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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Unique amphibious vehicle helps Masonboro cleanup

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Volunteers on Masonboro Island for the July 4th cleanup donate not only their time, but several also donate the boats needed to ferry the trash left over from the celebrations. For the past two years, the cleanup efforts have been supported by a unique amphibious vehicle that serves as both truck and boat.

With the Sealegs, volunteer William Mayhew and his sidekick, Charlie the dog, were able to drive the boat with wheels up and down the beach, collecting bags and saving other Masonboro.org volunteers the trouble of moving them.

“It reduces the fatigue on the volunteers,” Mayhew said. “Before they would have to drag these bags down the beach.”

Mayhew has opened a Wrightsville Beach office for his Carolina Sealegs dealership, where he sells the unique boat that has retractable wheels for on-land transportation. During the cleanup, Mayhew navigated the boat up and down the beach, weaving through camps and clusters of people, collecting garbage bags that he transported back over the water.

“Now they tell me I have to volunteer every year,” Mayhew joked.

Mayhew said the vehicle is ideal for houses near the water without a dock, as well as fire, rescue and security services, where they’re currently in use in New Zealand, Thailand and Malaysia.

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