Ormond Beach, FL - A salvage plan has been approved to remove a large shrimping vessel off the sands of Ormond Beach less than 12 hours after a failed effort by the crew this morning (October 25th) to get it unstuck and back out to sea.
The United States Coast Guard formally accepted the plan today after coordinating with other agencies at the state and local level as well as the owner of
the A.M.G., a 77-foot-long, 150-ton boat which ran aground near the Cardinal Drive beach approach 10 days ago.
Salvage work on the ship could start as early as Saturday, depending on weather conditions and other factors, according to USCG Petty Officer Third Class Ryan Dickinson.
"The salvage plan had to be accepted by officials to ensure the safe removal of the vessel," Dickinson added. "The vessel continues to be monitored by Coast Guard and state officials for pollution and hull integrity."
That plan almost didn't happen after the A.M.G.'s crew decided to try and free the vessel by taking advantage of the extremely high tide in effect at the time.
"Last night was the highest point at high tide for the month," Dickinson added. "The crew was being proactive in an attempt to get the vessel off-shore by heaving around on the anchor line, which was off the stern. However, the anchor line broke, which allowed the vessel to be pushed back to shore."
Before it grounded again, however, the A.M.G. came free for a time, drifting south from where it was originally stuck by around 200 yards before the rough surf forced it back aground directly in front of the Cardinal beach ramp, which is right next to a Volusia County Beach Safety district office.
As part of the effort to get it back out to sea, the crew tied a rope around a nearby post which warned beachgoers about an older wreck buried in the sand. That post broke during the attempt.
USCG officials have still not said publicly what caused the vessel to come aground in the first place, but they have said repeatedly that there are no environmental hazards at this point. They are advising beachgoers to keep a safe distance from the ship regardless.
Dickinson doesn't expect the crew to try to free the ship again before Saturday.
Ormond Beach, FL - A salvage plan has been approved to remove a large shrimping vessel off the sands of Ormond Beach less than 12 hours after a failed effort by the crew this morning (October 25th) to get it unstuck and back out to sea.
The United States Coast Guard formally accepted the plan today after coordinating with other agencies at the state and local level as well as the owner of the A.M.G., a 77-foot-long, 150-ton boat which ran aground near the Cardinal Drive beach approach 10 days ago.
