Contested sailboat sold at auction
NORWALK — A 72-foot sailing yacht that was the subject of a bitter dispute between the city and its owner sold at auction Tuesday for more than $24,000.
In August, the city took possession of the vessel, named Swany, under the state’s abandoned boats law.
Jeff Spahr, the city’s deputy corporation counsel, confirmed the sale Tuesday afternoon. The final auction price was $24,100.
The identity of the vessel’s new owner was not immediately available.
City officials contend Swany had been left at the Veteran’s Park public dock in March for several weeks before they towed the boat to a mooring off Sheffield Island.
During a harbor commission meeting in the spring, city officials said the vessel was towed to the dock by the fire department’s boat. However, fire officials later clarified they never towed the boat.
In May, police arrested three teenagers they said broke into Swany and stole around $2,000 worth of equipment.
On Aug. 3, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection granted Norwalk ownership of Swany.
Emails obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media just before the boat changed hands show officials were concerned the two-masted yacht could
break free during hurricane season and cause property damage.
As Tropical Storm Isaias bore down on the region, Swany was pulled off the water for storage.
An appraisal order by Norwalk’s purchasing department estimated the yacht was worth about
$20,000 in it’s current condition.
If restored, the boat could have sold for $ 155,000 to $ 170,000, according to appraisal notes. However, it would cost between $135,000 and $ 150,000 to bring the boat back to its original condition, the notes state.
Much of the boat was reported to be in poor condition, according to the appraisal.
“The overall condition of the vessel is restorable,” the appraisal reads.
According to the terms of the auction, Swany’s new owner will have to move the boat within 10 days.