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News of St. John

Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now

Cinnamon Bay campground
Cinnamon Bay campground, Sunday afternoon

It’s been more than four months since we last updated you on the status of Cinnamon Bay. It’s one of the top questions we have here at News of St. John, so we figured we were due for an update.

Will Cinnamon Bay Campground Re-Open Soon?

For starters, the campground is not scheduled to reopen anytime soon. But there is work being done there, so that’s great. When it was announced in May that Tom Secunda, a part-time St. John resident, purchased the campground contract, we were told that it wasn’t expected to reopen until the 2020-2021 season. And it looks like that’s still the case.

As we saw Sunday, crews are still in the process of installing more than 10,000 feet of pipe for water and sewer. Once that is completed, the plan is to work on the bathhouses and the main building, and then the actual campsites. So there is still a lot to do, but there is also a lot of progress happening.

What Does Cinnamon Bay Campground Look Like Now?

Rather than tell you about Cinnamon Bay, we prefer to show you. Here are several pictures we took Sunday plus a nice little video from the beach. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 1
Walking in from the parking lot area
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 2
The main path to the beach
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 3
The main building is currently blocked off with fencing.
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 4
An area behind the main building
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 5
The campground areas are blocked off by fencing.
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 6
The area where the cottages once stood.
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 7
The main bath house
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 8
An area that led to the eco tents.
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 9
Preparing to install piping beside the main bath house
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 10
The former archeology lab
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 11
Looking toward the platform tent area
Cinnamon Bay Campground: What It Looks Like Now 12
An alternate view of the main building

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New Rum Bar Coming to Cruz Bay

New Rum Bar Coming to Cruz Bay 13
Image credit: Tropical Properties

Well folks, we’ve been waiting to tell you about this for awhile, and we’ve finally received the go ahead! A new rum bar is coming to Cruz Bay! How excited does that make all of you rum lovers out there??! And even better, it’s somewhat of a wine bar too. Now that makes me excited! I can’t wait!

New Rum Bar Coming to Cruz Bay 14The new spot is called Lovango Rum Bar, and it is set to open later this month. The Lovango Rum Bar will be located directly above Drink, across the street from the beach in Cruz Bay. And seeing that it’s on the second floor, it has amazing views of Cruz Bay harbor and beyond.

Lovango Rum Bar is going to be more than just a bar. It’s actually a rum distillery with more than 100 types of rum to choose from. And as we mentioned above, it will have 100 wines to choose from and even a rentable wine cellar. Looking for something to munch on? Well they plan to serve a variety of artisan pizza specialties too.

This will be John Yob’s second bar here on St. John. He also owns Maho Crossroads on the North Shore. The Lovango Rum Bar will be managed by Mike Ramsey, a former owner of Woody’s.

And a quick little side note: Lovango Rum is not affiliated with the proposed hotel out on Lovango Cay. Lovango Rum Bar was named prior to the announcement of the Lovango hotel, owner John Yob told me earlier this week.

Lovango Rum Bar is expected to open within the next few weeks. We will keep you all posted. In the meantime, have a great day everyone!

 

 

 

St. John Tours: See the Island with Me!

St. John Tours: See the Island with Me! 15

Hello everyone and happy Thursday! We just wanted to take a quick moment today to remind you all that we conduct island tours here on St. John.

We started conducting island tours in each 2017, and the reception has been amazing! I absolutely love this island, and I love sharing that love with all of you. Whether this is your first visit to the island or if you are a repeat guest, I guarantee you will see something new. In fact, at least half of my guests are repeat visitors to the island!

During your tour, we will do a little sightseeing – St. John has some of the most beautiful views in the world. We will check out some of the island’s stunning beaches – who doesn’t want to dip their toes in our beautiful Caribbean waters! We can stop at one or more of the island’s sugar plantation ruins, and we can even do some light hiking if you’d like. I can guarantee some sea turtles sightings and we usually stumble on the donkeys too! I will tell you about the history of the island, and I can share with you the current happenings on island. Most importantly, we will have fun!

So you may be wondering what makes my tour different from the other island tours? Well, what makes us different is that we are the only, personalized tour on St. John. I will take guests pretty much anywhere they want to go. The taxi tours are sometimes limited in where they are able to go, but not us. I enjoy taking my guests off the beaten path and to out-of-the-way spots that they would typically never see. Another difference is that I can only take up to four guests and I never combine groups, so it’s a more private and personal tour. When I am out and about with my guests, it’s more like I am out with friends. And I love that.

