What will happen to the Niobe Corinthian?

As the Niobe Corinthian gathers rust in St George’s Harbour, its fate seems to have become a closely-guarded secret.

Government refuse to say what happened at a meeting held on January 31 to determine who owned the vessel.

And it is unclear what decisions have been taken over the old gambling ship that has been an eye sore in the east end for several years.

An official Government notice issued at the end of January stated: “The Minister of Transport requires the owner or local agent for the (Niobe Corinthian) to appear before me at the Department of Marine & Ports Services at 10:00AM on Friday 31st, January, 2014 given that said vessel  is seemingly abandoned and  has been deemed an obstruction to port operations at  (Marginal Wharf) and furthermore appears likely to become a danger to navigation in the harbour or harbour fairways given her derelict state. 

“Failure of the owner to  attend or otherwise  declare an interest in said vessel by the above meeting time will result in the Minister taking possession of and disposing of said vessel with any property recovered onboard being sold so as to reimburse the Crown for any expenses incurred.”

At the beginning of February the Bermuda Sun contacted Government to ask what had transpired in the meeting, but no response was forthcoming.

Further requests for comment over the last month about what happened at the meeting and what will happen to the Niobe Corinthian have failed to prompt any response.

The Bermuda Land Development Corporation (BLDC), which owns Marginal Wharf, would also not comment on the issue.

Local PLP and OBA MPs are united in the need to ‘do something’ about the eyesore.

But the latest developments in this ongoing saga remain a mystery.

St David’s MP Lovitta Foggo said: “What I can say is that I have had many constituents complain about this vessel being an eyesore.

“Obviously something needs to be done about it.”

Local MP Suzann Roberts-Holshouser, who is also on the BLDC board, added: “We have to do something about the Niobe Corinthian.

“It is something that the board of the BLDC is working on and trying to make sure something happens.

“We don’t want it there forever.

“We look forward to some action being taken but at this moment we do not know what that action will be.”