A 45-foot “ghost ship” that was abandoned by its Texas owner during a life-or-death storm washed ashore the Florida panhandle nearly 20 days later – leaving the owner with a financial headache.
Michael Barlow, 39, and a friend were heading home from the Sunshine State when they were rescued by the US Coast Guard in the Gulf of Mexico after crossing paths with Hurricane Alberto, according to NBC News.
The $80,000 boat was badly damaged in the storm, the report said.
As Barlow called for help, he was left with a choice.
“They told me they were looking at the radar and said, ‘You are fixing to get slammed again. We can come get you right now. But we are three hours away and you have to leave your vessel,’” Barlow told WEAR. “I said to come get us.”
Barlow and his buddy, who was suffering from hypothermia, were retrieved by helicopter safely, but the fate of the disabled boat was unclear.
The Catherine was then discovered 17 days later and about 200 miles away from where Barlow jumped ship.
“We called it the ‘ghost ship.’ It quickly became known as the ‘ghost ship’ across Pensacola beach,” local Allie Garrett, 35, told NBC.
But instead of relief, Barlow, who is currently living as a scuba instructor in Honduras is facing a sea-sickening dilemma.
He told NBC that he could pony up $20,000 to have the Catherine hauled to a dry dock with repairs that will easily cost tens of thousands of dollars or he can pay $28,000 to have the ship taken away and destroyed.
But he has to take some action, or face a possible third-degree felony that could lead to a $5,000 and even a prison term, according to the outlet.
“He has 30 days from the date the uniform boating citation was issued to bring his vessel into compliance,” a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson told NBC.
The boat was initially purchased so he, his wife and 9-year-old son could sail across the world. He reportedly said the massive purchase was the most affordable way to show his child the world outside of the US.
Barlow recently started a fundraising page in hopes of salvaging his dream.
“Removal will be a massive undertaking and so will repairs,” he wrote in a GoFundMe post.
“We put our last into this, left our home and bet the farm. It’s now washed up on shore and I don’t know what else to do.”