December 8, 2017
T he C olumbia P ress
5
Boats: Abandoned vessels have become expensive statewide problem
Continued from Page 1
about a dozen derelict or
abandoned vessels and is
down to six or seven today.
“We’re trying to get them
all out of here,” Sweet said.
“We’ve come a very long
way.”
The abandoned commer-
cial vessels take up space that
could otherwise be rented.
“The trick is to not allow
them in here,” she said. “We
don’t let anybody in here
(now) without proper regis-
tration, documentation and
insurance.”
The Lily Marlene, a century
old commercial boat aban-
doned by its owner, was one
of Warrenton’s first projects.
In January, the city hired a
Marine Board
seeks comments
on rule change
The Oregon State Marine
Board seeks public comment
on amending a rule adopted
in 2015 for visual distress
signals in Oregon’s ocean wa-
ters.
The rule established re-
quirements for boats west of
the “line of demarcation” at
the tips of the jetties for Or-
egon’s coastal bays with one
exception: the Columbia Riv-
er.
The proposed rule change
would remove the Columbia
River exemption, making it
consistent with U.S. Coast
Guard designations.
The visual distress signal
requirement would be for the
ocean west of coastal bays
and their associated jetties.
Written comments are be-
ing accepted through Dec.
29 and can be submitted via
email to osmb.rulemaking@
oregon.gov or mailed to June
LeTarte, administrative rules
coordinator, 435 Commercial
St. N.E., Suite 400, Salem OR
97301.
company to pull up the sunk-
en boat so it could finish the
$9.1 million Warrenton Ma-
rina improvement project.
Warrenton is not alone in
dealing with abandoned ves-
sels.
The privately owned Ski-
panon Marina, which is ad-
jacent to Warrenton Marina,
held a public auction Nov.
30 on an abandoned sailboat
named Tolli.
“It’s a big problem and a
very expensive problem,”
said Bob Link, Skipanon Ma-
rina’s owner.
The Tolli was his second
auction, a legal process that
costs about $9,000 per boat.
Yet leaving a boat that’s gar-
nering no moorage fees is ex-
pensive, too.
“They’re abandoned and
become a hazard to the wa-
terways because of contami-
nants,” he said.
The Port of Astoria Board of
Commissioners considered a
bid Tuesday night to disman-
tle a fishing vessel that has
been dry-docked at Tongue
Point after the port pulled it
from the muck several years
ago.
The cost to dismantle: more
than $20,000.
While there are some di-
lapidated boats in the boat
yard, the 74-foot Recruit is
the port’s last real problem
vessel, said Jim Knight, the
port’s executive director.
“There are even dirty dishes
in the sink and before we tear
it apart we have to empty it.”
Abandoned boats have be-
come such a problem for
Oregon’s marinas that the
Oregon State Marine Board
formed the Abandoned/Der-
elict Commercial Vessel Task
Force, an advisory group that
helps develop solutions.
And a decade ago, legisla-
tors set up a fund providing
$150,000 every two years to
help in removing the boats.
The money doesn’t stretch
far enough, said James Co-
gle, environmental program
coordinator for the Marine
Board.
“We have assisted in the re-
moval of 15 commercial ves-
sels since the fund started,”
Cogle said.
Commercial vessels are, of
course, the most expensive to
remove from waterways. This
biennium the fund is target-
ing recreational vessels and
19 of those will be removed
through the fund, he said.
Warrenton has been work-
ing with the state in its sales
process and has received
some funding to assist in dis-
mantling the worst boats.
“The Marine Board is trying
to find a way to add on a (reg-
istration) fee for end-of-life
for these boats so they’re a
little easier to dispose of not
just for marinas, but the own-
ers as well,” Sweet said. Until
then, “it’s one headache at a
time.”