When you're in Gustavia, you can't miss the huge anchor near the end of the harbor. Several months ago, hurricane Omar visited St Barth and the resulting high seas and winds destroyed the boardwalk along the harbor and weakened the stability of the anchor. Now that the replacement of the boardwalk is drawing to a close, the Collectivity will turn its attention to stabilizing this 10-ton anchor.

You may well wonder about the origins and history of this anchor. In 1981, a tugboat was towing a barge from St Thomas to St Barth when the tugboat's rope caught on something at the entry to the harbor. Mr. Romon Beal dived overboard, wearing goggles, and found a great length of rusted chain that was connected to this immense anchor. Apparently, the tugboat somehow latched onto the anchor in St Thomas and had towed it all the way to St Barth. Researching the inscription "Liverpool... Wood... London" with the British Ministry of the Navy, Mr. Beal learned that this model of anchor was used during the years 1700 to 1825 and may have belonged to a man-of-war. How interesting that its final resting place is on the small island of St Barth.