Starting Friday, damaged boats and docks will be removed from the Tavares Seaplane Base & Marina in Lake County. 

  • Boats, docks damaged at Tavares marina
  • Seaplane base has been closed since Hurricane Irma
  • It will cost $2 million to rebuild the docks

The base has been closed to the public ever since Hurricane Irma damaged 25 boats, all of the docks and the marina.

"Just couldn't believe it, just absolute destruction," said Rob Galloway, owner of Jones Brothers Seaplanes, the exclusive seaplane operator in Tavares.  

​Galloway said he's meeting with the city to find other ways to continue to operate.

"The seaplane base is shutdown there's no place on the beaches or the ramp to bring the airplanes in," he said. 

Tavares is known as America's Seaplane City and officials say this is a big blow.

"It's a sad day for Tavares, we worked very hard to build this facility to have a tornado and a hurricane destroy it so quickly," said John Drury, the city's administrator.  

Drury said it will take weeks to remove the damaged boats and docks. It will cost $2 million dollars to rebuild the docks. That money will come from FEMA, insurance and the city.