ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — On the heels of a shrimp boat that wrecked near Cumberland Island and left abandoned by its owner to break up into pieces, First Coast News is taking a closer look at the issue neglected and boats.
In Florida, if the owner doesn’t remove them, the taxpayers have to pay for it.
"Typically a derelict boat becomes derelict not just because it's stranded but because people don’t want to mess with it," Chris Way said. He is on the St. Augustine Port Waterway and Beach District.
He has been with the board for five years, and said "I can’t remember a time when we’re not in the process of removing a derelict boat."
According to the state, there are currently 557 active derelict boat cases.
"They appear to be on the rise," Phil Horning with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. The reasons vary.
"We’re still cleaning up a lot of storm-related vessels," Horning said, "From hurricanes Michael and Sally."
Another reason for the uptick, he said, is that some boat owners just can’t afford to stay at marinas anymore, so they anchor in the water instead. Eventually, they cannot pay to maintain the boats and leave them behind.
Derelict boats are nothing new in Florida.
Some boats have been abandoned for years.
Horning said, "Some go through a longer process trying to locate and identify the owners. That investigation can take longer in some cases than others."
If the owners can't be found, the state and local law enforcement can remove and junk the boats, but that’s pricey.
Horning said state lawmakers nearly doubled the amount of allocated money to help remove these abandoned boats to about $3 million.
Abandoned boats can be dangerous to other boaters and hard the environment.
"Many of these vessels have fuels and oils on board that can leech into the water," Horning said.