NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (WESH) – The concept of man versus sea is as old as time, and one man in Florida has experienced it firsthand.
Captain Allan Askar’s journey from St. Augustine to the Dominican Republic took a turn Dec. 22 after he encountered rough waters off the state’s coast.
“The wind was pushing me downwind, and the waves were building up and also going down, meaning I need to surf waves,” he said.
After battling the storm for hours, Askar finally had a chance to rest.
“I was pretty much fighting with all kind of conditions. So my body was quite exhausted,” he said.
As he slept, his 1977 sailboat was pushed onto shore at New Smyrna Beach.
The sight has drawn numerous people out to see it.
However, Askar has been given a total of 30 days to have it removed.
Askar said the cost of removing his ship would fall between $20,000 and $25,000. He said he never expected the process would be so expensive.
Because of the expense, Askar has put his sailboat up for sale on craigslist.com for just $1.
Askar is still looking for a serious buyer, one who could give the old boat a new life.
“Very good, reliable boat, very solid construction. It will last another 50 years even with the abuse it’s currently undertaken,” he said.
If he does find the right person to buy his boat, Askar said he is even willing to chip in and help pay for the boat’s removal from the shore.
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