There’s an undercurrent of concern in Cortez for derelict boats and the people who take up residence on some of them.
Karen Bell, owner of A.P. Bell Fish Co. and a Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage board member, raised the issue June 5 during a FISH meeting in Cortez.
And her comments sparked a discussion about people taking up residence on abandoned and derelict boats near the fishing village.
Bell identified the issue as a growing problem tied to what she described as drug-related incidents in the community, including the death this spring of a commercial fisherman who sold fish to A.P. Bell Fish House, of which Bell is co-owner.
“He got his check, which he wanted to take to rehab with him because they charge them so much. He got his check, which was kind of sad, and two days later he was dead,” she said.
Bell told The Islander June 10 that the man was aboard an unnamed, unlighted vessel near Cortez with another person the night that led to his death.
She said he was on deck while another person was cooking below. When the cook came up from the galley, the man was overboard.
The man was rescued and taken to a hospital but died days later.
A year ago, another person staying on a boat near Cortez died.
On June 6, 2022, a 34-year-old Bradenton woman died of a methamphetamine overdose after spending the night aboard a derelict vessel anchored about 100 yards off the dock of the Starfish Co. Market and Restaurant, also owned by Bell at 12306 46th Ave W., Cortez.
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reports said her companion noticed she was exhibiting symptoms of heart failure and rowed the woman to shore while calling for assistance.
First responders attempted life-saving measures but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bell said she has considered adding nighttime security at her properties to curb issues her businesses face due to the proximity of homeless people on nearby derelict boats.
She spoke to The Islander June 17 about some of the issues.
“The boat people are coming on and off the water at all hours,” said Bell. “They plug their phones and batteries into electrical outlets. … They leave their stuff on the public right of way. … They use the shower and bathrooms at A.P. Bell and take ice. They shouldn’t even be on any private property. At times they leave vehicles and golf carts and bicycles on private property. Their boats aren’t properly anchored so during storms they can potentially hurt our boats and docks. Also, drug use is an issue.”
Derelict boats also present a problem for commercial fishing operations and U.S. Coast Guard operations.
Local commercial fisher and FISH board member Nathan Meschelle, for example, told The Islander June 17 about some of the issues faced by commercial fishers.
“It’s definitely a navigational hazard,” Meshelle said of some boats. “There are two for certain submerged vessels. On high tide, you can’t even see, especially at night. Then there are some that are completely abandoned and those are scattered all throughout the bay. Some of them aren’t even registered but they have occupancy on them, which shouldn’t be allowed either.
“I remember law enforcement taking initiative on them several years ago but, as of late, it doesn’t seem much effort has been done for that,” he added.
Bell said commercial fishing boats at the A.P. Bell docks also can have trouble navigating anchor lines from derelict boats, as well as avoiding sunken vessels in the shallows.
She said the U.S. Coast Guard Station Cortez, which neighbors the Bell fish house, reported problems to her with derelict vessels.
“I talked to the Coast Guard,” Bell said. “They are really upset, for their boats to even come out is ridiculous, for my boats to come in and out, there’s all this scope out. There’s sunken boats.”
Bell said she wants to organize a community meeting with the Coast Guard, FWC and Cortez residents and business people.
Michael Solum, marine resources manager with the Manatee County Natural Resources Department, told The Islander June 12 that boats in local waterways fall into three classifications for inspection and removal — lost boats, abandoned boats and derelict boats.
Lost boats have come loose from their moorings and must be located and identified by a hull number.
Abandoned boats do not have an identifiable owner and have been disposed of in a wrecked, inoperative or partially dismantled condition.
Such boats are within the jurisdiction of the county.
However, marine resources cannot inspect an occupied vessel, even if it appears unseaworthy.
“By statute, a county employee, even if they are a code enforcement officer, can’t investigate a derelict vessel. So lost and abandoned, we can do,” Solum said.
Derelict boats are identified by law enforcement if they fail to meet criteria of a seaworthy vessel. A boat operator must be able to show the vessel can move under its own power, it must be secure from the elements, including working hatches and doors which keep rain out, it must have a light if anchoring at night and it must have current registration.
Derelict boats in Cortez might begin as lost or abandoned vessels and then become occupied. And, once occupied, enforcement agencies have a more difficult time removing a vessel.
“We talk with law enforcement weekly and, nine times out of 10, they know about the vessel already,” Solum said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is the lead agency on removal of derelict boats, with the MCSO possibly assisting with information and investigation.
Solum said marine resources staff recently reviewed the Cortez waters by boat and identified five vessels of interest, three of which are under investigation.
Solum said the process for removing derelict vessels can be lengthy: “I can tell you, the derelict vessel ones, take forever. The rules are pretty tight because it’s a titled instrument.”
Bradenton Beach Police Chief John Cosby said his city was once in a situation like that of Cortez.
“At one time, we had over 70 vessels out there and probably 85% of them were derelict,” Cosby said, speaking of the anchorage in Sarasota Bay alongside the Historic Bridge Street Pier.
“The city decided that they wanted to take a more active role because of the amount of boats that were there. And, it took us maybe seven years to get that somewhat under control,” the chief added.
Cosby also said the process to clean up waters around Cortez would take time.
As of press time June 19, neither the MCSO nor the FWC had responded to The Islander’s inquiries.