On an island surrounded by water, it seems someone would be responsible for regulating and removing derelict or problem boats from the waterways.
But in a case of “shooting across the bow,” it’s really not so easy, as Key Royale residents discovered after attempts to get a decaying vessel removed from a privately owned slip between Baronet and Concord lanes.
Sometime between April 4 and April 6, the nuisance became an environmental issue, as the vessel sank and diesel fuel began spilling into the canal.
Neighbors started noticing the smell of fuel the morning of April 6 and West Manatee Fire Rescue and the Holmes Beach Police Department responded to their calls.
Eric Garza, an environmental specialist from the U.S. Coast Guard, and Domenic LetoBarone, an emergency response specialist at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, were summoned by WMFR and HBPD.
LetoBarone said a “light sheen” was first reported to the state watch office April 1 and then to his office April 5.
Garza called in Hull’s Environmental Services Inc. of Tampa to control the spill and empty the boat’s tanks of fuel, oil and waste.
Key Royale Drive homeowners Jane and Tom Gauld say the boat was in horrible condition more than two years ago when they purchased their home on Key Royale Drive by the dock.
“We called the city of Holmes Beach, the police, HB code enforcement, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (Commission) and the Coast Guard,” Tom Gauld said. “No one knew who the boat belonged to and authorities took no action. Now we have this.”
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said his office has no jurisdiction when it comes to floating boats that are not blocking a waterway.
“There is really no violation with a vessel as long as it is floating and not polluting. There’s no violation for not keeping up a boat,” Tokajer said.
The partially sunken boat in question had no decal or identifying numbers. To further complicate the matter, each slip at the canal’s end dock is owned separately, with no master list of owners or contacts.
Hull’s workers encircled the boat with floating containment booms and set about under Garza’s supervision to empty the tanks.
“I personally popped open all the tanks and doubled check them. We drained everything we could from that boat,” Garza said, though some fuel remained in the submerged cabin.
“It’s going to sheen around the boat until the residual oil goes away. Time and nature will take care of that fairly quickly,” Garza said.
Holmes Beach code enforcement officer JT Thomas said he planned to work with the county to locate the owner of the boat and do property searches to identify the owners of the boat slips.
“We need a comprehensive plan for changing how we deal with boats.” Thomas conceded.
In the meantime, Hull’s Environmental pumped approximately 330 gallons of fuel, water and oil mix and waste from the boat, according to Garza.
And the cost?
“About $7,000 for the cleanup. The Coast Guard has the Federal Fund for Oil Spill Liability Trust to pay for removal of oil. Payment will come from the trust,” said Garza. The trust is funded by the oil industry.
That’s little consolation to the Key Royale neighbors dealing with the eyesore of a half-sunken boat in disrepair.
“There doesn’t seem to be any authority to make the boat be removed,” Tom Gauld said. “The city of Holmes Beach may not have a legal responsibility for removing it but, at least, it would be ethically responsible to take care of it.”
The booms were removed in the late afternoon April 6 and the boat continued to list on the canal bottom.
There is also a abandoned sailboat at Sunbow Bay, 3805 E. BAY Dr that has been there since it washed up in a storm in September! No excuse for no action.