Abandoned boats have been a common sight at Laishley Park since Hurricane Milton.
Crews had promised to remove them by the end of last week. Crews faced several obstacles in removing the boats.
Equipment couldn’t initially reach the stranded boats due to the absence of a clear path for cranes. Once they addressed that issue, a rain delay further paused the project, leaving the boats stranded like statues. Punta Gorda Vice Mayor Greg Julien expressed his feelings about the delays.
“A little disappointed because we waited a long time, the city staff worked hard to get to this point. We had to wait on state resources, but finally it’s all come together. And we had months of drought, and all of a sudden it’s raining,” said Julien.
The completion date for the project remains unclear, but some boats still need to be removed.
Abandoned boats have cluttered Laishley Park Marina in Punta Gorda for nearly eight months. Crews planned to move them today, but safety concerns due to lightning have delayed action.
“It’s only day two into hurricane season, but Punta Gorda is already going through the emotions of dealing with recovery,” said Zoe Warner, WINK News reporter.
Gary Ward, who has witnessed the marina’s ups and downs, expressed his frustration.
“There’s no place left to tie up the boat, and it’s a boating community,” said Ward.
Hurricane Milton left these boats stranded last October, and they remain despite crews being ready to act. “We’re a little disappointed because we’ve waited a long time for this. The city staff worked really hard to get to this point, and we had to wait on state resources. But finally, it’s all come together, and we had months of drought, and all of a sudden it’s raining,” said Greg Julian, Punta Gorda Vice Mayor.
Ward is eager for progress now that crews and cranes are on site.
“There’s a lot more damage that has to be repaired, and it’s about time that we get it going,” said Ward.
Crews expect to remove the boats by the end of the week, assuming no further delays.
Julian emphasized the importance of this step in preparation for storm season.
“We’re very happy to be moving forward with purchasing Tiger Dams to protect our facilities, and that’s in the works. I’ve seen crews across the town working on cleaning out drains, preparing for that, and tomorrow, the city staff will be attending meetings on hurricane preparations and our hurricane response plans, so everything’s getting into operation and we’ll be ready and we’re resilient,” said Julian.
The community awaits the removal of these boats, marking a significant step in Punta Gorda’s recovery and storm readiness.
