STAFF were evacuated from a Redland Bay cafe on Saturday over fears it would collapse when a sinking vessel was tied to its structural supports.
A skipper tethered his boat to the Pelican's View Cafe in a last-ditch attempt to save it from capsizing.
Police cleared staff and patrons from the building about 7am because they were worried the building would collapse.
A cafe employee, who did not want to be named, said the owner spent all night trying to save his prized vessel - reportedly a flybridge cabin cruiser - after it took on water out at sea during Friday's storms.
"The owner pulled it in to try and save his boat because it was sinking," she said.
"He tied ropes to the cafe to try and keep it level but it was obviously still filling up with water so it was putting a lot of pressure on the supports.
"His boat was filled with water and he was leaking fuel."
The staff returned to work at 9.30am and opened the cafe to the public when the boat was removed from the supports.
The cafe employee said the boat's owner was not aware that he had tied his vessel to the supports of a building.
She said he had tied it to the nearest object in a desperate attempt to prevent it from taking on more water.
The boat, estimated to be between 38 and 40 feet long, is now perched on a support cradle at the slipway next to the cafe, where it is awaiting repairs.
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