The 85 foot luxury Yacht that got stuck on the reef near Hunting Caye on November 30th is named The Great Escape – but let us tell you, it’s not going anywhere in a hurry. First the hull is badly damaged; reports suggest that 75% to 80% of it is shattered. Second – it’s been completely stripped by pirates. The luxury vessel once outfitted with all the latest nautical gadgetry is now – we are told – just a shell. Since November, Pirates have systematically cannibalized it.
That, regrettably, is to be expected – as the seas are not much policed – but what makes this case notable is that the area where the boat is stuck is about a mile away from a fully manned security post at Hunting Caye. That though is now water under the hull, so to speak. The urgency at this time is to remove the structurally unsound vessel which is precariously pitched on the reef and is loaded with fuel.
The first priority is to remove the fuel which is estimated at 800 gallons – a process which requires some degree of specialisation. Removing the vessel thereafter will be another ordeal and that is expected to cost the Department of Environment over one hundred thousand dollars.
The owner and captain American national Albert Barscroft is not in the country because after he was detained by the Coast Guard after the yacht ran aground, he had a heart attack and was rushed to Guatemala for treatment. He has yet to return. Because the vessel is still lodged on the reef, the Department of Environment has been unable to assess the damage to the reef.