So what types of tours do we offer? Well here are the details:

  • Half-Day Tours: For those of you who want to see a great deal of the island, but do not want to commit a whole vacation day to a tour, our three-hour, half-day tours are for you! These tours are great for those of you who would like to see the island from the eyes of an insider, but you do not want to commit to an entire day to touring the island. During this tour, we can still do some sightseeing, we can check out the beaches, ruins, and do some super light hiking (like a tenth of a mile walk in the woods to a beautiful site) while learning about the island’s history and current happenings. The only difference with this tour is that the stops are a bit shortened when compared to our full day tours. We offer half-day tours from 9 a.m. to noon or from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The cost for a half-day tour is $300.
  • Full-Day Tours: Our full day tour is five hours long and includes a lunch stop in Coral Bay or over at Lime Out. During these tours, we can see nearly the entire island if you’d like to. We can check out the beaches, ruins, hiking trails and more! If you’d like to spend some time snorkeling with the turtles, we can do that! Want to see the more obscure, out of the way places? We can do that too! Again, all tours are completely customizable, so we will do exactly what you want! Don’t have an itinerary? Well we’ll provide options and you can choose what you would like to do and see! The cost for a full-day tour is $425.
  • Land and Sea Tours: We offer St. John’s only land and sea tour. For this tour, we partner with our friends at Flyaway Charters in Coral Bay. These tours are six hours long. For our land and sea tours, guests spend the first half of the tour exploring on land with me, and then they spend the second half of the day on the water with Flyaway Charters. These tours are really the best of both worlds for someone who wants to see all that St. John has to offer in just one day. You can do some snorkeling at some great offshore spots and even visit Pizza Pi, the Caribbean’s floating pizza boat, or Lime Out, St. John’s floating taco boat! Flyaway Charters can also provide a great deal of history of the island. The cost for a land and sea tour is $600. Fuel for the boat is not included, and costs between $50 and $100 depending on where you choose to travel.

All prices are per tour.

Don’t they all sound great! Who is ready to book??!

If you are staying in the Cruz Bay area, I will happily pick you up right at your villa, condo or hotel. If they are staying outside of the Cruz Bay area, we can arrange a meeting point. We’ll pick you up with a cooler filled with water and ice, and if you’d like, we can bring along a jug of Painkillers for an additional $50 fee. We have beach chairs, noodles and boogie boards for you to use throughout the day. And to make your day even better, we can even take the top off of the Jeep!

You can book directly with me either by emailing me at [email protected], or by messaging me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/newsofstjohn. Please let me know which tour you prefer, as well as your preferred date.

Want to know what other guests have said? Then please check out my reviews on TripAdvisor.

I look forward to meeting you all and showing you just how amazing this little island is! Thanks everyone, and have a great day!

Tag: St. John Tours

St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views!

St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 16

Well folks, it’s Wednesday which means we’re halfway though the week! We thought we’d take a day off from the typical “news” today, and chat about real estate instead.

For those of you who are looking to purchase a beautiful, high-end home here on island, there’s one that recently listed for sale. And even better, it’s located in a great neighborhood, has amazing views and is located close to town. Here are all the details straight from its listing:

Every detail of this spacious 4BR 3BA pool villa was carefully considered and meticulously implemented, in the pursuit of lasting design, beauty and craftsmanship. At first glance of this gently sloped lot in desirable Chocolate Hole, one is immersed with stunning views south to St Croix, west to St Thomas from three covered porches, expansive pool area and deck, as well as master and guest suites. Daily sunsets and cooling tradewinds complete the picture. Complimenting this high-end construction process is an impressive roster of amenities for the discerning guest or owner, including granite counters, marble baths, stainless steel appliances, mahogany ceilings, doors and trim, coral stone flooring, and central air conditioning. This villa will make the perfect family home and or short-term rental with its interior access to all the living spaces and bedrooms.

St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 17

St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 18 St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 19

Flat grassy manicured lawns and mature gardens surround the house. Ample parking for multiple vehicles and turn around areas along with the gentle sloping driveway allow for ease in your approach and access to the house.

All things considered, the synergies of this property, including the neighborhood, lot, view, construction, and amenities make it an exceptional find.

