I agree with Gramps and Spike.
We rent sunbeds on the stretch of beach between Candolim and Sinquerim, around the Calamari Shack.
The beds are owned by a young lady, who inherited her little sunbed business from her father who died three years ago and it is her livelihood. She has about ten beds and last year due to the continuing erosion of the beach in front of her beds people would not use her beds.
For many days during the month we were in Candolim, we were her only customers.
She has no shack and is dependent on the money earned during the season and she has to sit and watch the impact of the River Princess on her business.
To us it is a topic for discussion, to her it is a little more important.

Dave

Just to add how many beaches can you expect to find a vessel of that size beached up on a beach? which in my view added to the craziness/mystery of goa/india.
I dont know what effect it is having on the beach but mother nature as a answer for most things doesant she? as for the beach shacks it is a sorry state of affairs espiecally for the young girl mentioned but unfortunately thats life and reading between the other posts looks like they get the chance even thou it may be enforced to move pitches imho in fact i made a point of picking a beach shack by the river princess as it just seemed unreal.
I am also surprised that there is not a cafe/bar opened on the vessel some enterprising goan using the opportunity or tried to work out if it was viable, even mr kingfisher whose house i believe is nearby would have the resources to have a look at it a few years ago.

Mother natures reply to the River Princess is to year by year destroy sinquernlm beach, no you wont find many bulk carriers up on tourist beaches anywhere else in the world as they are removed before the enviormentel tragety that is happening here takes place The last post, in my opinion shows a lackof awareness as to the likely outcome of this disaster and a lack of insight into the knife edge most people trying to make a living on the beach exist on. If those people loose their livlihood because of the situation unfolding here they are in big trouble as there is no help coming from goverment if their shack or sunbed slips into the sea because of all this' and the attitude "so what" is'int one I would wish to subscribe to Alan

Gramps you could be right about my lack of awareness as i tried to say in my post unfortunately i am no expert in this kind of thing. i should imagine its hard visualising that a whole beach could be washed away and indeed if that was the case then i would be the first to ask why hasant it been taken off by now.

Hi Goamike,

Know this is totally going off the subject but you mentioned that you had been to Brazil?? We are Goa lovers too and are due to fly out in just under a week but we have a fortnight in Brazil booked for September - going to Rio for a few days then on the Praia do Forte for the remainder of the fortnight, was wondering were you went in Brazil and if you have any tips for us?

Thanks!

If you go to the Other Destinations you will find Goamikes posts( and also mine on Rio!)Could you post to him there please so we don't get confused which forum this is!

So...Do I take it the "Cons" have it?

I was kind of hoping for a bit more shore errosion so I didn't have to walk quite so far to the beach but there you go, I suppose I can always take a taxi.

All joking aside I think the key issue here is that it is an environmental tragedy happening right before our eyes (as someone said above, sorry can't remember who) and has been for far too long.

I do have a soft spot for the River Princess, I've heard alot of funny stories about it like when it kept the whole of Candolim awake for a day or two because of the wind whistling through the holes in the hull, and Candolim might seem to be missing something when it goes but I'll still find my hotel without it, the birds will find somewhere else to perch, I can fish all over Goa and I'm rubbish at jetski's in any case.

Shacks might be able to move, businesses might re-build, and the sun will always set beautifully over Candolim every night but when the beach is gone it'll be gone forever and that really will be a disaster.

Apologies Fiona, will do

haven't used this forum much really so not completely "au fait" with the do's and don'ts.

Sorry
edit
no problem!
Fiona

Was in Candolim in October and although I didn't stroll down to Sinquerim that week I've seen pictures of the sand erosion. Terrible! The worst for what, ten, twenty years?
However, the last time this type of erosion happened there was no ship berthed on shore. Co-incidental?
Incidentally, was watching the Bollywood film RANGEELA (Full of colours) recently, starring Amir Khan, Urmila and the Jackie Shroff. Saw a sequence of Jackie and Urmila dancing on Candolim beach, with an identical twin of the River Princess beached only metres off Sinquerim fort. This was in 1988?
The River Princess is just one of many maritime mishaps off the Candolim beach. Should not the local government (of whichever leaning) be more diligent towards such happenings?
Who remembers this ship? Before my time...

For those who are interested I have put a photograph of Sinquerim beach on the photo uploads, this was taken in March last year. Check it out this year there is hardly any beach left
We went down to Bon Appitite (spelling)in November and got the shock of our lives the beach was non existent it was erie
What has happened to Lue the fruit lady and all the sunbed lads? sad, so very sad.
Allan.

I can remember a wreck down by the fort but not sure of the year. It was cut in half in situ as I recall and towed away. I think the interesting point here is that it was on the beach outside of the Taj Hotel which it would seem has more "clout" with the authorities than the beach people ? Again as I recall it was washed up in the monsoon but was gone shortly after the start of the fiollowing season, surprising what having the ears of people in high places can do for you!!!!!

That could have been the one called the Sea Transporter in 93/94 ? - yep,i guess the Taj hotel had the power in demand then to say it must go now.

I was told by a local that the last one and the present one were both on long term charter to the same mine owner and many doubts were expressed that both groundings were "insurance jobs" as both vessels were coming up for their 20 year survey when they usually go for scrapping and the insurance would have been a better payday Alan

Well done Spike. Just did a check on the year of that film and it was released in 1995 so those dates sounds spot on.
Couldn't agree more with you. Looks like the River Princess appears very low on some people's list of priorities unless other beachings.

Well the big question is - will it ever go,and when ? The latest reports from last week didn't read too good and i guess will take a few more years yet.

Latest update

http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=02016

Interesting - but it's the same old talk over and over. On Goacom.com news they have said the cost of removal will be more than the scrap value - so who is going to put up a tender ? The government should stop messing now and put up the money towards a reputable salvage company to get on with job (what did happen to the UK company last season ?)
They are always spouting about investing for tourism and allowing the on-going building work of hotels shops etc.. but what has been said many times on this site,constantly delaying removal will have a bad effect on Candolim and Sinquerim.

Spike, yes you are right , it,s the same old stalling rubbish that they spout year after year and as always nothing happens. there is never time to do anything during the season, then it.s too rough during the monsoon and on it goes. The last tendering got no bids from any proper salvers, the bid from Crosschem which they took was a british company (Indian owned)that had no experience in salvage, only scrapping in situ. The 30 thousand tons of sand inside likely entered through two large holes cut in the side of the ship at the bow on the waterline, a salvage tactic new to me as normally the first thing down in a stranding is to attempt to preserve the integriry of the hull and keep it dry!!! Alan

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the holes were cut to prevent the entire hull ending up on the beach road.

Perhaps not the brightest of ideas with hindsight