CHARLESTON, S.C. — A coordinated effort by multiple agencies led to the removal of an abandoned sailboat from the Ashley River, highlighting ongoing efforts to protect navigational safety and the environment in Charleston’s waterways.
The sailboat was raised from the river on a frigid but sunny Wednesday afternoon, a few hundred feet from the Intracoastal Waterway. Officials say the vessel had been submerged and abandoned for at least eight months.
“This is a long process,” said David Isom, general manager of Safe Harbor Charleston City Marina. “It’s a lot harder than picking up a truck on the side of the road. You have to have money, and you have to have an agency that’s willing to work with the local groups to get this debris off the bottom of the river.”…