CAPE CORAL, Fla. — More than six months after Hurricane Ian, a mega yacht is still stuck on dry land in a southwest Cape Coral backyard. And it’s become a spectacle for boaters.
“I’d say hundreds of people see it if not thousands,” said Melanie Long, who lives in the Tarpon Point neighborhood.
The big boat is 65 feet long and weighs a whopping 50 tons. Jens Geotz is the owner.
“Until the last 30 minutes of the storm… the boat was fine,” said Geotz.
Hurricane Ian ripped the boat away from Geotz’s dock. It ended up two doors down, and it’s been there ever since.
Thankfully, Geotz said his neighbors aren’t too upset about their new piece of lawn art.
“I didn’t know them before. But we just came together dealing with the boat in his yard,” laughed Geotz.
A restoration company is working on repairing the large holes in the yacht. Then, likely a large barge will be needed to lift it out. But the stern is touching the mangroves. That makes the removal even more tricky since mangroves are protected in Florida.
The restoration company estimates it’ll cost around $500,000 to get the boat back in the water.
Claire Lavezzorio
Source link
