Newport Beach granted $125,000 to clear harbor of derelict vessels
November 4, 2017
Newport Beach was granted $125,000 from California’s Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) for the Surrendered and Abandoned Vessel Exchange (SAVE) program.
The SAVE program reimburses city’s costs for removing and disposing of abandoned and owner-surrendered vessels in the harbor.
DBW considers abandoned or vessel turn-ins as those which have “a likelihood of causing environmental degradation or becoming a hazard to navigation.”
City staff will be required to report issues with boats in the harbor to DBW on a quarterly basis.
“We were notified about 3 weeks ago, so we’ll spend the next couple of months executing the agreement including City Council approval,” Chris Miller, harbor manager for Newport Beach, told The Log on Oct. 19.
It would be nice to see a large tag or other sign indicating the boat has been designated Owner-surrendered or Abandoned. There could be wannabe boat owners looking for a fixer-upper and willing to remove it from the water until it has been restored and worthy — at no cost to anyone other than the new owner.
Great idea! Brilliant. Now what is the best way to promote this alternative idea?
Agreed! I, myself, am looking for a boat to purchase and would love to see the catalog of these abandoned boats to possibly bid on!