INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to accept a grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District in the amount of up to $6,000 to assist in the removal of abandoned boats from the Indian River Lagoon.
Coastal engineer James Gray and Public Works Director Chris Mora explained the difficulties they experience in trying to remove these vessels, the permits required take a long time and the true owner of the boat often cannot be located and neither can the title.
County Administrator Joe Baird said sometimes the owners are immigrants and there is no domestic record of the boat, or sometimes the vessels are mired in ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.
However, despite these challenges, Mora said they stick with it the months or years it takes because the boats can pose a hazard to public safety, especially if they contain fuel or other chemicals.
“The problem with these situations is that there’s no one else who will do this,” Mora said.
Currently county officials are working on removing a 27-foot cabin cruiser and a 32-foot sailboat from the lagoon in the Sebastian area.
Joe Flescher, whose district encompasses much of Sebastian and eastward to the barrier island said, “I want to see what we can do to expedite this.”
The $6,000 grant requires a $2,000 local match. If the county were able to identify the true owner of the vessel and if that person were to own property, there is a possibility that the County could place a lien on that property and get reimbursed, eventually, for the costs.
