Tag Archives: F/V Big Earl

‘Big Earl’ prepares to head back to sea

Fishing vessel “Big Earl,” the shrimping boat that beached on the Holden Beach strand last month, is preparing to head back out to sea. For the last couple of weeks, Big Earl has been stationed at the Holden Beach Marina, getting some much-needed repairs. Reese Atkins, Big Earl’s owner, said the boat had to have several holes patched, a new starter installed, wooden posts replaced, engine repairs and a paint job. Yet he believes the boat will be ready to shrimp by the end of the month. “We are almost completed with repairs, I’m thinking the repairs will be done by this weekend,” Atkins said. >click to read<18:41

F/V Big Earl – Shrimp boat on Holden Beach finally back in the ocean

A shrimp boat that called the Holden Beach shoreline home for the past week is free. With the help of an excavator and high tide, Big Earl was dislodged from the beach Thursday morning and slowly made its way out into the ocean. “It was a miracle, like a baby giraffe being born, I was like come on Earl, go go go, don’t let the lines break,” said Sheila King, a vacationer who has been watching the beach boat for a week. (the people really rallied behind the fisherman, and I would say Big Earl is now an Ambassador.) Video, >click to read<19:06

Community pitches in to help get shrimp boat back out to sea

Five days and still no change. Shrimp boat Big Earl has been stuck on Holden Beach since last week is still there. Captain Virgil Coleman was hoping tonight was the night to get the boat back to sea. he tide this morning didn’t help dislodge the boat from the sand as the captain had hoped. Coleman says they have been digging a trench all around the boat Tuesday but was unsuccessful of getting the boat back out during high tide this evening.>click to read<12:44

Shrimp Boat F/V Big Earl still on the beach, a fundraiser was started to help with expences to pull her off

A shrimp boat stuck on the beach? It’s happening and the saga has reached Day 4. Yes, a shrimp boat dubbed ‘Big Earl’ got stuck in the sand on Holden Beach Thursday. The boat was recently purchased by its owner and was on its first trip out according to a WFMY News 2 viewer. The viewer submitted a video of the boat taken Sunday morning. They plan to try again Sunday evening. A GoFundMe page has even been started for Big Earl to help with damages and towing expenses. >click here for the fundraiser by Tyler Scott Bullock< >click to read< 21:09

Shrimp boat runs aground along Holden Beach coast

What started as a normal day on the job turned into a bit of nightmare for one shrimp boat captain. Big Earl, the shrimp boat, washed up on the beach in Holden Beach. Boat Captain, Virgil Coleman said he got in trouble around 4 p.m. Thursday. Coleman said he, along with another person had just started shrimping when the winds caused a net to get stuck in the boat’s propeller. The current winds pushed the boat closer to shore overnight and eventually beached the ship on the east end of the island. Video, >click to read<14:49