After decades of neglect, Caroline C removed from Manatee River

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Caroline C was once a vibrant ship, used to help others, but she has seen better days.

After more than a decade of sitting on the Manatee River, decaying, Manatee County needed the boat gone. Its owner said they could no longer keep it up.

“Being in the water that long without being moved, barnacles, all sorts of things were growing on the hull, weakening it and rusting it through,” the director of Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources, Charlie Hunsicker said.

The 80-foot, 170-ton steel hull freighter was hauled away, carrying a long history with her. The vessel was used in rescue missions, but now it posed a “significant risk” to the environment, according to Hunsicker.

It already sank in September, so the county worked with FWC and Sea Tow to prepare it for removal.

“The last few months have been a long process of being able to contain the environment that was in the boat and knowing that our natural environment won’t be in danger anymore,” Sea Tow Operations Manager Elas Wallace said.

Multiple crews had to dry dock the Caroline C to remove her.

“A lot of people will miss the boat because it was a source of baitfish and a place to fish off of, but as far as the environmental side of it, it’s a blessing,” Elas said.

The removal came with a $135,000 price tag, 75% of which will be paid by FWC.

“The legacy is a good one and, had it sunk, it would have been something more damaging to our environment, so it’s good to see the vessel gone and leave the legacy that it has,” Hunsicker said.

The Caroline C will be taken to a salvage yard in Tampa where it will be scrapped for its metal.