April 7, 2001 — For the second day in a row, at least one student from a nearby school threw a rock at the new inter-island ferry Salacia on Friday, here for a monthlong trial. This one shattered a window in the pilot house that will cost Boston Harbor Cruises $4,000 to replace once it returns to the shipyard next month, according to BHC operations manager Kevin Matthews.
The incident occurred at about 3 p.m. as youths were streaming along the Charlotte Amalie waterfront after being let out of school. A witness on the scene who asked not to be named said the student who vandalized the boat was wearing the uniform of Addelita Cancryn Junior High School, pink shirt and dark pants.
Matthews said it appeared to be the same student who had thrown a rock at the $8 million high-speed ferry the previous day around the same time. A call was put into police from the V.I. Port Authority on Friday.
Police spokeswoman Sgt. Annette Raimer said a police report on the incident noted that minors had been seen running from the area, but there had been no followup from the Juvenile division. She said the press of vehicles along the waterfront area made it easier for the vandals to slip away and suggested that BHC may want to set up parking arrangements for passengers away from the waterfront.
"It definitely is discouraging," Matthews said Saturday morning, "but at the same time we had a good day yesterday," the first day of daily service in April between St. Thomas and St. Croix. "We had good numbers onboard, and everybody was pleased and impressed with the ride."
The 150-foot vessel has a computerized ride-control system that uses trim tabs on its catamaran hulls to automatically adjust for pitch and yaw, smoothing out the seas.
Matthews said he expected temporary repairs to be made and new safety glass installed. But the original glass is custom-made and contains an anti-fog heating element similar to that in some automobiles. He said once the Salacia returns to the Boston-area shipyard in May, new glass will be ordered and installed at a cost of $4,000.
The vandalism will not affect the Salacia's schedule in the V.I., he said. Matthews remained optimistic.
"Obviously some adjustments will have to be made, regarding security and even things like crowd control and parking. But I haven't seen anything here that isn't just a matter of fine-tuning," he said.
