Plant City, FL: 28 ft Carver 28 Off the Bottom in One Morning

The cabin on the 28 ft Carver 28 aft cabin cruiser had become more of a planter than a living space, thanks to windows that leaked until the interior gave up. She was tied to a canal seawall when the last rain pushed her down, and she sat with the cabin roof just above the surface.

The obstacle was the interior. Wet carpet, cushions, and panels hold enormous weight, and none of it would drain. So before any air went in, the crew pulled what we could through the companionway and pumped out the rest, which took almost half the day by itself.

Six hours in total. After that, the lift bags brought her up level, and we towed her to the ramp. The sole and bulkheads were rotted through, so she was trucked toward Brandon to our yard for dismantling and recycling. The engines and metal went out as salvage, ending the sunken boat recovery.