Derelict Boats Pile Up Costs for Taxpayers

Boat Owners Abandon Them in Waterways; Municipalities Spending Millions on Cleanup

(CBS)  The tough economy is making waves for boat owners.

Many people can't afford the luxury of having a boat anymore, and it's causing problems all across the country: America's waterways are becoming dumping grounds filled with boats just left there by their owners.

But somebody has to clean that mess up. And taxpayers are now footing the bill.

"Early Show" consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen reports derelict boats are becoming an all-too-familiar sight along the nation's coastlines. Boats, for one reason or another, are being abandoned by their owners.

Bill Sprauge, of Fla., knows abandoned boats are more than just an eyesore and environmental threat -- they pose a serious threat to boaters.

Sprague and his wife were boating near their home outside West Palm Beach, Fla., when they hit a huge chunk of a derelict boat.

"All of a sudden with were launched completely out of the water," Sprague said. "We were completely airborne. And I knew I hit something substantial."

Sprague estimates there are about 20 abandoned boats in the waterways he travels.

And in Florida, Koeppen reported, it's estimated thousands of boats have been dumped.

Lt. David Dipre, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said, "Derelict vessels are becoming more numerous.

Experts say with the souring economy an increased number of boats are being set free and left to sink, Koeppen said. Owners are finding it easier, she said, to abandon ship than pay the high price of maintenance. Some are committing insurance fraud by cashing in on their policies, after sinking their own boats, Koeppen said.

Dipre said, "Maybe they paid a little bit of money for it, and said it's just not worth it to fix it up. And so they leave them. What happens then, is the taxpayer, and the state of Florida, become responsible for removing those vessels."

Getting rid of derelict boats is a slow and expensive process, Koeppen reported. The removal of one boat Koeppen found being extricated from the Florida Keys will cost taxpayers roughly $15,000.

And from Florida to California, states all across the country are spending millions removing boats, Koeppen said.

But Sprauge says even more needs to be done to get these boats out of the water.


"People are going to get killed. These pieces of boat are going to pop up, float away, get in someone else's path, they won't be as lucky as we were, and be killed."

The added challenge, Koeppen said, is that once one boat is removed, another pops up. There are thousands of derelict boats, she said, that need to be removed all across the country.

But why not go after the owners of the boats and have them pay to remove them?

Koeppen said the state needs to find the owners first. Many of these boats have been stripped of their identification numbers, Koeppen said, and in many cases, the owners have fled the state or don't have the money to pay.

As for the penalty for dumping a boat, Koeppen told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez it's a fine, but not a large one.

Koeppen said the best course is to just pay for your boat to be disposed of properly, which could cost just a couple hundred dollars.

[wyodutch]

Arrrgghhh! Where's Gilligan when he's really needed?

[stuart-johns2]

Here in Florida, we have had this problem forever, even in a good economy. So the economy has nothing to do with this.

The fact is even in a good economy these otherwise homeless people were living on these boats. Florida's causeways are still littered with them but not to the degree it was a few years ago.

The owners are rarely found. The counties and the states just have to pick up the tab. But now they require all vessels to be registered, even houseboats, heck, even a canoe I think. And I see them enforcing that regularly but for some reason, we still get those abandoned boats.

[Aldymac]

I have more democrat friends who own boats than republicans, it's an ego thing.

[hungry1968-16]

by AOCGUY October 7, 2009 1:14 PM EDT
"...the state needs to find the owners first. Many of these boats have been stripped of their identification numbers..." Especially after the hurricanes of 04/05 there are quite a few abandoned boats and the stae has had a heck of a time finding the owners. In the meantime, it is next to impossible to have them removed. This year a sailboat that had sunk during Ivan appeared in a navigatable channel. After 5 years underwater it is fairly hard to discern who owns it.







There must be some sort of serial number on the boat, somewhere.

I find it incredibly hard to believe that they couldn't find MOST of those boat owners if they really wanted to.

[Ms_enza]

The sad thing is they let them rot rather than use their insurance policy to create a liquid asset...

A continental shelf, two boats, a friend, a shotgun, and a box of deer slugs... "We was making passage for the Bahamas (Farallons) when there was a loud scraping noise and the boat began taking on a lot of water. Thank God we were in sight of each other."

[ibsteve2u]

Hey...do you think these former boat owners were once Republicans - the "thou shalt obey the law!" types?

Who have now become Democrats as they personally feel the pain of the Republican triumvirate - deregulation, trickle-down economics, and inequitable free trade - of assaults upon the American people?

lolll...of course, 20% or more of 'em will blame their current state on the Democrats no matter if you smack 'em in the face with the fact bat, or not.

[Ms_enza]

Not all boat owners are Republicans. Most Republicans are too stupid to own boats; have you seen these tea-baggers on television?

[afmcalax]

Agree with hungry1968-16. First the fines must be higher than the cost of legally disposing of the boat. States need to find the owners and sue them no matter where they have moved to. I find it disgusting how so many people think it is appropriate to stick society with their bills. They either need to show responsibility or pay a hefty price.

[AOCGUY]

"...the state needs to find the owners first. Many of these boats have been stripped of their identification numbers..." Especially after the hurricanes of 04/05 there are quite a few abandoned boats and the stae has had a heck of a time finding the owners. In the meantime, it is next to impossible to have them removed. This year a sailboat that had sunk during Ivan appeared in a navigatable channel. After 5 years underwater it is fairly hard to discern who owns it.

[Ms_enza]

Horses are better than boats... can't sell a boat, you've got hazmat. Can't sell a horse you've got bbq.

[hungry1968-16]

Why aren't these owners being hit with the cost, or if they don't have the money - jail time?

[DaVicar8]

Jail time?

What go gulag do you live in?