And now, despite its own involvement in a botched rescue attempt to salvage the boat, Marine & Ports has demanded its cash-strapped owner foot the entire ? and considerable ? bill to have it refloated.

The former 65-foot steel-hulled sightseeing boat, currently owned by George Costas, washed up along the jagged shorelines near the Town Cut after breaking its moorings during Hurricane Fabian's rampage through the island in early September.

Further rescue efforts involving Marine & Ports to salvage the vessel then failed when, while under tow, the boat capsized where it remains, partially submerged in a watery grave inside the harbour.

The wreck site, located near Convict Bay, has since been designated a nagivational hazard and mariners have been advised to steer clear of the potential danger.

"She had originally broken the drift and sank at the northern entrance of the Town Cut, and the only thing keeping her from going to the bottom was that she had grounded her rear end on the shoreline," a Marine & Ports spokesman said this week.

"She was deemed to be a hazard to navigation for shipping and they tried to float her, but couldn't. She then had to be forceably pulled away by tug, and that's when she flipped. But she was under water to start with, there was absolutely no way she was able to float on her own."

Mr. Costas, a 44-year-old cycle mechanic, purchased the former cruise tour boat the two years ago. He had been painstakingly restoring his investment with the hope of converting the vessel into a floating restaurant.

"I am simply devastated," he told the .

"I decided to buy the boat and put a new bottom on her. The boat had been on the slip over at Meyer's for 18 months where I managed to put a brand-new bottom on her, and it cost an arm and a leg."

Mr. Costas said restoration work on the uninsured vessel had nearly reached completion prior to Fabian's untimely visit.

"I was about a couple of months away from finishing and then the storm came along," he added. "The storm moved the boat across the harbour and she was sitting on the rocks down by the channel."

After temporarily securing the weather-stricken boat, Mr. Costas then sought the help of Marine & Ports. However, further difficulties awaited him.

"They (Marine & Ports) finally came along and saw the dangers of the boat clogging the channel. She was still taking in water and they decided to move her with a barge," he added. "A few mistakes were made during the process and the boat ended up sinking. Then all they could do was wrap chains around her and drag her with a big tug, which they did until the boat turned upside down."

Now, having witnessed his dream of owning a floating restaurant literally sink to the bottom of the harbour, hard-up Mr. Costas must fork out more money to have the boat refloated.

"I am trying my very best, but it's not easy for me to just go there and move the boat," he said. "I met with officials at Marine & Ports and they ordered me to move the boat on my own and they gave me a month to do so.

"But if I don't move the boat on my own within a month, then they said they will move it themselves and charge me between $20,000 and $30,000 for the job."

Removal of the boat, said the Marine & Ports spokesman, had been the "owner's responsibility" from day one.

"Marine & Ports only became involved because of it being a hazard to navigation for shipping in the harbour," he said.

"And, historically, St. George's has always encountered problems with ships coming in there (Town Cut) whenever there's bad weather.

"If the boat would've dropped further inside the channel . . . then it could've caused even greater risks to a passing ship."