Family Searching for Captains to Sail Deceased Loved One's Boat

An unfinished boat that has been sitting in a Peabody, Massachusetts, yard for decades is now up for grabs, but there's a catch.

A VHS tape from 1983 shows Wilson Lobao Junior working in his Peabody yard on his labor of love: a 45-foot Roger Simpson Liahona Trimaran, an iconic landmark along Lowell Street for 30 plus years.

“It’s just an amazing feat that somebody would plop that in the middle of the backyard on Lowell Street,” said Carl Hanselman Jr., Lobao Jr.'s step-son, who lives in New Hampshire.

Hanselman is now looking to give the boat away, as long as someone finishes it and makes it seaworthy.

Lobao Jr., an Air Force veteran, sailmaker, and machinist by trade, was known to sing Christmas carols all year long.

He died last year at the age of 76 in a freak accident in his yard.

“It’s important to get it finished because it’s Wilson’s legacy,” Hanselman said.

The family is asking for $25,000 for removal fees.

The boat itself still needs about $150,000 to $200,000 of work, but it’s a fast boat, and according to Hanselman, a world renowned boat builder said it was some of the nicest work he’s ever seen.

“You just can’t fathom the thought of taking a chainsaw and starting to cut that boat up,” he said.

Two captains from Key West, Florida, are already interested.

They want to finish the boat, and sail it to Australia, maybe even around the world, all while tracking their journey by GoPro.

If the Peabody icon is sold, they plan to move it in the early morning when traffic is minimal, and street signs can be dropped.

“I’m sure if word gets out people that have been in Peabody for years and watched that boat be built. I’m sure it’s going to be a big event,” Hanselman said.

Right now the family is still looking for a rigger and crane company to hoist this boat out and set it on the trailer.