[September 10, 2011] Fire destroys boat washed up in Ocean View during Irene Tweet NORFOLK, Sep 10, 2011 (The Virginian-Pilot - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A sailboat that washed up on an Ocean View beach during Hurricane Irene was destroyed by a fire late Friday night. Firefighters were called to the scene shortly before midnight on Friday and spotted a large column of smoke, said Battalion Chief Harry Worley, Norfolk Fire-Rescue. The boat was fully engulfed when they arrived, he said. The boat became stranded on the sand during the August storm. Michael Calabrese, Gina Sullivan and their cat were pulled off by rescue personnel after the two tried to ride out the hurricane off 9th View Street. The rescue drew national media attention. Sullivan, who lived on the boat with Calabrese, could be seen picking through the charred wreckage this morning as curious residents gathered around yellow fire tape to snap photos. The couple declined to speak with a reporter about the fire, which remains under investigation. Nearby resident Mike Arvizu was outside with a group of friends late Friday when they heard what "sounded like a match hitting lighter fluid," Arivizu said. "We ran up to the beach, and the boat was engulfed," he said. "You could see the accelerant dripping off." James Mershon's home overlooks the shipwreck. He was surprised when he saw the fire damage this morning, he said. "It seems like these people just can't catch a break," he said. "It's sad, it was a nice boat," said Joanie Michalos, a Willoughby Spit resident, looking over the burned-out 42-foot vessel Saturday morning. "Of all the big stories of Irene, this seemed to capture the most interest." The boat, named Maybe Tomorrow, became something of a tourist draw after the incident, and Calabrese landed in jail after the rescue and was arrested a second time in the days immediately following. The city had been taking bids to remove the wrecked craft while Calabrese scrambled to come up with a plan to remove it on his own. He stood a few hundred feet from the wreckage and talked on the phone this morning while people continued to gather around the vessel. "That was my home," Calabrese said, declining to answer questions. Calabrese referred media inquiries to Norfolk activist Michael J. Muhammad, who, when reached by phone, said he has agreed to assist the couple. "They don't feel they've been treated fairly in the media up until this point," Muhammad said. The city is moving to hire a contractor to remove the boat as soon as possible, Worley said. "We had been trying to work with the owners, but at this point, it is a public safety hazard," he said. The Coast Guard drained the boat's fuel and sewage tanks on Wednesday, Worley said. Fire investigators are continuing to rule out any accidental causes and are following up several leads, he said. ____ Virginian-Pilot photographer Ross Taylor contributed to this report. ____ For more details, return to PilotOnline.com later and read tomorrow's Virginian-Pilot. ___ (c)2011 The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) Visit The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) at pilotonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]