MARATHON, FL — A month after Hurricane Irma struck Florida, the BoatUS Catastrophe (“CAT”) Field Team is still hard at work. In Marathon’s Boot Key Harbor, salvage crews from TowBoatUS Marathon raised a sunken sailboat and navigation hazard off the harbor bottom.

One of thousands of destroyed boats near Coconut Grove, FL. Image courtesy of USBoat.

Since the CAT Team’s arrival in Florida the day after the storm struck, hundreds of recreational vessels have been recovered. After initially blanketing the state with BoatUS CAT Team crews traveling in recreational vehicles, recovery efforts are now focused on the Florida Keys where work is expected to be completed in about two weeks.

Celebrating more than 50 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with more than a half-million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We are The Boat Owners Auto Club and help ensure a roadside trailer breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins. When boats break down on the water, TowBoatUS brings them safely back to the launch ramp or dock, 24/7. The BoatUS Marine Insurance Program gives boat owners affordable, specialized coverage and superior service they need. We help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.