The Indian sinks

One of Lewes' popular fishing boats faces  an uncertain future.

Built in 1953, the Indian has carried many people and they’ve caught many fish. Ted Moulinier has captained the 40-foot charter boat for 28 years.

The sequence of weather events this past week took its toll.

"This past weekend we had that storm, and the super moon; then there was the system off the coast dropping the pressure about 40 millibars in 24 hours. It sucked so much water out of the bay and canal that all the boats were sitting in mud, and when the water came back in, she didn't break suction," Capt. Ted said.

"At about 11 p.m. Saturday night, the tide came in and the water came up and flooded her."

Capt. Ted said it would take $40,000 to $50,000 thousand to do it right. "She'd need to be completely rewired, the engine overhauled. It will need a new fire system, and the steering system will have to be fixed," he said. He thinks his insurance company will total the boat, which can carry about 15 anglers. "She has been an icon in this town. A lot of people really like her," he said.

Capt. Ted said every night since the Indian was swamped, Lewes has seen blow-out tides. His boat - the Angler, in the dock next to the Indian - luckily broke suction. "Two nights we were down here till midnight, watching the boats and the tides. After three hours it finally popped up. and the Pirate King II did the same thing.”

"There’s not much you can do. You can't start the engines–they are laying in the mud. She has been a really good boat,” he said. "I'm really heartbroken about it."

Anglers Fishing Center on Anglers Road in Lewes is the home of Capt. Ted's fishing charters. To see the Indian on a better day, go to http://www.anglersfishingcenter.com/boat/charter-boat-indian.