As two tug boats closed in on the beached sailboat on South Ponte Vedra Beach, spectators gathered.
A crew member swam a buoy and tether line from tug boats to the sailboat. Once it was attached, the tugging began.
During the process, the sailboat’s owner and his friend walked onto the beach.
They were the ones who were on the boat when it came ashore.
The adventure started when Jerry Willis, 71, agreed to help out his friend, Frank Saunders, 86. Saunders wanted to take the vessel to the Bahamas from Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Anywhere from 5 to 7 days they were unable to call for help because they couldn’t charge their marine radio.
They only had a sail, and then they hit bad weather.
