It swept the sea for mines during World War II, but now it sits on dry land waiting to sweep buyers off their feet.

The moored minesweeper on a prime waterfront lot on Cape May Harbor in Cape May, NJ, is available for $695,000.

“After it was taken out of service in the 1950s, it was placed on this lot and turned into a house,” explains listing agent Paul Chiolo.

“It’s a very large lot and has a dock,” he adds. “There’s a lot of people looking at this property right now, hopefully to make it a really cool Airbnb. But I’m not really sure what will happen after it sells.”

One thing is for sure: The beached boat at the tip of south Jersey is something of a local landmark.

“It’s one of those properties you always wanted to see the inside of. Me and my whole team went over there because we were dying to get inside,” Chiolo explains.

Once inside, they found three bedrooms and two bathrooms in the 788-square-foot space. But Chiolo was taken aback by the reality of a former seafaring vessel transformed into a residence.

“It was exactly what I was thinking [it would look like]. I just had no idea that it was a real boat. I thought it was made to look like a boat. I had no idea it was an actual boat. It has portholes as windows, and it’s all brass,” he says.

A small kitchen offers all the necessary appliances and amenities as well as dining space.

Despite its small size, the boat doesn’t feel cramped.

“It’s not like you’re on top of each other. It’s roomier than you think,” says the agent. “It’s going to take someone that either wants to put a few dollars into it to make it a really cool Airbnb or someone that’s going to come in and remodel what’s there.”

A buyer could choose to demolish the place and build a brand-new home on the lot, Chiolo adds. A sad fate, but a possibility nonetheless.

A large wraparound deck offers plenty of outdoor space for taking in the waterfront breezes and views.

The boat home was initially listed in 2008 for $1,595,000. By 2019, the price had dropped to $674,000. It’s now available with a slight increase.

“2008 was a whole different time. This market here is smoking-hot right now, and I think it just needed to be marketed properly. I think it will be under agreement fairly soon,” Chiolo says. “Somebody is going to purchase this property and realize they probably got a very good opportunity to be waterfront. The land value alone in this location is worth the price.”

The lot is a third of an acre and currently zoned for a single home. Adding more to the parcel would require going before the planning board.

The area is primarily vacation homes, Chiolo says, but this is one of the most unique with plenty of upside.

“The perfect buyer is someone that would dress up the property, keep the boat house there, modernize it, and really use it for themselves and as a rental property,” he says.

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