Sunken Motor Yacht Recovery in Fairview Shores

After a decade on the hard under a blue tarp roof, the 34 ft Silverton 34 finally went into the water, and she sank within the week. The tarp had held rain on the deck for years and the cabin sole had gone soft.

The boat weighed far more than any pontoon or runabout we pull, and she still had diesel in the tank. We drained the fuel first through a hose from the water side, because a lift with fuel aboard risks a spill that spreads. Then we put six large lift bags along the hull and raised her over most of an afternoon while shifting the load fore and aft so the cabin did not rack.

We worked most of a day. Sunken boat recovery on a heavy hull wants a big crew and a patient hand. The decks were gone, the engines were stuck, so the Silverton went through Apopka to our yard for dismantling and recycling. The tow out to the ramp took an hour. We kept only the stainless fittings for salvage.