After 20 years, the original contractor-owner, who built this “safe house” for his family, is offering his home for purchase. This home has withstood every storm. Walls are monolithically poured concrete, with steel horizontally and vertically throughout the walls far exceeding code requirements. Roof structure is an engineered steel-reinforced truss system and was steel strapped from the cross beam into the foundation. Custom built metal storm shutters bolt directly onto the concrete walls. This house was unscathed when the majority of the surrounding homes, and the nearby Westin, suffered major structural damage.

Please check out a few more pics…

St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 20 St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 21

St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 22

St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 23 St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 24

St. John Real Estate: Quality Home with Lots of Amenities & Views! 25

Ready to own a piece of St. John real estate? This Chocolate Hole home is being offered for $1,675,000. For more information, please contact Tammy Donnelly of 340 Real Estate Co. at [email protected].

Popular, Well Established St. John Business For Sale

Popular, Well Established St. John Business For Sale 26
File photo

One of St. John’s most well known boats just listed for sale. Although we’re sad to learn this, we’re excited about the idea that one of you could potentially live your dream and own a business here on St. John.

Established in 1980, the Sadie Sea is the iconic red boat in Cruz Bay harbor. It recently relaunched after being damaged in the 2017 hurricanes, and we’re excited to say that we were one of the first guests on board. The Sadie Sea has been re-powered and has new side windows and new paint. There are a few small repairs that need to be completed.

The Sadie Sea can carry up to 32 passengers in US waters and 12 passengers in the British Virgin Islands. It just passed its Coast Guard inspection and holds a current National Park permit. The Sadie Sea has a partnership with the National Park, as well. It is the boat that picked up passengers at the bottom of Reef Bay prior to the storms. Lastly, the Sadie Sea has a valid Cruz Bay mooring permit.

The new owner must hold a valid United States Coast Guard 100 ton license and have mechanical skills.

The asking price for the Sadie Sea is $250,000. This includes the vessel, website, branding and contact list. For more information, please call Tom Larson at (340) 514-0778 or email [email protected].

Tag: St. John Business for sale

 

St. John’s Small Business Saturday

St. John's Small Business Saturday 27

Hello everyone, and welcome to the weekend! Today is Small Business Saturday, so we’d like to share several St. John businesses that have online stores. If you’re reading this site, it means you love St. John, so why not support its small businesses! Happy Shopping!

St. Johnopoly
www.newsofstjohn.com/stjohopoly
It’s just like the traditional Monopoly game, but it’s completely customized for St. John! Cruise around the board using a Jeep, Petroglyph or a Palm Tree, and land on your favorite spots like the Ferry Dock and Woody’s. It’s a great gift for that special someone who loves St. John. And we’re offering FREE Shipping! You can order yours at www.newsofstjohn.com/stjohnopoly

Bad Kitty Boatique
www.calypsovi.com
T-shirts, tanks & hats

Bamboo
www.bamboovi.com
Island jewelry including hook bracelets, hurricane bracelets, necklaces, rings and more.

Beach Bar
beachbarstjohn.com
Scoop up some of your favorite Beach Bar swag.

Big Blue Excursions
bigblue-usvi.com
Long Sleeve Shirts & Tumblers

Big Planet
Big-planet.com
Great selection of St. John t-shirts available now.

Caravan Gallery
Caravangallery.com
Wonderful jewelry and gift shop featuring the famous St. John Hook Bracelet.

Christian Wheatley Photography
http://www.christianwheatley.com
Island photography, note cards, tote bags and calendars.

Coconut Coast Studios
http://coconutcoaststudios.com/Shopping.html
Beautiful island art by Elaine Estern that includes originals, calendars, tiles and more.

Drink St. John
drinkstj.com
Stickers, koozies, clothing & more

Freebird Creations
www.freebirdcreations.com
One of the island’s longest established businesses, Freebird has been offering it’s array of eclectic jewelry and duty free watches to St. John visitors for over 30 years.

High Tide
www.shophightidevi.com
Featuring the popular Livin’ the Dream collection.

Isla Malas
www.isla-mala.com
Mala beaded necklaces inspired by the beauty of the Virgin Islands and handmade with island soul.

Island Fancy
www.islandfancy.com
Unique items and gifts for your home, family & friends

Jolly Dog Trading Co.
http://www.thejollydog.com/
T-shirts, hats, koozies and more.

