POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Crews spent hours demolishing a washed-up yacht on Pompano Beach.
The boat was pushed onto the shore on Nov. 10 near the Hillsboro Inlet lighthouse as Hurricane Nicole blew through the area.
Around 6 a.m., workers with the City of Pompano Beach smashed out the windows of the 50-foot vessel, carefully removing an engine, and destroyed the remainder of the watercraft, which would take several hours.
“It’s not something you’re going to see every day,” said a beachgoer.
“We started watching at 7:30 this morning when the trucks pulled out,” said beachgoer Pat Masters.
“I don’t know what the process is, but it takes a long time to get it removed,” said Cindy Duarte.
Local residents said the yacht became a local attraction. A spectacle was made of the vessel, as beachgoers and tourists created social media moments.
“A lot of people are going on the boat and then take some pictures,” said Pompano Beach resident Isabel Goyer. “I must say we’ve also seen a lot of people going there and, I guess, stealing stuff from the boat itself.”
“It’s a hassle. People got in it at night and partied or whatever they could do,” said Duarte.
Some even renamed the boat S.S. Minno.
But others said the boat’s appeal eventually wore off.
“Then, after about 20 or 30 days, residents started getting really tired of it, and it became an eyesore for folks,” said Pompano Beach spokesperson Sandra King.
Another local resident said this was the third vessel he has seen drift ashore this year.
“We’re pretty happy that Pompano Beach is taking action to remove the boat from our beach,” said Goyer.
Many wondered why the yacht was still on the beach after more than a month had passed.
According to city officials, the ship’s owner is in state prison, meaning they needed his permission to remove or demolish it.
“Unfortunately the owner is in prison, so we had to follow the legal process, and we stickered the derelict vessel,” said King. “We gave them 21 days and the family, or whoever it was, to get the boat out of there.”
Since the boat was still there more than a month later, the city was forced to remove it, which meant they had to pick up the tab to remove the vessel.
The yacht owner’s family tried to salvage the engines.
“The engines are worth something, so he’ll likely sell those and reimburse the city,” said King.
7News was told that the owner does plan to pay the money back after he sells the salvaged engines.
Within several hours, crews reduced the yacht to a pile of metal and fiberglass. The debris has since been removed from the beach.
“It’s pretty impressive. We’ve enjoyed watching it,” said a beachgoer.
“Only in South Florida can you have a yacht beach itself with the owner in prison,” said King.
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