What is this?

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Oblivionboyj

Oblivionboyj

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Jul 11, 2013
56
Columbia 8.7 Potomac
I was driving north up Indian River dr in Jensen Beach, Florida and this is sitting there (aground) like 50 yards off the sea wall.

image-1532719398.jpg



image-2465000560.jpg

Looks to me like it was demasted ketch, and the standing mast might have been a mizzen. It's an interesting boat.
I sailed a Hobie Wave pretty close to it today to get a look at it. It looks like it sailed in fully equipped and was abandoned after running aground.
Too bad. It may have been a good cruising boat at one time.
 
Ross

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
It might still be a good boat.
 
Oblivionboyj

Oblivionboyj

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Jul 11, 2013
56
Columbia 8.7 Potomac
Agreed.

But what is it? I'm fascinated by this boat. Why the hell would anybody abandon a boat?
I know the answer, it just seems weak to me.
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,216
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Sad To See

It is sad to see an old abandoned but still interesting boat. We were anchored on a bayou and saw a boat coming.. looked to be just drifting.. Dingied over to look .. found boat stripped, no engine no cushions, no interior hardware.. HIN numbers ground off.. Probably was a "Katrina boat " that was too much of a project.. We called the Wildlife/Fisheries guys and they towed it away.. Good hull of a Morgan 38.. was clean inside..
 

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Chris Patterson

Chris Patterson

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Oct 17, 2011
2,809
Ericson 29 Southport..
Lots of abandoned boats and derelicts out there. Really, I see them everywhere. My Ericson was just a minute from ending in the same fate, and even after having met the guy, I'm still in awe over why he just walked away. Some mysteries have no answer. And some pretty cool boats just set adrift, or left on the hill.
To return to the Earth.....from which it came...
 
Oblivionboyj

Oblivionboyj

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Jul 11, 2013
56
Columbia 8.7 Potomac
Not that I'm thinking of doing this...
But is there a way to go about salvaging an abandoned boat like this?
Or is it just destined to be a derelict, waiting for sufficient damage to finally sink?
 
Oblivionboyj

Oblivionboyj

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Jul 11, 2013
56
Columbia 8.7 Potomac
If anyone is interested to know...

I estimate the boat to be around 45 feet, and I see at least 2 slack anchor lines.
 
Delezynski

Delezynski

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Jan 22, 2008
551
NorSea 27 Az., Doing the To-Do list
I looked into salvaging an abandoned boat a long ago in Florida. It turned out to be WAY more problems than I wanted to get into! I understand it's different in each state.

At that time (in the early 70's) I was told that if I raised the boat (it was totally sunk at the time) that I still had to contact the owner and work out a deal with him.

I managed to call the guy and he told me that IF I re floated her, he wanted a bucket of money for her. :eek:

He called me back a week later and asked how much I would charge to re float her, I quoted him just one bucket of money! :dance:

Greg
 
Merlin Clark

Merlin Clark

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Oct 26, 2005
2,057
- - Satellite Beach, FL.
Our county lets a contract (IIRC) annually to clean up abandoned boats. I think the normal reason for someone walking away from a boat is loss of income and having to move from a marina to an anchorage. Then it's often down hill for the boat when the owner neglects it more and more with the passing of time.
Some get beat up by storms and the owners don't have the resources to get them back afloat and together.
 
Oblivionboyj

Oblivionboyj

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Jul 11, 2013
56
Columbia 8.7 Potomac
More research seems to suggest I was wrong in identifying it as a ketch. I started looking at schooners, and I believe I will be able to identify a make today :)
 
Oblivionboyj

Oblivionboyj

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Jul 11, 2013
56
Columbia 8.7 Potomac
Looks to me that its a Tom Colvin Gazelle.
Steel hulled schooner that can be junk or gaff rigged.
Everything I'm seeing would tell me that it was a really nice boat, and no more than 30 or so years.
image-3205120686.jpg

Maybe I should see what it's going to take to salvage it. LoL
 
Oblivionboyj

Oblivionboyj

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Jul 11, 2013
56
Columbia 8.7 Potomac
My estimation was pretty good too.
The length is 42 feet.
That means I was only 3 feet off from 50 yards :)
 
DannyS

DannyS

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May 27, 2004
933
Beneteau 393 Bayfield, Wi
Hjordis

Looks just like one of my favorite boats on all of Lake Superior... the Hjordis. It sails out of Grand Marais, Minnesota and is owned by the North House Folk School.
http://www.northhouse.org/programs/dailysailing/
The school bought it from a family that sailed it all over the Caribbean. It was junk rigged before the school changed it. I like the current configuration better.
 

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Oblivionboyj

Oblivionboyj

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Jul 11, 2013
56
Columbia 8.7 Potomac
I like the gaff rigging better ascetically too.
I think the advantage of the junk rigging is ease of use, low maintenance cost, and adaptability.
I hear that reefing for a storm is pretty easy on a junk rig too.
No personal experience, I am just relaying what I've read in the last couple days.
Seems that a lot of people are using modern materials to experiment with older rig styles, and junk rigging is one of the more popular to experiment with.
 
Chris Patterson

Chris Patterson

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Oct 17, 2011
2,809
Ericson 29 Southport..
Wife fell in love with a junk rig a couple of years ago, and I even got to thinking about it. They've been sailing these for what, 6 thousand years or something? There's something to be said of that.

And I sorta figured this one at a schooner as well. That, or it's got a helluva mizzen mast..
 
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