Most of Bayou's shrimp boats remain beached

The Mobile Register ^ | 12/17/2005 | Russ Henderson

[AzaleaCity5691]

Most of Bayou's shrimp boats remain beached Saturday, December 17, 2005 By RUSS HENDERSON Staff Reporter While shrimp boats lie stranded on the shores of Bayou La Batre three months after Hurricane Katrina, federal officials plan to remove more than 300 recreational boats beached in the Florida Keys by hurricanes this year.

After lengthy discussions among local, state and federal officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency still refuses to remove most of the 31 shrimp boats beached in the Bayou by Katrina because, they say, the vessels present no threat to public health or safety.

FEMA plans to remove about 330 recreational boats thrown ashore in Key West, Fla., by several storms, principally October's Hurricane Wilma, said George Garrett, director of Monroe County, Fla.'s Marine Resources Department.

The Florida project would be paid for through the agency's public assistance program. Local officials would pay 25 percent of the costs while the federal government pays 75 percent, Garrett said.

The vessel owners would have to pay all salvage fees to reclaim their boats, and unclaimed boats would be auctioned off.

The recreational boats still have fuel aboard them and thus constitute a public health and safety hazard, FEMA officials said. The Coast Guard removed all diesel fuel from the Bayou La Batre boats shortly after Aug. 29's Katrina.

"With smaller, recreational craft, rather than remove the fuel, it's often easier to just remove the boat," said Del Streid, FEMA public assistance officer in Atlanta.

In Bayou La Batre, FEMA has authorized removals of only five stranded shrimp boats, while 26 will sit indefinitely in the mud and weeds. A Coast Guard contractor began the work Wednesday.

[Mark was here]

10,000 clams to move a shrimp boat.

[Old Professer]

I wonder if this what they mean by salvage fees?

[phil1750]

Where's Forrest Gump?

[Chi-townChief]

Possibly, the worst song of all time by the otherwise great Jo Stafford:

SHRIMP BOATS
(Paul Mason Howard / Paul Weston) (1951)

Shrimp boats is a-comin'
Their sails are in sight
Shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight
Why don't-cha hurry, hurry, hurry home
Why don't-cha hurry, hurry, hurry home
Look here! The shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight

Shrimp boats is a-comin'
Their sails are in sight
Shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight
Why don't-cha hurry, hurry, hurry home
Why don't-cha hurry, hurry, hurry home
Look here! The shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight
(Shrimp boats is a-comin', there's dancin' tonight)

(SLOWLY):
They go to sea with the evenin' tide
And their women folk wave their good-bye
(Ill sant vas... There they go)
While the Louisiana moon floats on high
And they wait for the day they can cry...

Shrimp boats is a-comin'
Their sails are in sight
Shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight
Why don't-cha hurry, hurry, hurry home
Why don't-cha hurry, hurry, hurry home
Look here! The shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight
(Shrimp boats is a-comin', there's dancin' tonight)

(SLOWLY):
Happy the days while they're mending the nets
'Til once more they ride high out to sea
(Ill sant vas... There they go)
Then how lonely the long nights will be
'Til that wonderful day when they see...

Shrimp boats is a-comin'
Their sails are in sight
Shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight
Why don't-cha hurry, hurry, hurry home
Why don't-cha hurry, hurry, hurry home
Look here! The shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' there's dancin'
There's dancin' there's dancin'

Shrimp boats is a-comin' - tonight!