Town of Carolina Beach takes tougher stance on abandoned vessels
CAROLINA BEACH (WWAY) — Carolina Beach is taking a tougher stance against abandoned boats after one was left behind in local waters.
The case has led to the first felony charges they’ve ever pursued for boat abandonment as they work to hold owners accountable.
This abandoned boat left behind in Carolina Beach is now at the center of a crackdown, with the town pursuing felony charges against the owner.
Carolina Beach Senior Harbor Master Jarrett Anderson says tracking down the owner was not easy.
“We actually got kind of lucky, we posted a picture of it on Facebook, it got over 14,000 hits and led to a credible witness that led us to the owner,” said Anderson.
Anderson says abandoned boats aren’t uncommon for the area.
“In the last two years, we’ve removed over 15 vessels,” said Anderson.
He says removing these boats can be a pricy project.
“You’re looking at about $450 a foot for boats that have sunk or run aground. If a boat is floating, depending on the size of the boat, most of these boats are 30 above, you’re looking at about 5-10 thousand dollars to get rid of them,” said Anderson.
Owners are given 30 days to either remove the boat or turn it over to the state, otherwise it is considered abandoned and will be investigated.
Ted Wilgis is the Marine Debris Program Director for the North Carolina Coastal Federation.
He says not only is there a large financial burden, but there’s also an environmental toll.
“You have the physical damage of the boat sitting in the marsh grinding, you know, destroying the vegetation, making the marsh sink, which makes it erode, and marshes are really important for both storm protection as well as habitat and water quality. Then you have the chemical pollutants, the lubrication oils, hydraulic oils, battery, all that,” said Wilgis.
Wilgis says policy changes are in the works that could help reduce the number of abandoned boats.
“We’re trying to tighten up on the amount of time, right now it’s 30 days, but there’s also a 30-day waiting period where they kind of investigate it, so that’s also somewhat of a, trying to make that more tight just to 30 days and not extend it,” said Wilgis.
Anderson says Carolina Beach will hold owners accountable.
“I think these charges state that the Town of Carolina Beach will not tolerate people dumping vessels on our waterways, and we will hold those responsible accountable for their actions,” said Anderson.
Recently, the North Carolina Coastal Federation was awarded a $550,00 grant from the BoatUS foundation to remove 12 abandoned boats from waterways in five coastal counties, and Wilgis says 3 of those 12 boats will be removed from Carolina Beach, and one will be removed from the Cape Fear River closer to port.
