John Corbett of Georgia picked up the newly purchased, 34-foot, 1970 Tartan sailboat from Boothbay on Tuesday with plans to sail it back to his home state.
He said he had done some research, and had found the boat online while living in Thailand.
“It’s going to be an adventure,” he told himself.
The boat had become available a bit earlier than he expected, and he couldn’t find a GPS unit available for purchase before he set sail. He said he had nautical charts of the Boothbay area, but he couldn’t find any for the more southern part of the state.
He got to the Saco Bay area around 9:30 p.m. and, unsure of where he was, couldn’t find a place to moor the boat.
Corbett said he anchored the boat in Saco Bay and fixed himself a snack of sardines, a fruit cup and a Diet Dr Pepper. He decided that he would go further out to sea, keep the lights on and sleep inside the boat.
That never happened. The anchor broke and the boat ran ashore, becoming stuck on the town beach.
Police Chief Dana Kelley said the town had exhausted all resources trying to find someone to salvage the boat. He said there was no insurance on the vessel, and companies wanted money up front – estimated at $7,000 to $12,000 – before removing it.
By Friday, the only option at that point was to have the town’s Public Works Department haul the boat further up the beach, Kelley said. The town will give the owner “a reasonable amount of time” to come up with a plan to get the boat off altogether, he said.
Kelley said the boat is probably worth about $7,000.
“It’s his (Corbett’s) responsibility,” said Kelley. “We’re trying to help him the best we can.”
Corbett has been staying at a local motel while he tries to figure out what to do with the boat. He said he’s been approached by a local who may know someone who wants to purchase it, and he’s hoping he can work out a deal.
Except for the rudder, there didn’t seem to be much damage, said Corbett.
“I want to get out of this nightmare,” he said.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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