This capsized boat is a danger on the water. It’s also a mystery

A 40-foot section of boat hull is floating screws-up off the coast between the Middle and Upper Keys, and U.S. Coast Guard officials believe the hunk of vessel was first spotted off Marathon about three weeks ago.

“It’s still out there. It’s probably moving along the reef,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Rich Steidell, with Coast Guard Station Islamorada.

Steidell believes the boat, when intact, could have been as long as 80 feet before it broke apart.

Station Islamorada posted photos on its Facebook page over the weekend of the stern floating near Tennessee Reef Light to alert area boaters of a hazard to navigation.

“This correlated to a case off Marathon weeks ago, and is still a mystery pending further developments,” the agency stated. “Use caution transiting the reef line.”

This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 7:10 AM with the headline "This capsized boat is a danger on the water. It’s also a mystery."