Sailboat runs aground on Siesta Key Beach

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A roughly 30-foot sailboat named Anthem ran aground on Siesta Key Beach Sunday, creating a photo opportunity for island visitors and residents all week.

The owner of the vessel, which is based out of St. Petersburg, told bystanders he was traveling home in the Gulf of Mexico when his navigation system crashed, sending the sailboat over a sandbar and onto the public beach. Sea Tow, a boat towing service, is waiting until a higher tide this week to haul the ship back into the gulf.

“It’s not very easy,” said Sea Tow Bradenton office manager Amanda Newell. “They need a towboat by sea and people on the sand to pull that sucker out of there.”