On September 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma caused severe damage to approximately 2600 boats in the waters of Florida. Sailing vessel FAZISI was included. Her anchors couldn’t hold her in her current location and she was carried by the wind and stormy seas 1.25 miles across the deep Man-of-War anchorage and across the shallow waters of Frankfort Bank, only to come to rest against several other vessels and the bank of Wisteria Island.

After the storm subsided, the Florida FWC officers directed a salvage company to haul her out and have her destroyed. Throughout a few days, weeks and months of miscommunications, Fazisi standing rigging was removed by cutting her shrouds and removing her mast and boom.

Then, she was loaded onto a barge and shipped up to Marathon Key and placed onto land to be scrapped. I happened to be anchored near Marathon at that time and saw Fazisi just laying there. It was a sad sight. I did not understand how anyone could allow this to happen, even though I knew nothing of its history at that time.

So, Fazisi was placed back in the water and transported back to the waters of Key West. Why? I don’t really know for sure. There are several versions of stories which all sound interesting, but none have been confirmed. Let us move forward.