On October 23, Luke Rehberg was sailing to his home port in Jacksonville, Florida, after watching the Jacksonville Sea & Air Show when his 40-foot Hughes Boat Works sailboat lost power and his anchor broke about a quarter mile from shore. Rehberg was forced to abandon ship. He swam to shore and waited until the boat, named Aquilon, eventually washed up. Now, the Coast Guard says it’s his responsibility to remove it from the beach.
First Coast NewsThe 35,000-pound boat is Rehberg’s only home, so he is determined to get it back onto the water. Jacksonville Beach officials served Rehberg a derelict vessel notice that states he has three weeks to remove the boat, or he will have to pay a $15,000 fine. Moving the boat via industrial tugboat would cost around $12,000, money Rehberg doesn’t have. He guesses there is also about $10,000 worth of damage on Aquilon.
Beachgoers have been stopping to see the spectacle, with some offering to help. One good Samaritan offered to help tow the sailboat out during high tide with a tugboat, but Rehberg declined out of concern for the person’s safety. Two GoFundMe pages have been opened to help raise the funds needed to safely move the boat.
Read more here.
