JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Abandoned and damaged boats are cluttering Florida’s waterways, costing the state roughly $6 million a year to remove — and frustrated boaters say the cleanup process moves far too slowly.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Capt. Robert Lentz has spent years identifying derelict vessels on the St. Johns River and other state waters.
On a recent trip through the Arlington area of Jacksonville, he and a News4JAX crew spotted several in quick succession.
“This vessel has fallen into a derelict vessel category,” Lentz said, pointing to one of the boats.
What makes a boat ‘derelict’?
Under Florida law, a vessel is classified as derelict if it is sinking or run aground, stripped or junked, or if two of its three core systems — steering, propulsion, or hull integrity — are broken or non-functional.
Once FWC agents identify a derelict vessel, they attach a bright red sticker and begin the process of tracking down the legal owner. That process alone can stretch on for months — or longer.
“The longest I’ve heard of is years,” Lentz said. “It can take years.”
Boaters fed up with the wait
At the San Juan boat ramp on Jacksonville’s Westside, fisherman Joe Turner said an abandoned vessel had been sitting there for more than two years, blocking access.
“It makes me mad, because I can’t get over to my fishing spot,” Turner said.
A second boat at the same ramp, which Turner and fellow fisherman Scott Miller said had been there since January, was leaking oil into the water.
“It’s hideous, hideous looking just sitting there,” Miller said. “I mean, you’d think after a year or so they would do something.”
Miller added: “I mean it’s just kind of sad that it’s still there. They say they want to clean up Jacksonville, but they sure ain’t been down here from what I see.”
The tab for taxpayers
By law, FWC must locate the legal owner of a derelict vessel before removing it, and that owner is responsible for paying removal costs. When owners refuse, cannot be found, or cannot pay, the state covers the bill.
Florida removes about 400 derelict vessels from its waterways each year at a cost of approximately $6 million-$7 million. During major hurricane seasons, that figure spikes dramatically. After Hurricane Irma in 2017, the state recovered and disposed of 1,000 boats at a cost of $52 million.
Removal costs cover retrieving the vessel, towing it, breaking it apart, and disposing of it in a landfill. Additional funds flow to local jurisdictions to assist with removal — but officials say the money and the pace of cleanup are not keeping up with the problem.
Criminal charges
Lentz said FWC does have legal recourse against owners who abandon their vessels.
“It is a crime to leave your boat on the waters of the state in a derelict vessel condition,” he said. “They can be arrested and ordered to pay restitution.”
FWC does offer a voluntary turn-in program, where the state will dispose of a derelict boat for free.
Every year, they get a limited amount of money, so it’s first come, first served. You can learn more at https://myfwc.com/boating/waterway/vtip/