Stuck S/V Legacy Floats Free after 2 1/2 Years
by Sail-World Cruising on 29 Feb 2008
Legacys Owner Peter Halmos with his marooned boat SW
S/Y Legacy, which Sail-World Cruising has been reporting on for the last couple of years, has floated free this week after being marooned off Key West for almost 2 1/2 years.
'We busted loose today,' came owner Peter Halmos' e-mail, referring to Monday's long day of pulling the 158-foot Perini Navi out of the sand and sea grass by Byrd Commercial Diving of Miami.
Although the recovery path was about a mile long, it's been a long journey. The seagrass wasn't the only thing weighing it down. Owner Peter Halmos argued with the government for more than two years over how to free the yacht without doing too much damage to the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, where it was stuck.
Regulatory restrictions, marine sanctuary concerns, additional damage to the area, and some legal wrangling all added to the recovery time frame. Failed attempts, including a coffer-dam setup that never worked, added to the woes. A Miami salvage company slowly pulled the vessel free over the past six months, sometimes only moving ten feet per day.
Halmos has either lived aboard the Legacy or on a houseboat nearby to ward off pirates and thieves.
He says he's going to have the vessel restored,. Federal officials plan to investigate the damage it left behind.
The Legacy is now believed to be anchored in the Key West Harbor.
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