Builders of Tortola Guide
BUILDERS CONTENTS
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Presents BUILDERS OF TORTOLA |
Victor William Hartlen When I began to interview expats on Tortola it seemed inevitable that I would talk to somebody like Vic Hartlen, who in many ways is like one of the characters in a Caribbean novel: ‘been there done that and done everything else there is to do with boats’. Not quite an ‘Old Salt’ perhaps – but pretty close. Vic hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) where his ancestors moved from Europe nearly three centuries ago. Thirty-five years ago, while working as an Electronics Engineering Technician for a telephone company Vic decided (after a disagreement with his employer) to leave the rat-race at an early age and head for the Caribbean.
On October 21st 1979 he headed south on a small schooner heading for Antigua via Bermuda (to operate a small fleet of boats). It was a bad storm year, however, and the other boats weren’t able to make it through – so his plans were changed. After delays in Bermuda, Vic made landfall at Devil’s Bay on Virgin Gorda on December 10th, before continuing on to Roadtown. He thus became one of many expats who came to the Virgin Islands almost by accident, but who have stayed to call the place home for the bulk of their lives. Vic has spent most of his life in the Islands living on boats (often his) and he continues this tradition today with his various boats and dinghies (including a ‘Squib’ sailboat that acts as his “sports car”) located in Paraquita Bay. He is one of 122 people that the 2010 census recorded as living on boats in this country. One of his current jobs is to act as Hurricane warden in Paraquita Bay, an important territorial “Hurricane Hole”.
Soon after his arrival Vic’s life fell into an unsurprising pattern of working on, in, or near boats, commonly filing the short-term contracts that characterize this industry. His adaptability and “handiness” paid off then – and has continued to do so. For instance, in 1979-80 he looked after ’his’ schooner. In 1980-81 he ran and worked on boats for the Moorings. But such jobs were seasonal and short-term. At that time there was virtually no summer season – and thus no work, or pay. Thus in 1984 (for instance) he returned to Nova Scotia for the summer, returning to the BVI in the Fall. In the mid-1980s he, on behalf of two partners, captained and operated an inter-Caribbean-island freighter – that Vic had more-or-less rebuilt.
His peripatetic lifestyle has continued. Later in the 80s he worked for a company that took potential investors from overseas around the Islands looking for financial investment opportunities. There were also plans to operate a shipyard in the Paraquita Bay area (near where HLSCC is now located). Although this latter possibility fell through (for political reasons) he did operate a small shipyard for a time in the Port Purcell area. He has captained and worked on numerous charter boats over the years. In 1992 he delivered a boat to the Azores (he has delivered many boats over the years) and then became involved in a race to Cadiz, Spain, that his adopted boat nearly won. Life was nothing if not varied and interesting.
While working these various jobs, Vic applied to get his own trade licence so that he could better control his own destiny – an impossible task when on the short-term contracts. It took him 15 years (probably NOT a BVI record), and he received it, finally, in 2003. He also got his “residency” a couple of years ago, and is also now ‘work permit exempt’. Life is thus a bit easier – if not a lot more profitable. In spare moments Vic collected qualifications such as a Diving Certification, a Marine Surveyor qualification, a Captain’s ticket, a US Coast Guard licence, and a number of other such qualifications.
Like many expats who “move around” Vic has experienced challenges with such things as pensions and benefits. In order to improve his Canadian pension (as well as deal with some ongoing health issues) Vic spent much of 1992-97 back in Canada, but true to his nature occupied himself during this much of time by working with the Coastguard (in the Atlantic region), as well as operating a water taxi (in British Columbia). He also continued his travels in Europe during this time period before returning to the Virgin Islands. Health issues (a challenge since his youthful years) and job opportunities kept him on the move, once again, and he spent time in St. Thomas and Puerto Rico, as well as the BVI during the early 2000s. He had got on well with Cyril Romney during his earlier years, and they came together again with a job at Prospect Reef. He also worked on (one of) the “Willy T.” vessels during this time period, as well as for the American Sailing Association (ASA). Since then Vic says he has done “all sorts of stuff” – a phrase which surely must form a prominent part of his obituary one day. Considering the multitude of contributions that Vic has made to the various water-oriented industries on the island, it is perhaps ironic that he feels that somebody like him “couldn’t do what he did” now. It is very difficult to come here now as an outsider, and new migrants need money, and an ability to negotiate a lot of regulations and paperwork.
Over the past thirty five years the Virgin Islands have changed in many ways. The number of vehicles, and thus the increase in traffic is one development that Vic remarks upon the most. People used to contrast Tortola with St. Thomas and its notorious traffic problems, but now we have them as well. With an increase in tourism there has come a characteristic increase in crime – as peoples’ finances improve and opportunities for illegal activities increase. On the plus side there is the HLSCC college, and perhaps soon the $100 million hospital that should be good for everybody. Vic notes, however, that what strikes him as one major change (elsewhere in the world) is really a lack of change (in Tortola) – namely in the way we get our electricity. Although much of the world uses solar and wind generation, the Virgin Islands still use diesel to produce its power. As a necessarily health conscious person, Vic also notes the growth in obesity that characterize too many of the contemporary population of the Islands – and which has recently been recognised as a major challenge by the Government.
Infrastructure in the Virgin Islands has improved over the years (roads, communications etc.) but there is still a lot of room for improvement in this area. HLSCC has helped to promote education (of course) but also cultural events – making the Virgin Islands a better place to live. There are many more restaurants, but not many more “very good” ones. Places like Anegada have improved (better roads, electricity etc.) but there is still a long way to go. Conversely prices for many goods and services are outrageous, and probably unjustifiable – although wages are better now than they used to be. Ferries are (still) poor and some are the same boats as when Vic arrived. Now they just cost more and break down more frequently. It costs a lot for a family of four to get to St. Thomas and back. The newer catamarans are nice – when they are running.
Over the years Vic has tried to contribute to the greater VI society. He has given his blood (literally), helped with VISAR, helped to boost tourism, created jobs, and even started a theatrical troop. With ongoing health and employment issues Vic’s future is far from clear – although at ‘only’ 66 (“next week”) he probably has a lot of time left to fill. To maximize his Canadian pension he still has to spend some time ‘back home’. While there he hopes to settle some of his health challenges. One of his ‘local’ aims is to be as self-sufficient as possible. Although he regrets not buying land during the early years of his domicile, he happily lives on his own boat, grows his own vegetables, and generates his own (solar and wind) electricity. Vic also plans to keep active which he believes is key to healthy living. Living the way he does is still better than anything else he has come across and he plans to continue this life for the foreseeable future.
.~ Draft of November 18th 2014, of interview of November 19th, 2014.
Builders of Tortola Guide
BUILDERS CONTENTS