Captain Allen Askar left from St. Augustine in his 1977 sailboat, planning to reach the Dominican Republic. However, it appears he will return home without his boat.
Askar fought rough waters off Florida’s coast for nearly 16 hours, he told WESH 2. “The wind was pushing me downwind and the waves were building up and also going down, meaning I need to surf waves,” he said.
Exhausted, Askar elected to anchor his boat to rest. Unfortunately, the boat washed ashore at New Smyrna Beach, where it quickly became a local attraction, WESH 2 reported.
It could cost between $20,000 and $25,000 to remove the boat, Askar said.
His solution is to sell the boat — for $1.
Askar wrote on Craiglist: “I got beached and will pass her in good hands…Very good and strong sailing boat.” However, he has listed the condition as “salvage.”
“Very good, reliable boat, very solid construction. It will last another 50 years even with abuse it’s currently taken,” he told WESH 2.
Askar is hoping for a buyer soon. He says he has a total of 30 days from the time of the wreck to remove it, and he could face fines or jail time if he does not comply.
“I have a dollar. Where is he at,” one New Smyrna Beach told WESH 2.
“I have to talk to my wife to see if we’re in the market for a sailboat, but a dollar is a pretty good price,” another said.