The registered owners of the 31-tonne Cayman Mermaid, which is partially submerged in Governors Creek, are arranging to remove the vessel in the coming week at their own expense.
According to the vessel transcript from the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, the 76-foot multi-deck boat is owned by Mermaid Cruises, which registered it back in 1993.
The decades-old passenger boat, which was abandoned several years ago, is now resting on the bottom of the 12-foot-deep creek, after starting to sink on 24 May.
Roylee Moore, acting manager of cruise operations and security at the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands, told the Compass on Tuesday, 30 May, that it is illegal to abandon a vessel in territorial waters.
Under the Merchant Shipping Act the port director is the ‘receiver of wrecks’, he added, which means they must take custody and control of shipwrecks.
“Contact has been made with the registered owners/attorney for them to arrange the re-floating and removal of the vessel at their expense,” Moore said.
“A local salvage company has been engaged to undertake this and are currently awaiting approval based on the estimated cost for this work.”
The authority has not released the cause of the boat sinking.
Moore said the 600-foot temporary floating barrier placed around the boat to contain potential oil and fuel spills will remain in place until the vessel is removed from the harbour.
“We are in contact with the salvage company and being updated as the work progresses and we are hopeful that the work will be undertaken this week,” he said.
While the owners of a sinking boat are responsible for the cost of its removal, if they cannot be identified, the port authority arranges for its removal and disposal.
This may require a private company or the use of port equipment and staff, Moore said.
The Department of Environment, Cayman Islands Coast Guard and the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands are also involved with the monitoring of the vessel and its removal.
The aluminium boat, also known as the ‘Merpig’, was built by Gulf Craft in the United Arab Emirates in 1988 and has been used for concerts, parties, fire shows and snorkelling trips.
The DoE said the seabed where it is now lying is primarily made up of algae and sponges, and damage to marine life has so far been “minimal”.
It said fuel loss remains “far below a level capable of recovery” and the containment boom has been put in place as a standard precautionary response should it escalate.
The Coast Guard is broadcasting alerts to boat operators about the hazard and advising them to stay well clear.
In a social media post, it stressed that the blocked-off area should not be crossed, and people should refrain from attempting to board the vessel.
“Doing so may compromise the integrity of the containment boom and could lead to the release of fuel and oil into the surrounding area,” the Coast Guard said.
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