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Flagler Beach city to remove grounded sailboat
A grounded sailboat that has drawn attention as both a tourist attraction and an eyesore along Flagler Beach will be removed by the city, officials said.
FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. - A sailboat that ran aground along the shoreline in Flagler Beach has become an unusual attraction for visitors, but city officials say it will soon be removed.
The vessel has been stuck near North 21st Street for weeks, drawing attention from beachgoers — some calling it an eyesore and others using it as a backdrop for vacation photos.
The backstory:
According to Flagler Beach Police Department, the boat’s owner ran into trouble while traveling with his family to the Florida Keys.
"They lost power to their navigation, and at that point he started to navigate on his phone," said Lt. Michael Schoenbrod. "Unfortunately he came too far west and hit the sandbar. Once he hit that sandbar, he was stuck."
Officials said the owner later learned his insurance would not cover the cost of removing the vessel, prompting the city to step in.
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City leaders put the job out for bids and received an estimate of about $42,750 to remove the boat.
"We put this out for bid with three different removal agencies, and they came in at $42,750," Schoenbrod said.
Contractors plan to remove heavier parts of the sailboat and attempt to drag it farther down the beach before dismantling it.
"We’ll relocate it down by the dune crossover so that it’s not such a long trek where we dismantle it and put it in a dumpster," said Shelby Harrison of Isla Maritime.
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If the boat cannot be moved, crews will dismantle it where it sits and haul the pieces away in smaller loads.
"We have to dismantle here and trek smaller loads down until we get it," Harrison said.
What's next:
City officials say the goal is to have the boat removed by the end of the next day, though crews will take as long as necessary to complete the job safely.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Flagler Beach Police Department, the City of Flagler Beach, and Shelby Harrison of Isla Maritime.