Just Beach VI
Justbeachvi.com
St. John t-shirt and hats available.

Kekoa
http://blacksailsvi.com/booty/
T-shirts, hats and more.

Love City Excursions
http://www.lovecityexcursions.com/catzilla-merchandise/
Tanks, dry fit shirts & more

Lulee
luleestj.com
Clothing & accessories for fabulous living

Made in St. John
madeinstjohn.com
Locally designed & printed merchandise.

Maho Crossroads
lovemaho.shop
T-shirts, tanks, hats & more from St. John’s newest beach bar.

Morningstar Charters
morningstarcharter.com/merchandise
Swag from one of the island’s sailing charters.

R&I Patton Goldsmithing
Pattongold.com
Fine jewelry, much of it designed and produced by Rudy & Irene Patton

Pink Papaya
www.pinkpapaya.com
Unique and unusual Caribbean-style gifts.

Portico
Porticoshop.com
Portico offers everything you need for island-style living – from gifts, décor, glassware, rugs and more.

Sail Helios
sailhelios.com
Stickers, hats, towels & more

Savannah Loftus Photography
society6.com/savannahloftus
Island Photography & Prints

Skinny Legs
www.skinnylegsvi.com
Merchandise from Coral Bay’s favorite burger hangout

STJ Creative Photography
stjcreative.com
Island Prints & Healing After Irma photoessay book

St. John Beach Bum
www.stjbeachbum.com
Beach gear, merchandise and more!

St. John Brewers
StJohnbrewers.com
T-shirts and hats from St. John’s favorite tap room!

St. John Experience Gallery
Stjohnexperiencegallery.com
Island photography.

St. John Organics
www.stjohnorganics.com
Handcrafted spa products.

St. John Spice
http://store.stjohnspice.com/
Spices, hot sauces, tea, gifts and more.

Steve Simonsen Photography
https://simonsen.photoshelter.com/index
Stunning island photography available as fine art prints, calendars and photo books.

Sugar Birds
Sugarbirds.net
Tropical gifts and photography.

Vibe Collection
https://vibecollection.com/
Island jewelry & hook bracelets.

Woody’s
http://www.woodysseafood.com/shop
Apparel and swag from your favorite Cruz Bay watering hole.

Yelena Rogers Photography
www.yelenarogersphoto.com
Beautiful island photography

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! 28

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

There are so many things to be thankful for this year…

I am thankful and grateful for each and every one of you who take the time out of each day to read News of St. John.

I am thankful and grateful for each and every one of you who has chosen to spend one of their vacation days with me touring the beautiful island of St. John.

I am thankful and grateful for all of the kind emails and messages that I have received over the years. I am so appreciate that you have taken time out of your busy lives to do so. Your love is overwhelming.

I am thankful and grateful for this island and its ability to heal so beautifully.

I am thankful and grateful for my St. John friends who have become my island family. (We’re going to have one heck of a Thanksgiving celebration at my house today!)

And lastly, I am thankful for my family and especially for Dalton. He’s going to be 17 months this weekend, and it’s crazy how time flies. He’s running (not walking!) and chatting up a storm. He said “donkey” for the first time the other day, and I grinned from ear to ear. He keeps us busy and makes life so much better in every way.

Now I would like to end’s today’s post with a quick little survey which may help put an end to a yearly Thanksgiving debate… Do you call one of your Thanksgiving sides stuffing or dressing? To me, dressing goes on a salad. And stuffing is a Thanksgiving side dish. But perhaps that’s a northeast thing. Let me know!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

-Jenn xoxo

 

Caneel Bay: The Insurance Documents

Caneel Bay: The Insurance Documents 29

Hello all, just a quick post this Thanksgiving Eve. Many people have asked to see the Caneel Bay documents that we referenced in a story earlier this week, including one of the top newspapers in the United States. We shared them with the newspaper, so we thought it would only make sense to share them with you all too. Please click the links to open the documents. A new window will open. The documents are large, so they may take a bit to lead. Happy reading.

Caneel’s Insurance Docs

MOTION TO APPOINT AN UMPIRE AND MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT

COMPLAINT FOR SELECTION OF AN UMPIRE

Letter to Caneel About Irma Payments

Letter to Caneel Saying No Additional Damage or Claim from Maria

NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL WITHOUT PREJUDICE

BLUEWATER COMPLAINT & DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL – This is a lawsuit filed against Caneel for nonpayment. This is not a hurricane-related case.

