Sinking economy leaves some boats abandoned
By MICHAEL MILLER
Staff Writer, 609-463-6712
Published: Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Boaters are abandoning their vessels at marinas and storage yards because they cannot afford the docking and storage fees during an economic meltdown.The problem in southern New Jersey is not as bad as in other parts of the country. But the few instances of abandonment are a hassle to marinas that have to go through legal hurdles to acquire and dispose of the craft."Most of the time, the fees are more than the boat is worth," said Fred Brueggemann, owner of Key Harbor Marina in Ocean Township, Ocean County.This week, he began the lengthy process of seizing three boats after the owners stopped paying for storage. He published a notice of abandoned vessels. Then he will file liens against the boats. Once he gets legal title, he has to pay to remove hazardous materials and dump the rest in a landfill."I'd rather not have the title - just have them pay the fee and take their boat away," he said.
Boats have long been a barometer of consumer confidence, disposable income and the overall state of the economy. Now, marina and harbor officials across the country are reporting an increase over the past year in the number of deserted pleasure boats and working vessels.Unlike cars, wooden and Fiberglas boats have virtually no scrap value. So rather than pay the high cost of hauling them to the dump, people abandon the boats or sell them for as little as $1 to anyone who will take them. The boats often break up and go under, or pass into the underground economy of scuttlers, who, for a fee, remove traceable identification numbers, strip out salvageable items and sink the vessels.U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Lt. Ann Wickham, of Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia, Pa., said her agency would remove any abandoned boats that pose a hazard to navigation. The agency also investigates sinking boats that pose an environmental hazard from leaking oil or fuel.But they have not seen a spike in abandoned boats in the region, she said.Likewise, State Marine Police spokesman Sgt. Stephen Jones said they have not encountered any unusual cases of abandoned boats this year. But he said the classified ads and Internet auctions are full of boat bargains."It's a little worse this year," said Tom Merlino, of Bayway Marina in Middle Township.His marina sits on Bidwell's Creek off Route 47."Boats with no value - they just dump them. They feel it's not worth the price of storage," he said.Each abandoned boat costs him about $500 to tow to the Cape May County landfill and pay the tipping fees."We screen people more carefully now," he said. "We look at the value of the boat they're bringing in. Instead of a deposit, we're getting payment in full."Barbara Brown is seeing more cases of abandoned boats at her Thompson Marine in Egg Harbor Township."It's becoming more common. There is not much we can do besides gaining title. It's a long process," she said. "Boats are not a necessity. Boat storage will be the last payment on the list, the way things are going."The handful of unclaimed boats at her storage yard represents a small fraction of the 180 boats they keep. But each orphaned boat takes the spot of a paying customer's, she said.The Associated Press contributed to this report.E-mail Michael Miller:MMiller@pressofac.com
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