NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Would you buy a sailboat for one dollar?
That’s how much a beached sailboat in New Smyrna Beach was listed for since-deleted Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace ad.
There was just one catch — it would cost a pretty penny to remove it.
The boat, which is now just off the 12th Avenue beach access, has been creating a spectacle and attraction for beachgoers since it hit the sand on Dec. 22.
The owner told News 6, he was trying to take it from Saint Augustine, down to the Dominican Republic, when he anchored for the night. The rough seas pushed it onto the beach overnight.
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“For me, it’s been quite a good run. For eight years I’ve been sailing down from Annapolis Maryland, ICW ocean passages, just learning about the boat, learning about sailing, experiencing life on the water,” said Allan Askar, the owner.
Despite the times together, Askar had the 1977 Ericson34 named the Decoy listed online for just $1. Askar said it is a well-equipped and rare model, and he hoped to sell it to someone who will remove it, fix any damage, and not salvage it.
“It’ll last another 50 years with the right equipment and the right care,” he said.
Askar said he was quoted at least $20,000 to remove it on land by crane, which he could not afford.
“Most likely I would have to go through my pension savings and allocate an amount of money which potentially will last me a couple of years living without worries,” he said.
Askar said he also did not have the means or time to remove it another way, such as dragging it by boat through the water.
News 6 talked to beachgoers who said the saw the ad online and wanted to check it out for themselves.
“Somebody who has his own equipment to remove it, it would be worth it. But for me, or somebody else to pay for it, that’s a lot of money for that,” said Guy Gosling.
Askar said there is a third option he will likely take, though —turning over the ownership to Volusia County.
The county would remove the boat and Askar would lose out on any offers, but he said it would be less hassle and less of a gamble.
If he didn’t remove it, sell it to be removed, or turn it over, he said he could have faced hefty fines and up to a year in jail.
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