Strong winds propel derelict boats into the Royal Park Bridge

Jodie Wagner, Palm Beach Daily News
·2 min read
A sailboat leans against the Royal Park Bridge Tuesday in Palm Beach March 21, 2023. The vessel, which was tethered to another sailboat, drifted into the bridge Monday after being pulled along by a strong current and heavy winds. Both were removed Tuesday.
A sailboat leans against the Royal Park Bridge Tuesday in Palm Beach March 21, 2023. The vessel, which was tethered to another sailboat, drifted into the bridge Monday after being pulled along by a strong current and heavy winds. Both were removed Tuesday.

A pair of derelict sailboats that drifted into the north side of the Royal Park Bridge this week were removed from the water on Tuesday, a West Palm Beach Police Department spokesperson confirmed.

The vessels, which were tethered together, were carried along the Intracoastal by a strong current and high winds before they hit the bridge around 4:30 p.m. Monday, department PIO Mike Jachles said Tuesday.

The collision was not a violent one, Jachles told the Daily News.

More:Boat show opens Thursday; JFK's Honey Fitz will be on display

Related:Seven boats that broke loose during Hurricane Nicole washed ashore in Palm Beach

"One of the masts apparently broke on the sailboat," he said. "But it's not like they went crashing in there. They just kind of drifted with the current into the bridge, which was on the Palm Beach side."

A Florida Department of Transportation spokesman said Tuesday that the vessels most likely were privately owned recreational boats that were unmanned when they drifted into the bridge, which connects West Palm Beach to Palm Beach.

The FDOT owns the bridge, which opened to traffic in 2005 after a $77.4 million replacement project.

A tow boat moves a sailboat that collided with the north side of the Royal Park Bridge on Tuesday.
A tow boat moves a sailboat that collided with the north side of the Royal Park Bridge on Tuesday.

"They slipped their anchorage and drifted towards the bridge due to high winds," said Guillermo Canedo, communications manager for FDOT. "The two boats were about 30 feet or less in length."

Because of the strength of the current, the vessels remained in the water for a day before they were removed by Sea Tow, a Riviera Beach-based boat towing company, Jachles said.

West Palm Beach Police's marine unit was in the water on Monday, but officers did not actively address the incident, Jachles said.

"We don't have the authority to remove those boats," he said. "We were just there making sure there was no threat to public safety."

The authority to remove the boats rested with the Palm Beach International Boat Show because it has leased the waterway, Jachles said. The annual event runs Thursday through Sunday.

There was no damage to the bridge as a result of Monday's incident, Canedo said. Vehicular and marine traffic were not impacted.

The Royal Park Bridge is one of three bridges that connect West Palm Beach to Palm Beach. The others are the Southern Boulevard Bridge to the south and Flagler Memorial Bridge to the north.

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Strong winds propel sailboats into Royal Park Bridge in West Palm Beach