Abandoned Boat Near Berkeley Island Breaks Loose: Report

BERKELEY, NJ — Many Berkeley residents have expressed worries about the boat that has been sitting abandoned off of Berkeley Island for almost a year. And it seems those fears have been validated as the boat has come unmoored, according to a report by NJ.com.

The boat has sat abandoned in the Barnegat Bay off of John C. Bartlett, Jr. County Park in Berkeley since last summer. The motor yacht was anchored there, the report said, but is no longer.

The boat broke loose from its anchor this past weekend, the report said, likely due to the intense winds from the storm.

Residents have been calling for the boat's removal, but nothing has been done. According to the report, New Jersey State Police identified and charged the owner of the boat with abandonment, pollution of tidal waters and failure to number, but remains "at large." Local officials told the news outlet that they were not able to remove the boat themselves, an expensive and resource-consuming undertaking, and were waiting for the state to find the owner and remove the boat.

As the boat is now on land, it could be a public safety issue with people around it, not to mention the damage it can to do private and public property, the report said.

While it is illegal to abandon a boat in New Jersey under the Abandoned or Sunken Vessels Disposition Law, the state does not have a formal program with dedicated funding, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In order to remove sunken or abandoned vessels, municipalities may apply for grant funds, the NOAA said. Without the funding, the expensive process can fall on taxpayers, according to the NJ.com report.

New Jersey State Senator Michael Testa, who represents Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic counties, plans to introduce legislation that would create a statewide fund for the abandoned boat issue, the report said. At least $25 million from the state budget could go towards necessary boat removals, according to the report. However, according to the report, the timeline of the bill's introduction is unknown.