‘It was my dream to sail her back to the Keys’: The story behind derelict Opal Beach boat
For nearly a month, a derelict sailboat that washed ashore on Opal Beach has become the subject of stunning photos and curiosity on multiple local social media groups.
On Jan. 6, a member of the "All Things Navarre Beach & Pensacola Beach" group asked if anyone knew about the beached sailboat, but it didn't receive much attention.
A second post featuring an image of the boat and its "captain" - a great blue heron that was photographed near the boat - was posted on Feb. 3. This post received substantially more engagement and sparked several other people to go out and take photos of the boat set against the backdrop of Gulf Coast sunsets.
Commenters on Facebook have expressed admiration for the boat's beauty, questioned how it got there and joked about its increasing popularity.
On Jan. 30, the boat’s owner, Daniel Faulk, took to Facebook to finally tell his story.
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“That just so happens to be my baby,” said Faulk.
According to his post, Faulk purchased the sailboat in April 2022 after he and his wife divorced. “It was my dream to sail her back to the Keys,” he said.
Faulk's Facebook page includes video of him on the boat in the days prior to it becoming beached earlier this year.
Faulk explains that he has had an autoimmune disorder since he was 15 years old, eventually becoming an above-knee amputee.
Last year, Faulk’s kidneys went into acute failure and flatlined in April 2022, he said. Faulk miraculously survived but the experience made up his mind: He needed to make his dream a reality. After recovering, Faulk spent all of his time and money on the boat.
Removing derelict vessels:With seven active area cases, removing derelict vessels is a time consuming, costly process
How the boat became derelict
About a month after first launching from the Archie Glover boat ramp on Avalon Boulevard, Faulk ran into severe weather as he sailed toward Destin.
According to Faulk, two storms were lined up and it went from a beautiful day in the water to “something from the movie ‘The Perfect Storm.’“
Faulk says that a kayak attached to the boat was dragged under, pulling hard on the cockpit, and forced him to cut it free. Winds cut through his main sail and ripped them from the mast pole.
“I was truly terrified I wouldn’t see daylight,” Faulk said in the post.
“I was thrown about like a rag doll. I took a blow to the head so severe it knocked me unconscious for hours, apparently. I was at the Lord's mercy. Next I just remember waking up on a ventilation machine fighting for my life once again. If not for two amazing angels who found me washed up and the wonderful Park authorities acting fast and having LifeFlight set down.
Escambia County Public Information and Education Officer Davis Wood said that LifeFlight responded to a call on Dec. 13 around 11:37 a.m.
LifeFlight was dispatched to assist with a medical emergency just before the National Seashore at beach access 2. According to Davis, a capsized boat was reported nearby.
A plea for help
Faulk said he has tried to recover the boat, but he’s unable to afford the cost.
He ends the Facebook post requesting any help he can find.
“I'd truly love and entertain any help I could get. Anything and everything would be something. I need help, basically. I'm happy everyone has been enjoying my beautiful little craft but it's time for her to come home, so please, if anyone could or can help I'd gratefully appreciate it. She's so beautiful she truly deserves more than this so please if anyone could help I'd be in your debt.......Thank you and God bless”
Whose responsibility is a derelict boat?
Owners are primarily responsible for removing abandoned and derelict boats. County or state law enforcement will work to find the owner if it becomes abandoned.
Most derelict vessel removal projects in Florida require environmental permitting from one or both of these entities: Florida Department of Environmental Protection, United States Army Corps of Engineers.
The owner must then pay to have the vessel removed and transported to an approved landfill for destruction.
Owners that don’t comply in Escambia County can be cited or charged criminally for derelict boat or felony dumping. Local entities can then work to find grant money to remove it from the water after the owner is convicted.
Who pays for derelict boat removals?
Boat removals are expensive, sometimes rivaling the cost of the boat. While owners are primarily responsible for the cost, abandoned boats are removed by the county or city.
Sometimes local governments pay these expenses out of pocket, but they can also apply for state grant funding to offset the cost.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Derelict boat on Pensacola Beach: Here's the story behind it.