The Story of St. John’s Thankspigging

The Story of St. John's Thankspigging 30
Coral Bay

The annual Thankspigging pot luck dinner is returning to Coral Bay this year, and as always, it’s expected to be a great event. Thankspigging will begin at 4 p.m. Thursday. It’s happening over at Skinny’s and all are welcomed. Everyone is asked to bring a dish to share – an entree, side, dessert, etc.

Each Thankspigging event has a theme. This year’s theme is “Empty Spit Feed.”

So how exactly did Thankspigging begin? Here’s the story straight from Ken Yolman, the man behind the event:

In the Beginning…….. THANKSGIVING
My first island Thanksgiving was spent on Tortola in 1996. I had moved to Jost Van Dyke in the middle of October not knowing any one. I rented a house at Tula’s Campground in Little Harbor. The campground had been blown away during Bertha but the owner Lorna had a weekend shackteau still standing. Her girlfriend Dealia invited me to spend Thanksgiving day with her, family and friends, which I eagerly accepted. This was the first time I realized how lonely it could be at Thanksgiving with no family or friends to share a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Arthur’s ferry “When” was not running but I was able to hitch a ride on “Lady Diane”, a barge along with four dump trucks to Tortola. Taxi from Soper’s Hole to Dealia’s house on Apple Bay. Met new friends, had excellent food and was introduced to Guava Berry Wine.

Dealia’s family had a large glass cask filled with various berries and sugar cane rum. It ferments over the years as they add to it with more berries and rum each yearafter the hilidays. This one was six years old and they have had them up to 15 years. Needless to say I liked it so much I fell out early.

The next morning I got the 25 cent tour of Tortola and caught the “When” back to Little Harbor.

Coral Bay was my next Thanksgiving. I started the day with breakfast at the old Sea Breeze. While eating a bagel and cream cheese, I was invited to a local’s pot luck gathering at Lameshur Bay later in the day. Walked over to Skinnys. Skinny’s first female cook, Melisa had won a turkey in Skinny’s Turkey Shoot. Being a vegetarian she had never cooked a turkey and with Moe’s permission she was cooking the bird in Skinny’s old oven. About an hour into the cooking, Moe arrived. “Did you take everything out?” “Take what out?” “The neck, giblets you know, the stuff they put down its neck?” Melissa’s face turned red. Seizing the moment, Moe burst into action. Dressed with an apron, paper hat and a surgical mask he open the oven door and dove in like a seasoned gynecologist. Wielding his long tongs into the big bird and coming out with the neck, exclaiming, “Look its a boy”.

I hitch hiked out to Lameshur for the local’s feast.

It was embarrassing not being financial well enough to bring something to share. They all insisted to help yourself and don’t worry about it. About 30-40 people had brought turkeys to reefer brownies and everything in between. Pirate Bill had his volleyball net in place, half in the water and half out. Tried not to make a pig of myself and limit the beers. Met a lot of locals and ate a lot of excellent food.

Hitched back to Sputnicks. I had met Evonne during the year and she had invited me to come and eat with her and family. Evonne and her twin sister, who did not look anything like her, had been cooking for 3 days. She had duck, lamb, ham, turkey and an open bar. More excellent food and live music. Evonne sang the blues while Chris, Greg and Cliff backed her. Whistler Doug and Ron on his harp joined later. I started realizing that here in Coral Bay it was an extended family Thanksgiving tradition. I also learned Evonne use to work at Sputnicks from the day it opened and waited tables on roller skates.

By Thanksgiving 1998, I had progressed from hitchhiking to a red Cherokee. And I was able to bring a six pack of Bud to share. Not much yet but it was a small offering to start. About 40-50 locals with once again excellent food from the 5 turkeys to the 3 pans of my favorite brownies. Didn’t stay long then drove to Maho Campground. Pants Man Dan was cooking their Thanksgiving Dinner and had invited me. I sat alone at a table and had my first traditional and complete Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving 1999 found the Lameshur matriarchs, especially English Steve’s Laurie refusing to cook any more. “We’re tired of cooking for all you mooches who don’t bring anything.” This year I was on my own. Having a little more in my pocket this year I drove to town only to find not one restaurant opened. Luckily the old Marina Market was opened. I grabbed a steak and went home alone to have steak and garlic mashed potatoes. I think it was then I started thinking that once I could afford it I’d have my own feast where everyone was welcomed. It would not matter if you brought anything or not. Then there would always be a place to eat a home cooked Thanksgiving dinner and not be alone.

