Some people don't just litter, they litter boats

Tuesday, 26 June 2018

Coming across a lonely-looking boat in the Marlborough Sounds is not uncommon for harbourmaster Luke Grogan.  

Just last week, he found a weathered catamaran which he believed was once someone's 'pride and joy'.

'You buy it with a dream, or an intention of doing it up and it quickly becomes apparent that the costs of getting it up to the standard that you were after, perhaps exceed expectation,' Grogan said. 

The catamaran, found in Waikawa Bay, near Picton, was the second abandoned boat he had found this year.

'Looking back to 2015, we have run the abandoned vessel process about seven times,' he said. 

So why are people ditching their boats? Does the acronym BOAT: bring-out-another-thousand hold true? 

'I've heard a lot of similar sayings, they stem from a certain reality … that boat ownership, it requires some attentiveness and it has some costs that go into it.

'There are some people that go out there, dreamers is a nice way to put it, and they have a vision of boating that doesn't match the reality.

'Maintenance and storage costs are more than they anticipated … so they tend to walk away from it.'

Grogan said the boat market was tough, and when people could not get a buyer, boats were sometimes ditched in the Marlborough Sounds, as people felt it was their cheapest option.

'Most of the time when we deal with a wreck, derelict vessel or suspected abandoned vessel, we are able to find the owner and encourage them to take action. 

'In those cases where we can't find anybody and we have to remove the vessel, unfortunately it does fall on the ratepayer … it's one of those things that council has to wear.

'We tidy it up to prevent abandoned vessels cluttering the water space … it's the equivalent of someone littering because they don't want to deal with their own waste.'

Grogan's advice for anyone considering a boat; 'Look closely at what you're buying, make sure you've done your research; storage costs, maintenance costs, repair costs in the immediate future, make sure you've considered what you need to in terms of compliance, mooring, registration, mariner fees, make sure you understand the basic bylaw about where you can anchor.

'Make sure you get a good understanding of what you're dealing with before you jump in.'

If the boat was not claimed in 30 days, it could be sold or destroyed.

'I think this boat has been around the Sounds for some time … I know there are people out there that have more knowledge of its history than I do.'