(Michigan City, IN) - A pleasure boat in Michigan City was heavily damaged from being repeatedly slammed against a concrete wall by high waves during the storm.

 

Service 1 Marine owner Bob Stratton said the 36 foot boat was heading here from Chicago when it ran out of gas on Saturday.

 

The U.S Coast Guard towed it into the harbor and left the boat tied against the concrete wall along Trail Creek.  

 

Stratton said the storm producing at least 10 to 12 foot waves on the lake blew in 24 hours later.

 

He said even the waves in the harbor were large enough to send the boat crashing over and over again into the wall.

 

Stratton and his crew were called out yesterday by the owner of the boat to try and limit the damage.

 

"The damage had already been done.  The boat is absolutely totaled," he said. 

 

There was an attempt to place bumpers between the boat and wall but it was just too dangerous with the boat bobbing up and down in the water by as much as five to six feet.

 

“It literally bent the steel in the wall from so much force from the boat hitting it.  Nobody can do anything until this storm passes,” Stratton said.

 

Stratton said the pounding separated the deck from the hull and holes were also poked into the vessel.

 

He said the boat should have been taken deeper into harbor and left at a dock where conditions were not quite as rough.

 

Stratton said the owner was driving the boat here for him to store in his yard near the Michigan line during the winter.