MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) — Flanked by sea turtle nests, the vandalized Key West "ghost ship" that mysteriously washed ashore after Hurricane Irma will likely remain beached until at least November.
Because endangered turtles recently laid eggs there, officials in Brevard, on Florida's Atlantic coast, say they'll leave the boat alone for now.
Cuki, the beached 45-foot sailboat won't be removed until nesting season ends on Oct. 31 — at the earliest.
Florida Today reports the sailboat's fate is unclear. The owner of the boat is jailed in Key West for charges including sexual assault, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, cocaine possession and 45 counts of possession of child pornography.
Irma's waves and wind gusts apparently tore the sailboat from her anchor, and the unoccupied vessel drifted more than 300 miles up Florida's East Coast before running aground.
