Second in a four-part series

Authorities are working to clean up the rundown and abandoned boats littering Washington’s waterways, but the numbers keep growing.

There are currently close to 200 derelict and abandoned boats in waters around the state, and authorities expect to see more as the effects of the recession continue.

State agencies are tackling the problem through Washington’s Derelict Vessel Removal Program, which allows government agencies to remove and dispose of vessels in their jurisdiction that are abandoned or derelict. Since its inception in 2003, the program has cleared about 220 decrepit boats from Washington’s oceans and rivers.

“We have definitely been a leader,” said Melissa Montgomery, who manages the program. “I’d say we probably have the best-funded program in the nation.”

And one of the few. Derelict and abandoned boats are a problem around the country—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that Hurricane Katrina alone left 3,500 boats damaged and abandoned—but there is no federal program in place to address the issue.

“Everyone sees it as a shame to have abandoned vessels left in the water or sitting on a beach, but there isn’t really an agency whose mandate is it to clean it up and move forward,” said Doug Helton of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration.

About half a dozen states have initiatives in place to deal with derelict and abandoned boats, with varying degrees of support and funding. Louisiana, for example, has a program to deal with abandoned barges but no mechanism to address recreational watercraft. In Florida, legislators agreed this year to provide $1.5 million to remove some of the estimated 1,500 boats cluttering the state’s waters.

Washington’s program falls under the Department of Natural Resources and applies to boats illegally left on private property or on public property more than 30 consecutive days or 90 days in a year, that are obstructing waterways, endangering life or property, and sunk or in danger of sinking.

If the boat is about to sink or already has, authorities take control of it immediately. More often than not, the owner can’t be located or is unwilling to take responsibility.

The public agency with jurisdiction of the boat, determined by the boat’s location, then follows a legal process to assume custody. If the boat has any substantial value, it’s auctioned off. In most cases, the boats are stripped of metal and any other recyclable materials, then taken to a boatyard and crushed before meeting an unceremonious end in a landfill.

Boaters foot the bill for derelict and abandoned boats through a $3 annual boat registration fee and a $5 fee charged to owners of boats registered out of state but kept in Washington. The program’s budget is about $750,000 annually.

Public entities are reimbursed for 90 percent of the costs of dealing with derelict boats. Owners of private marinas can also use the program but have to pay a portion of removal and administrative costs.

More than half of the boats removed from Washington waters since 2003 are recreational wooden powerboats that fell into disrepair over time. A small number are commercial boats, typically large steel fishing vessels or tugs, converted into makeshift liveaboards. Most are weather-beaten and dilapidated.

“The majority of the abandoned vessels we come across have little or no value,” said Mike DeSota, environmental compliance specialist for the Port of Seattle. “They’re liabilities, which is in essence why these people have walked away from them.”

A notable exception was the 1967 Chris Craft owned by Seattle resident Brian Lewis. In March 2008, Lewis scuttled the boat after no one would buy it for his asking price of $28,500. Authorities say Lewis drilled a hole in the hole into the bottom of the boat, then rowed a dinghy back to shore.

Lewis told investigators the financial strain of the boat caused him “extreme anxiety and frustration.” The state raised the boat, described by as a yacht broker as a “beautiful” Chris Craft Cavalier, at a cost of $2,866. Lewis was charged with insurance fraud.

Montgomery said vessels abandoned in the condition of Lewis’ are rare, but authorities occasionally come across one worth auctioning off. Such boats might be a bargain, but Montgomery cautioned buyers to make sure they know what they’re getting into and have boats surveyed—one boat retrieved under the state program, Montgomery said, sunk the day after it was bought, resulting in a $14,000 bill.

Sellers also need to ensure they file a sellers report with the state department of licensing within five days of the sale, Montgomery said. The last registered owner of the boat is legally responsible for it, meaning a previous owner could be on the hook years down the road if the boat is abandoned, wrecked or sinks.

“It happens all the time,” she said. “It’s definitely something that boaters should be aware of.”

Part 1 - Monday: Dozens of abandoned boats littering Washington’s waterways create costly headaches for the authorities and marinas left to deal with them.
Part 3 – Wednesday: Abandoned and sunken boats wreak havoc on the underwater ecosystem, releasing toxic chemicals and jeopardizing marine life.
Part 4 – Thursday: Read about the state’s biggest and most expensive derelict boat disaster.

About Deborah Bach

Deborah Bach is the editor and co-founder of Three Sheets Northwest. She is an avid sailor and long-time professional journalist. You can find Deborah aboard Three Sheets, an Island Packet 38, with her husband Marty and their cat Lily.

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