Town Reimbursed for Removing Abandoned Boat

PORTSMOUTH, RI—The town is being reimbursed for the cost of removing a derelict boat that wreaked havoc in Blue Bill Cove for two years after sinking during Hurricane Irene in 2011.

The state Department of Environmental Management is giving the town a $23,400 grant through the state’s Derelict and Abandoned Vessel and Obstruction Removal Account. It was established in 2012 to aid harbormasters and local marine authorities remove derelict vessels.

The town paid for the boat’s removal in 2013, opting to have it hauled away after fining its owner $7,000 with no result. The boat, battered during the storm, caused problems in several ways. Not only was it a navigation hazard, bits and pieces broke off on a regular basis. That debris was nothing more than pollution and it also caused damage to at least one vessel docked in the cove.

The boat was removed by Mac Marine Services of Tiverton in about three hours. Three men lifted it and floated over to a nearby launch ramp and cut it up on the beach, filling two large Dumpsters.

“Marine refuse and, in particular, abandoned vessels pose a significant threat to the health of our waters and the safe passage of boaters,” said DEM Director Janet Coit in a news release. “Supporting efforts to remove obstructions is critical to the vitality of our waterways. We are pleased to be working with great partners. . .to get these vessels safely removed for the benefit of boaters, wildlife, and valuable coastal habitats.”

The state General Assembly enacted legislation creating the account and an overseeing commission chaired by the DEM with members from the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, Save the Bay, the Rhode Island Harbormaster’s Association, the state Coastal Resources Management Council and the Attorney General’s office.

For more information on the Derelict and Abandoned Vessel and Obstruction Removal grant program, visit www.dem.ri.gov or contact DEM.EnforcementChief@dem.ri.gov. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis – with priority given to emergency cases. Non-emergency applications are considered bi-annually.