Man Offers Sunken Boat to Anyone Who Pulls Ship From Gulf
To avoid fees, sailor offers sunken boat to anyone who pulls it ashore.
July 5, 2012— -- A Florida sailor whose boat capsized and sank this week offered his submerged ship -- along with thousands of dollars of cash and equipment still onboard -- free to anyone who could bring the vessel ashore.
Last Sunday afternoon Jack Roberts' 16-foot, 1988 Sportsman fishing boat capsized and sank while he was two miles off the shore of Destin Beach, near Pensacola, Fla.
Onboard with him and his two adult sons, Nathan and Michael, were his Chihuahua named BooBoo, $2000 in fishing gear and a wallet that contained $800 cash.
Roberts told ABC News he and his sons had to scramble to get on top of the vessel after it rolled over.
"Around 1 p.m., we decided to pull anchor up and fish in a different spot," Roberts said. "The motor wouldn't turn, so I tried to hand turn it -- then 2- to 3-foot waves came really fast. Soon the back end of boat was underwater.
"I told the boys to get life jackets. ... [We] didn't have enough time to get jackets on, so jumped in. And when we turned around ... it had capsized. We climbed on top of that, started yelling at two boats 50 yards away. They seemed like they didn't care, kept fishing. I was screaming and yelling."
Roberts, his boys -- and Booboo -- all escaped from the accident without major injuries, thanks to a nearby sailor who helped bring them to shore. The Coast Guard checked them all for bumps and bruises.
But now, Roberts says, the Coast Guard has begun to pressure him about removing his vessel from the gulf, saying it could cost him up to $70,000, and that he could be sued if someone were to hit it, not to mention the $2,400 in fees for a boat that, before it sunk, Roberts valued at $2,500.
Step in Craigslist, where Roberts posted an ad that said the boat, along with the fishing equipment, which was taped to the vessel and cash-stuffed wallet, which was stowed in cubby, could belong to anyone who could get the boat out of the water.
Roberts said he received eight calls from daring treasure seekers asking for the coordinates of where his ship sank. He said all he wanted was the title to the boat, so he could sign it over to the boat's rescuer and eventual new owner.
On Thursday, Roberts says two people took their kayaks and some rope out into the gulf and managed to bring his Sportsman in.
When Roberts spoke to ABC News, he said he was waiting for the crew to arrive so he could then sign the boat over to them.
But the duo who hauled up the boat might want to think twice about the boat.
"The boat was nothing but trouble since I had it," Roberts said. "It's just been a nightmare from day one with that boat. I'm glad it sunk."
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