Next boat is due to be removed this weekend
Three of the four boats which washed up at Praia Grande in Ferragudo, Lagoa throughout the last few months were finally successfully removed on Tuesday (April 2).
The three boats that were removed from the shore are the three sailboats that had become stranded on the beach, while the largest vessel, “Thor”, is due to be removed on Sunday, April 7 when “the tides will be more favourable,” says the Municipal Council of Lagoa in a statement to the press.
A private company was hired by the local council to remove the 7.90-metre vessel “Lady Stray” and the 9-metre vessel “Bitten,” believed to be Swedish, whose owners could not be identified. Meanwhile, the removal of the 11-metre vessel “RAN” was requested by the owner and carried out in the same operation.
“This operation required extra care and was carried out by a specialised company, coordinated by the Municipality of Lagoa and accompanied by a team of professional divers,” the municipal council said.
Thus, only the 35-metre long pleasure craft “Thor” remains at the beach, with the operation planned for Sunday being the latest attempt by the owner to remove the large vessel from Praia Grande. Says the local council, the operation will be aided by a tugboat from the Sines Port.
“Lady Stray” had been stranded on the beach since October 2023, while “RAN” and “Thor” ran aground on the same day in January 2024 and “Bitten” joined the fold just last week, all due to bad weather and rough seas. The vessels had become something of an unofficial attraction, with several people visiting the beach to get a closer look at the stranded boats, although many also criticised the delayed removal of the boats with summer quickly approaching.
michael.bruxo@portugalresident.com
