Yacht Called ‘Positive Energy’ Burns To Ashes At Yacht Haven Grande

ST. THOMAS — A yacht docked at Yacht Haven Grande burned to ashes today; leaving nothing but the yacht’s shell. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, however Yacht Haven Manager, Charlie Irons, said in statement that the blaze could not be contained.

“Earlier today, a fire occurred on a vessel at The Yacht Haven Grande Marina. All parties are believed to be safe with no injuries reported. The marina crew and security team responded immediately alongside emergency services,” reads the statement provided by Mr. Irons. “Due to the nature of the fire, it could not be extinguished.”

Mr. Irons said in order to ensure the safety of neighboring vessels and their crews, “the U.S. Coast Guard relocated the vessel to a safe location where authorities continue to manage and contain the incident.”

The Consortium spoke with officials at the West Indian Company (W.I.C.O.) this afternoon, who witnessed and participated in containing the fire, along with the Virgin Islands Fire Service, and fire crews from the Norwegian Escape, as well as teams from the MSC Divina and Carnival Valor.

According Roy Moorehead, W.I.C.O.’s director of security, at 1:10 p.m., he was summoned by Mr. Irons to aid Yacht Haven with containing a fire that had ignited from within Positive Energy. Mr. Moorehead said he immediately activated a full slate of W.I.C.O. personnel, including managers, supervisors and other team players to aid in the effort. The Norwegian Cruise Lines sent a crew of firefighters to aid in the containment action as well. And within 15 minutes of being called to help, Mr. Moorehead said the V.I. Fire Service arrived on the scene, adding even more professionalism to the effort.

As stated earlier by Mr. Irons, the U.S. Coast Guard escorted the flaming yacht from its front location at Yacht Haven — where it caused traffic disruptions and generated a great deal of smoke in the downtown area — to a more remote position.

W.I.C.O. President and C.E.O., Joseph Boschulte, who’s currently in Fort Lauderdale Florida at the annual Seatrade event, expressed pleasure in the manner in which the sudden incident was handled.

“I received word while at the Seatrade Cruise Global Conference of a fire on board the yacht Positive Energy, moored at the neighboring Yacht Haven Grande. My staff kept me abreast of the situation from the first reports of the fire to its conclusion.” Mr. Boschulte said. “I am especially pleased at the reports detailing the always excellent cooperation from responding entities, the Virgin Islands Fire Department, Virgin Islands Police Department, the fire crews from the Norwegian Escape and MSC Divina ,the Yacht Haven Grande and of course the W.I.C.O. staff.”

He added: “We at W.I.C.O. are grateful that the quick response translated into containment of the fire with no loss of life or injury, nor adverse effect on any of the cruise ships in port or residents in the area. We remain mindful and vigilant of the value of emergency preparedness and cooperation. Our staff is regularly trained to respond to all manner of marine emergencies and our assistance in this emergency is testament to this commitment.”

Mr. Irons also thanked the many teams involved in today’s efforts: “As a direct result of their combined reactions, the incident was effectively contained,” he said.

According to a new statement, as of 6:00 p.m., the fire had been completely contained, however, fire crews were continuing to spread water on the areas still smoldering. The statement added that the vessel has been secured and containment measures are in place around it to address potential contaminants entering the water.

There were no reported injuries as a result of the incident.