Commercial Crab Boat Loses Power
Runs Aground on Ft. Lauderdale Beach
A Mayday call rang out over the High Site VHF radio at the TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale Dispatch desk during the overnight hours on a Friday in mid March. A 63’ commercial crab fishing boat had lost power, bounced across the jagged shoal and washed up onto the beach just north of the entrance to Port Everglades. The boat was laden with thousands of pounds of crab as the damaged hull, keel and running gear of the single screw boat dug deeper into the sand while waves pounded the port side of the boat mercilessly.
The salvage crew from TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale arrived on scene shortly thereafter and began developing plans to extract the stranded boat. The structural integrity of the hull was in question and machinery spaces were full of water. The crew determined that there was a real risk of environmental damage if an estimated 1,000 gallons of fuel were to spill from the boat if efforts to remove her intact were unsuccessful so all fuel was removed prior to any attempt to unground the vessel. The live crabs were also removed from the boat and the vessel owner was able to recoup a portion of the profits from his catch. The next few days were spent freeing the boat and towing her to a repair facility.
In the end, the crew removed the propeller to reduce drag and used a large excavator to dig the sand out from around the vessel. One end of a strap was secured to the vessel and the other end to the excavator bucket to help lift and turn the vessel while a towing hawser was attached to 2 twin diesel tugs pulling in tandem to the East. The combined effort of the crew and each piece of equipment was just what it took to ease the casualty back into deep water. The salvage crew rushed to check the bilge spaces and breaches were patched from the inside and from underwater. The vessel was towed to a local repair facility where it was hauled for inspection and repair. It was an event to remember for the crew of the crab boat as well as the professional salvage crew from TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale.
