Ferry commuters stranded in Nevis;
Rescued by another passenger vessel…

By VonDez Phipps
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – SCORES of ferry commuters were this morning stranded at the Nevis pier after the MV Caribe Queen failed to operate on its 7:30 scheduled run due to bad weather.

Reports reaching this media house stated that among the commuters were many individuals who travel on a daily basis to St. Kitts to fulfil job requirements, but had to wait on another vessel to get to their respective destination.

The reports also stated that swells in the Caribbean Sea were above normal and had caused many small fishing vessels in the harbour to capsize.

When contacted, co-owner of the MV Caribe Queen, Earl Francis told SKNVibes that the early-morning passengers realised that the vessel was still on the mooring where it had been left since yesterday at about 11:00 a.m.

He explained that because of the uncontrollable weather, the vessel could not be brought in to the pier.   ~~Adz:Right~~

“When I arrived to assess the situation at the pier, a system of North-eastern-generated swells was coming from one particular area and there was strong wind. Basically, the captain didn’t want to risk the trip by endangering any of his passengers, and so, around 6:45 a.m. he ordered for the scheduled trip to be cancelled,” Francis said.    

According to the daily weather report issued by the St. Kitts and Nevis Meteorology Office, the seas were moderate to locally rough and waves were ranging from 1.8- 2.4 m (6-8 ft) on the Atlantic Side of the North-eastern Caribbean. It was specifically stressed that “small craft operators should not venture far from port”.

However, other vessels still managed to operate on their regular schedules and the early-morning passengers were able to reach their destination, despite late arrivals.

Francis stated that he was aware that other vessels were plying the route, but he maintained his view that the crew of the MV Caribe Queen was not inclined to take risks. He further assured the public that “there is no mechanical problem with the boat; it is entirely an issue of the weather”.

He guaranteed the commuters that the crew is “watching the weather”, as he claims the winds are now shifting to the south. He promised that as soon as the weather becomes favourable for travel, the MV Caribe Queen would be up and running.