A boat broke free from its mooring and washed ashore near Maple Avenue in Anna Maria May 12 following several days of stormy weather.
Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski on May 14 said West Manatee Fire and Rescue responded to reports of the grounded vessel — a cabin cruiser — early May 12 and battalion Chief Derek Bill investigated, concerned about a potential fuel leak.
There was no fuel leak and Bill notified Manatee County to coordinate the removal of the boat, which was unoccupied and aground at the Gulf shoreline.
Sgt. Brett Getman of the Manatee County Sheriff’s substation in Anna Maria told The Islander May 14 that the county contracted with SeaTow and the marine towing service relocated the boat from the beach to an anchorage in the Intracoastal Waterway, where it was to remain until it could be removed from the water.
According to Getman, the vessel, which is registered in New York, had apparently broken anchor and moved into local waters May 10-May 13. Wind and wave action pushed the boat onto the beach.
Capt. Scott Moore, a local fishing guide from AMI, was one of the first to call in the wrecked vessel. He messaged The Islander the morning of May 12. “Code enforcement was there. Fire department was there,” Moore said. “The good thing is there’s no leaking fuel, but there is a motor in it and the motor is hooked up to a generator. It’s weird. It’s all tore up. This thing’s been rolled over (in the waves) a couple of times.”
As of Islander press time, no one had claimed ownership of the boat.
Officials were encouraging boat owners to inspect moorings and ensure adequate anchor line ahead of storms. Boats at a dock and even those on a lift need secure lines during storm events.