Joseph and Selina Gonzales, have been married for 70 years and live in Yscloskey, 30 miles from New Orleans. Joseph, who’s gone blind, plans to finish the 60-foot boat in his yard. Joseph’s boat is one of the only things that held up during Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall 10 years ago this week. Though the storm destroyed all the houses in the area, Joseph’s boat lost a mast and sails but remained anchored in the flooding. The couple hopes to get the boat into the water before next hurricane comes. “That you can’t count on,” Joseph says. “You don’t know what’s going to happen in life.”
Created by director Zack Godshall, “The Boatman” is part of a six-part series New Orleans, Here & Now from Time Inc. Studios and Rampante, premiering this week.
To see more from that series, visit here.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
- Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists
- The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com