bay I has been damaged from being pulled so close to the dinghy dock and past security fence,” the reader wrote. “The paint has been rubbed off from barbed wire…They have put a bumper over the scratches and the bumper is now deflated from hitting the barbed wire and fence.”

“They are parked so close to dinghy dock that you have no choice but to drive under them where they are getting scuffed and scratched even more,” the boater added. “Also notice that paint is peeling off on upright of bridge. (Bad) paint job?”

The newly built vessels arrived in the territory in November 2013, but the government could not reach operating agreements with the two companies holding franchises to provide ferry service between Red Hook and Cruz Bay, Transportation Services Inc. and Varlack Ventures. The two companies suddenly began operating the vessels in early July in time for the final days of the annual St. John Festival.

The two vessels were parked up and taken out of service after a litany of complaints, including allegations that passenger capacity of the new vessels was insufficient for the daily peak “commuting” needs of the island workforce — resulting in scores of commuters being stranded on peak weekday runs — and claims of uncomfortable conditions for riders in even moderate seas on the passage between Cruz Bay and Red Hook.

“You have to ask some questions,” one ferry company official said in August — while declining to answer questions.

“You should take a ride,” one captain suggested to a reporter in early August as the summer brought increasingly higher seas — and the ferries subsequently came out of service.

Ferry company officials continued to decline comment.

Smalls Obfuscates
There were reports that government officials were saying the ferries had been operating under a 30-day “trial period” and other reports that the insurance had expired for the government-owned vessels. V.I.

A “legal issue” was keeping the boats out of service, DPW Commissioner Darryl Smalls told the V.I. Daily News Wednesday, September 3.

The “legal issue” had been resolved, Smalls told the St. Thomas newspaper at that time, adding the boats would be in service “within the next few days.”

The vessels were still docked on Friday, September 5.

DPW Commissioner Smalls has not responded to repeated requests for information from St. John Tradewinds.

“Watching movies on our dime?”

“To top things off I have noticed that they run one or the other ALL DAY LONG,” the Tradewinds reader wrote. “My bet is they are watching movies on our dime.”

While the vessels may be being powered up to operate systems such as bilge pumps, some observers have suggested the two vessels, outfitted with plush airplane style seats and numerous flat screen television screens, could be utilized as a multiplex theater.