Final beached boats removed in Gulfport after Tropical Storm Eta washed them ashore

GULFPORT, Fla. (WFLA) – As we are dealing with cooler temperatures, many in Tampa Bay are still cleaning up from the aftermath of Tropical Storm Eta.

The storm flooded Gulfport businesses, homes, and beached six boats. On Wednesday, the last two of those boats were getting cleaned off the beach.

A city spokesman said for the former captains of these ships to get the boats off the beach it would have cost about $4,000 dollars. That’s money they didn’t have, so they turned it over to the city.

“It’s not something I see every day so it’s pretty exciting for us,” said Dan Walsh. visiting from Massachusetts.

He spent Wednesday morning watching the City’s Utility Superintendent, Clay Lott, hard at work.

“Clay was able to dig out the keel under the first boat and they were able to turn it into a position where the tow company can remove it safely from the beach,” said Gulport City Spokesman Justin Shea.

• 

• 

• 

On Wednesday, Congressman Charlie Crist wrote a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking for help replenishing and preserving the coast.

“We hope to get a response soon and what it will do is help protect boaters, the shoreline,” said Congressman Crist. “We’re surrounded by water. That’s a blessing. But we have to be prepared for it too.”

Shea said both boats taken away Wednesday are a total loss, they will be salvaged and impounded.

Meanwhile, there are still thousands of dollars of other repairs to do in the city between damaged docks and boat slips and railings.