Boat Disposal in Virginia

getting rid of non-functional boats is a nationwide problem

The development of low-cost fiberglass boats in the 1960's was followed 50 years later by the challenge of disposing of old boats which did not decompose. The material in a fiberglass boat has little value for reuse; the cost for disposal exceeds the value of a worn-out boat, and the fine for unauthorized disposal is only $500.

The Executive Director of Clean Virginia Waterways summarized the challenge:¹

An old car has scrap value of a few hundred dollars. But old fiberglass boats - there's usually nothing salvageable or salable and it costs money to dispose of them correctly.

Not surprisingly, many owners have simply abandoned their boats. Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (ADV's) have accumulated in marshes, along riverbanks, and even in marinas. The vessels create navigation hazards and environmental risks from petroleum products, paint, and plastics. The visibility and size of unusable boats draws attention, though the greatest percentage of marine debris consists of plastic items from land-based sources.²

most marine debris consists of small plastic items that do not biodegrade quicky, but abandoned and derelict vessels attract attention
Source: Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, 2021-2025 Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan (p.6)

Derelict boats are a form of marine trash. Disposing of that waste is easiest when an owner can be identified and contacted. The process is more challenging if no responsible party for disposal can be assigned the responsibility and cost of removal.

The Code of Virginia requires that most motorboats be registered and display a number issued by the Department of Wildlife Resources. By law, owners of motorized boats must notify that department if they abandon the boat:³

"Abandoned watercraft" means a watercraft that is left unattended on private property for more than 10 days without the consent of the property's owner, regardless of whether it was brought onto the private property with the consent of the owner or person in control of the private property.

it is less expensive to abandon vessels rather than pay for proper disposal
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Abandoned and Derelict Vessels in Virginia

State law defines a legal mechanism for property owners to acquire ownership of abandoned boats. That process has value only if the boat has value.

The Department of Wildlife Resources administers the Marine Habitat and Waterways Improvement Fund, which finances removal of abandoned and derelict boats. In addition to state appropriations, the fund receives money from the sale of state-owned marine lands and from donations.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission also has the power to remove derelict and abandoned boats from public waterways. According to state law:⁴

Whenever any wharf, pier, piling, bulkhead, structure, or vessel is found in or upon the bays, oceans, rivers, streams or creeks of the Commonwealth in a state of abandonment, in danger of sinking, or in such disrepair as to constitute a hazard or obstruction to the use of such waterway, the Commission may ascertain the owner of the property and require him to repair or remove the property from the waters of the Commonwealth

Links

• Clean Virginia Waterways
• Virginia Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Work Group
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Abandoned and Derelict Vessels in Virginia
• Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Info Hub
• Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan
• Vessel Disposal and Reuse Foundation
• Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
• 2021-2025 Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan,/li>
• Reducing Marine Debris in Virginia

References