The 71-foot catamaran ferry Native Son Kat finally made it to port late Saturday, nearly two weeks after running aground at Cow and Calf rocks off the southeast end of St. Thomas.
A salvage vessel from Titan Maritime Industries, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., towed the ferry stern-first to Crown Bay after the craft was stabilized. According to U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Kevin Smith, instead of patching the damaged hulls of the catamaran, the hulls were sealed with pressurized air, creating a buoyant envelope to displace the water.
The Native Son Kat ran aground on Dec. 17, during a period of moderately heavy seas with swells of 8 to 10 feet. All 84 persons aboard were rescued in a dramatic nighttime operation in which local boaters, private and commercial vessels took part.
The ferry was captained by Tilbert Lettsome, who earlier this year ran the Capt. Vic car barge aground at Steven's Cay off St. John, tearing a hole in its hull.
Smith said the Native Son Kat was expected to be drydocked early this week to assess the damage to its hulls.
