By Debbie Shulman Brecher
Highland Beach residents woke up Thursday morning, December 27 to the stunning sight of a shipwrecked boat. The evening before at approximately 8 o'clock, Christopher Sean Marshall, the lone occupant of the Spirit of Silisia, traveling on a windy sea became washed ashore along the north side of town. A Highland Beach resident whose home overlooks the ocean saw the occurrence and ran to the shore to assist. The Highland Beach police department arrived on the scene shortly thereafter.
Marshall, who left Stuart, Florida with a friend in another boat, was uneasy about setting sail as the weather and winds were threatening. The two boats left the intracoastal waterway at Palm Beach Inlet heading into the Atlantic. Subsequently, the other boat washed ashore miles further south in Fort Lauderdale.
The Spirit of Silisia was moored in the sand for three days until finally returned to the seas on Saturday, December 29th with the assistance of Tow Boat US which provided two tugs boats to pull it free. In that time beach goers gazed upon the unusual sight, cameras in full force.
On Saturday, following the righting of his boat, Marshall was found happily eating a burger on the sand with new friends before setting off to a local marina to finalize insurance business. He was all smiles, accepting of all Gilligan's Island jokes, and very grateful for the concern and help he received from the residents of the Townhouses community, speaking of new friendships and invitations to return.
It is hoped that when he visits again, his arrival will be somewhat less turbulent.
Comments