Fierce northeast winds, gusting to more than 40 miles per hour, forced a sailboat ashore Monday, near the R.M. Packer Company tank farm in Vineyard Haven. In Edgartown, six boats, most of them tied to piers in the outer harbor, were reported damaged, two of them perhaps significantly enough to be total losses.
A cruising sailboat, apparently abandoned for months, was blown ashore in Vineyard Haven during Monday's northeast storm. Photo by Steve Myrick
There was no significant damage in Oak Bluffs. "It remained more north than northeast," said Harbormaster Todd Alexander. "Here there's a huge difference."
The mishap in Vineyard Haven illustrates a growing problem of abandoned boats in local waters.
The blue-hulled cruising sailboat, approximately 29 feet long, was anchored off the Beach Road causeway before it was blown ashore. Gale force winds were forecast for the period. That area is completely exposed to north and northeast winds, making it the least protected anchorage in the harbor during a northeast storm. Other boat owners anchored in that area moved to safer anchorages before the storm arrived.
The sailboat was high and dry on Wednesday. Photo by Tim Johnson
The boat that washed ashore has been anchored in the same spot for more than a month.
"From our perspective it seemed abandoned," said assistant Tisbury harbormaster John Crocker. "We didn't see anyone doing anything."
A town bylaw requires boats at anchor to be checked at least once every 24 hours. There was no registration number on the vessel, and no name or hailing port on the stern.
Earlier on Monday, harbormaster office personnel boarded the boat to remove a sail that was unfurling, creating a greater chance the boat would be damaged. But the boat, secured on a single anchor, broke loose and washed up on the beach, where it was pounded by surf and winds throughout the day.
The harbormaster determined it was not a danger, and the boat remained on the beach as of yesterday afternoon while the town tries to track down the owners.
"It's not a bad situation," said Mr. Crocker. "It's not leaking fuel, it's not a hazard to navigation. We're still slightly hopeful that the owner will come forward. A sailboat like that is not such a big issue, because it's not fuel. When we have power boats in a place like that, we have to be a little more proactive because we're worried about contamination of the harbor."
On Tuesday afternoon, the harbormaster's office received some information about the owner, the first indication it has received about who is responsible for the boat since it appeared in town waters this spring.
"The next thing we do is contact them and pursue them, and hold them responsible for removal of the vessel," said Mr. Crocker. The harbormaster's office asks that anyone who has further information about the abandoned vessel should contact the office as soon as possible.
Hardship
In coastal communities throughout the country, the number of abandoned vessels has increased as the nation's economy creates more and more hardship.
"These vessels appear from time to time," said Mr. Crocker. "It's one of our most aggravating things that we deal with. That is an ongoing issue on the waterfront. It isn't any different than an automobile being abandoned in the woods. In the end the town has to deal with it. Somebody is just abandoning this, and forcing the taxpayers of the town to pay for it."
The Oak Bluffs harbormaster also has to deal with abandoned boats. Usually, Mr. Alexander can track down the owners of abandoned vessels, but every year or two, he has to dispose of a vessel at taxpayer expense.
"They're like mushrooms that just keep popping up," said Mr. Alexander. "Everybody has delusions that they are gong to get a free boat and fix it up, then they realize how much it costs to actually do that. We have taken our fair share of boats off the beach. They end up in the landfill."
A town has virtually no enforcement options if the owner of the vessel cannot be located. If the owner is known, enforcement powers are still limited, according to Mr. Crocker. The town can issue a citation and fine of $25 for an abandoned vessel. The fines do not increase with time, like a parking ticket, but the town can issue an additional $25 fine each day. If those fines are not paid, the town can seek a criminal citation.
If a town has to dispose of an abandoned boat, it can be a costly and cumbersome problem. Phil Hale of Martha's Vineyard Shipyard estimates it would cost about $2,500 to remove the vessel now ashore in Vineyard Haven and haul it to a town facility for storage. If the town eventually disposes of the boat, it will cost another $500 to remove any hazardous fluids, have the boat crushed, and sent to a landfill.
