Beachcombing Report: A Boat Without a Crew
Last week’s beach ride turned into one of those moments that reminds me why beachcombing is never predictable. I set out on my electric bike for a long ride down the shoreline, covering about 40 miles of sand near Port Aransas. The beach conditions were windy, lots of sargassum seaweed washing in with the onshore winds. There was nobody around and it felt like I had the coast to myself.
About midway through the ride, something unusual appeared ahead of me, the unmistakable shape of a boat sitting where no boat should be. As I approached, I could see it was a single-engine Bayliner, roughly 22 feet long, freshly washed ashore. No people were around. The front windshield that stretches across the bow was completely shattered, glass scattered across the deck.
Inside the boat were signs that someone had been there not long before. Life jackets and safety rings were sitting in the seats. A full ice chest still held food. Fishing gear, a cast net, and even an extra gas tank were onboard. One detail stood out most, black latex gloves scattered throughout the boat. Texas tags were on the vessel, but there was no sign of the passengers.
Whenever I find something like this, my first step is to call it in. Authorities need to know, just in case someone is missing or in trouble. My hope, of course, is always the same: that whoever was on board made it safely ashore.
Strangely enough, washed-up boats aren’t that rare along our stretch of coast. Each year I come across several. Sometimes it’s engine trouble. Other times a wave over the bow, sudden weather, or navigation mistakes leave a vessel stranded. Occasionally, the stories behind them are far more complicated.
But standing there beside that empty boat, one thought always comes first, wherever those passengers are, I hope they made it home safely.
Jace Tunnell is the Director of Community Engagement for the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. His Beachcombing series appears on YouTube (@HarteResearch), Facebook (facebook.com/harteresearch), and Instagram (@harteresearch).