- February 4, 2025
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UPDATE: The shrimp boat was successfully pulled out to sea at 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 31. The Coast Guard had initially reported that the attempt would be made during the daylight hours at high tide. The following story was written on Oct. 30 after the first attempt failed.
The good news is that a tug boat pulled the shrimp boat off the beach Oct. 30. The bad news is that it got stuck on a sand bar and there it remained through the afternoon no matter how much the valiant tug pulled and gunned its diesel engines.
The attempt, made at high tide, was abandoned about 2:30 p.m. and another try is planned for noon on Oct. 31, according to a Coast Guard spokesman. High tide, the best time to remove the boat, will be about 2 p.m. Bad weather prevented an attempt last weekend.
A crowd lined the beach near the Cardinal Drive approach but began to thin out after a couple of hours of watching the relentless tugging. At one point, a line broke and there was a pause while a larger line was attached. Petty Officer First Class Luke Clayton, of Coast Guard public affairs, said they were using a synthetic line stronger than rope and another option would be a chain.
The tug boat, the Rio Bravo from Marine Salvage and Supply Inc., was hired by the shrimp boat owner. Inspections show the shrimp boat is seaworthy and no official cause for the beaching on Oct. 15 has been released. Clayton said the boat owner was required to submit a plan to the Coast Guard for boat removal so they can make sure it’s done in a way to not harm the maritime environment.
