05/19/2026
Last Friday, the Buccaneer got stuck on the first sandbar. Since then, the surf and tides have slowly pushed her closer and closer to shore. Yesterday on the live stream, many of you saw her sitting on the beach.
Yesterday, I spoke with the owner of the Buccaneer. You could hear the stress and exhaustion in his voice. This has become a massive challenge, and it’s clear he’s carrying a lot on his shoulders right now. The boat still has to be manned 24/7, and coordinating something like this is far more complicated than most people realize.
This is not as simple as hooking up a chain and pulling her free. The weather, tides, surf conditions, timing, and the coordination of large equipment all have to line up just right for any recovery attempt to even have a chance.
What stood out to me most is that he doesn’t seem to be looking for sympathy, he’s trying to find solutions while dealing with an overwhelming situation in real time.
So I’m asking our beach family to do what they always do best: come together. If you have experience with marine recovery, access to heavy equipment, barges, tug assistance, tractors, winches, or know someone who does, please reach out. Even sharing this post could help connect the right people.
Also, I want to say this respectfully but clearly: negative comments, sarcasm, snarky remarks, and attempts to make fun of the situation are not helpful and will be deleted. This is someone’s livelihood sitting on that beach. If you do not have real experience with marine recovery operations, please do not comment as though you know exactly how this should be handled. The people involved are already dealing with enough pressure without outside noise.
Please keep the owner and everyone involved in your prayers. Watching a vessel slowly wash ashore is hard enough. Trying to save it while the clock, tides, and weather work against you is something most of us can’t imagine.
We’ll continue to keep everyone updated as things develop.
