Remember a couple months ago when a couple of little storms wrecked a big chunk of the Caribbean? They’re still not out of the woods yet, as you’ll see in this 360 degree video (click and drag to look around at the continuing carnage) and the accompanying NYT article focusing on the losses to boat owners in the Virgin Islands. It opens:
The wrecks lie half-sunk in marinas, fully submerged in coves, tangled in mangrove roots, tossed akilter against trees, or piled atop one another, a jumble of punctured hulls, snapped masts and bent propellers.
The hurricanes that raged through the United States Virgin Islands in September damaged or destroyed not only thousands of buildings, but also hundreds of boats, from tiny sailboats to 50-foot luxury yachts.
In a territory that is heavily dependent on tourism, where no spot is more than three miles from the sea, boats are as integral to the economy as the islands’ beaches and their now-battered hotels. Boats are the livelihoods and even the homes of many locals, and for the mainlanders who leave their vessels there year-round, they are a big reason to spend time and money on the islands.
“Even if our boat had made it, we would really be struggling, because the customers aren’t here,” said Justin Cofield, 34, an owner of St. John Yacht Charters, whose 46-foot sailing sloop, Survivan, was destroyed.
Read on for the complete story from Richard Perez-Pena and thanks to Anarchist LM for the tip.