The Millennium Thanksgiving found me home alone once again. I made the traditional garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and a 7lb lobster. I vowed to never eat alone on Thanksgiving again. I think that’s when I first thought of “Thankspigging.” I’d provide a big cheap pig, garlic mashed potatoes and all the beer one could drink. I would ask everyone to bring whatever they thought they made the best to share. And if you were not able to bring anything they would always be welcomed.

And hopefully by next Thanksgiving, I’d be able to afford it.

What a great story! So again, this year’s Thankspigging event will start at 4 p.m. this Thursday at Skinny Legs. All are welcome.

PS: I can’t believe its Thanksgiving already!! 🙂

Caneel Bay “Grossly Underinsured” Court Docs State

Caneel Bay "Grossly Underinsured" Court Docs State 31
Caneel Bay

Caneel Bay was “grossly underinsured” when Hurricane Irma hit, the resort’s insurer wrote in court documents filed earlier this year. The documents shed some more light on what may be happening behind the scenes at Caneel Bay. As you likely have read here on News of St. John, the property has sat in shambles since September 6, 2017, the day Hurricane Irma hit St. John.

According to the documents, CBI Acquisitions chose to obtain property and business interruption insurance for a total limit of $32 million per occurrence. This was “despite its own determination that the total insurable value was $65,413,068,” its insurer wrote in court documents. “Thus, the Caneel Bay Properties were grossly underinsured,” the insurer continued.

Caneel collected $32 million from damages sustained during Hurricane Irma. It filed a separate claim for $32 million following Hurricane Maria. The insurer denied that claim stating:

“Based on the evidence available, there is no additional damage caused by Hurricane Maria that was not considered in the scope of damages from Hurricane Irma. Specifically, the Report concludes “that there is no additional scope required to address the effects of Maria on the subject property that is not already included in the repairs required to address the effects of Irma. Thus, at this time, Insurers have not identified any damages covered under the Policy from Hurricane Maria.”

There is a clause in the insurance documents that states the two parties can go to arbitration if an agreement cannot be made with regard to claims. When the two sides could not agree on an arbitrator or umpire, the insurers filed a lawsuit.

“This lawsuit arises out of an insurance coverage dispute. Caneel Bay Resort and surrounding properties on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, owned by CBIA, suffered significant damage from Hurricane Irma,” the lawsuit reads. “CBIA and the Insurers (the “Parties”) resolved the Hurricane Irma claim with the Insurers paying out the $32 million limit of coverage. CBIA, however, contends that it suffered a separate $32 million loss as a result of Hurricane Maria. As the Parties could not agree as to the scope of covered damages arising from Hurricane Maria, if any, the subject insurance policies’ arbitration provision was invoked by CBIA. The election of arbitration triggered a requirement that each party appoint a “competent and disinterested” arbitrator and then the party-appointed arbitrators were to appoint a neutral umpire.”

It is unclear whether an arbitrator and umpire was agreed upon or whether CBI Acquisitions received an insurance payout stemming from Hurricane Maria, as the lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed one month after its filing.

CBI Acquisitions has publicly stated that it will cost an estimated $100 million to rebuild Caneel Bay. Last spring, they asked the federal government for a $70 million payout in exchange for them walking away and handing the resort back to the National Park Service prior to the expiration of their Retained Use Estate agreement. That agreement expires in late 2023. If they do not receive the payout, CBI Acquisitions could very well hold onto the property and leave it as is for the next four years. It does not appear that they are required to repair any of the damages sustained during Hurricane Irma prior to the end of their leasehold.

CBI Acquisitions is also being sued by Bluewater Construction, Inc., a company hired to renovate several units at Caneel Bay prior to the 2017 hurricanes. This is a completely separate lawsuit and is not related to insurance coverage or the hurricanes. According to court documents, CBI Acquisitions owes Bluewater Construction, Inc. $214,416.55 for breach of contract, and breach of duty of good faith & fair dealing. That lawsuit is ongoing.

We reached out to CBI Acquisitions and Bluewater Construction, Inc. for comment. We received read receipts from both, however neither have responded.