The 33-foot sailboat that was left stranded on the beach Saturday in Ocean City will leave by land and not sea.
Salvage crews on Tuesday said the boat was filled with too much sand to tow it back out to sea.
One of the vehicles the Ocean City Fire Department acquired for free in 2013 as part of a U.S. Army surplus program helped drag the boat beyond the high-tide line on Tuesday afternoon. A full-moon tide and east winds will contribute to stormy surf that likely would have further battered the boat on Wednesday. The boat had come to rest near a jetty.
Workers used a power hacksaw to remove the mast before the boat was towed up the beach.
The Walkabout II out of Peterborough in Ontario, Canada, reportedly experienced engine trouble and drifted onto the beach at Seaspray Road in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The Ocean City Fire Department was dispatched at 1:39 a.m. for a “water rescue.” A deputy chief, two engines, an ambulance and a rescue boat responded and found the boat in the surf approximately 150 feet from the shore.
Firefighters entered the surf and were able to assist the boat owner to shore and retrieve his two dogs. All were reported in good condition.
There were no injuries and the fire department assisted the operator of the vessel in finding a place to stay that accomodated his pets, and they provided clothing.
It remains uncertain when the boat will be trailered from the beach.
