Yacht crew help Navy crew

Capt. Kelly Esser and Mate Terry Roche of M/Y Mary Alice II, a Westport 130, helped the crew of a U.S. Navy vessel, called the Sealion, on September 26, while it was docked at Lauderdale Marina in Ft. Lauderdale.

The special forces infiltration boat was fueling at the dock in front of 15th St. Fisheries and had a piece of wood in the exhaust intake, said Roche. The crew needed dive gear to get in the water to clear it, said Esser, whose yacht docks at the marina.

“They said they were going to rent dive gear,” Esser said. “We brought ours over because we’re docked right here.

“Plus, our boss is a big supporter of the military,” Esser said.

“We were more trying to help fellow boaters, than anything,” he said. “Yachts always help each other and boaters.”

The Sealion is built by Oregon Iron Works and described as a Technology Demonstrator.