Cleaning up a boat graveyard in downtown Fort Myers

What became a boat graveyard after Hurricane Ian is dwindling in size in the Marina by Joe’s Crab Shack in downtown Fort Myers.

Workers were there on Tuesday finishing setting up the cranes.

On Wednesday, they plan to move a big barge out of the pile and back into the water. It’s just one of many pieces that will have been moved in the last few months. But it’s so big that workers had to spend Tuesday just setting up for it.

It’s big enough to fit several cars, and its removal will be a key part of cleaning up the area. While not the most aesthetically pleasing, it’s come a long way from the wasteland of beached boats it was after the storm.

WINK News spoke with senior operator with Barcelona Equipment, Craig, who will attempt to move the barge on Wednesday. He said it will be a big day but he and his crew are up to the task.

“Major clean up. Been a long time coming. We’re just gonna try to do our best to do what we come to do. It’s what we do every day. We’re gonna give it our best shot. Do it safely and do it right..We’re just trying to do our part and make sure everything goes right and clean,” Craig said.

Craig and his crew said there might be some traffic delays around the area once things get up and running on Wednesday. So they’re urging people to anticipate that if you’re driving by