May 10, 2004 – For the second straight year, Christiansted resident Alfred Jacobs is working aboard the Salacia, the 600-passenger V.I. Fast Ferry vessel, for the summer season in the Boston area after having spent the winter season as crew in the Virgin Islands.
When the high-speed ferry left St. Croix bound for its homeport as part of the Boston Harbor Cruises fleet last week, according to a release, Jacobs was aboard, ready again to experience what he terms "the best of both worlds."
He joined the crew in December 2002 as a deckhand on the Salacia's St. Croix-St. Thomas runs and was asked to stay on when the vessel returned to Boston a year ago. Over the summer season, he furthered his knowledge of the vessel's operations and was promoted to senior deckhand before he returned to the territory for the 2003-04 winter season.
As senior deckhand for the Fast Ferry, he was responsible for oversight of the other deckhands, engine room supervision, and passenger safety and comfort, according to the release.
"I love working for the V.I. Fast Ferry," Jacobs says. "I didn't know what to expect when I was asked to go to Boston, but it has been great to see a new area and different people and how they work. I am constantly learning something new all year 'round, and that will make me more valuable both in the V.I. and on the mainland."
Massachusetts Congressman William Delahunt recently visited the Virgin Islands to encourage V.I. residents to consider summer employment on Cape Cod, the release stated. The federal government's decision this year to limit H-2B visas allowing foreign nationals to work in the United States has put a dramatic strain on the cape's summer work force. (See "Jobs in New England raise hopes, concerns".)
Kevin Matthews, VIFF operations director, said the Salacia will return to the Virgin Islands in November – with Jacobs – for its fourth winter season in the territory.
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