80 days until Memorial Day weekend; abandoned Sea Girt sailboat still on the beach
News 12 last spoke with boat owner Lawrence Kaehler back in November, who said he was working on a plan to get it off the beach.
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With just 80 days remaining before Memorial Day Weekend, beach crews in Sea Girt are still working around the abandoned sailboat that ran aground last September, getting the sand ready for the big crowds.
“There are days you can see it from Manasquan! It’s terrible. It has to go,” said boardwalk runner Arturo Pardavila.
“Enough is enough. I run down here a few times a week training for the Boston Marathon, and I’m so sick and tired of seeing that sailboat,” he said.
News 12 last spoke with boat owner Lawrence Kaehler back in November, who said he was working on a plan to get it off the beach.
The town of Sea Girt issued him a summons, and a local judge granted him an adjournment, but time is running out.
“There’s some proceedings going on with the boat owner and hopefully we’ll get it resolved shortly and get it off the beach,” said Sea Girt Beach Supervisor Tim Harmon.
Even on a miserable March day crews are actively working trying to get these beaches ready in time for May, and that’s why Sea Girt officials say they are hoping for a quick resolution to the sailboat saga.
“It’s not only important to get it removed before the summer season, it’s also very close to our area where the birds get roped off and it’s a sensitive area, so we want to get it out of there as soon as possible,” said Harmon.
For now, crews must steer clear of those sensitive nesting areas, and the sailboat.
The Alestorm already survived nor’easters, a blizzard and a brutal winter. Harmon estimates it will cost at least $15,000 to remove. Kaehler’s next appearance is scheduled for March 25 at Wall Township Municipal Court, where cases from Sea Girt are heard.
Pardavila says with the weather expected to warm in the coming days, the sooner it’s gone, the better.
“Everyone’s going to head down here. Everyone’s going to want to take photos and get videos. My son is 6 years old, he wants to climb it. All the kids are going to want to climb it. It’s dangerous,” he said.
Attempts to reconnect with Kaehler were unsuccessful.
