The Canadian government害羞草研究所檚 inventory of wrecked, abandoned or hazardous boats includes a U.S. warship, a derelict floating McDonald害羞草研究所檚 known as the McBarge, a human-smuggling ship and an old BC Ferries vessel rotting on the Fraser River.
But the most problematic aren害羞草研究所檛 the well-known vessels with colourful histories 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 the fleet of mystery craft that have dogged the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada for years.
The inventory has more than 1,700 entries, about 70 per cent of them in B.C., ranging from abandoned dinghies to yachts and fishing vessels. Many have opaque ownership, testing the skills of coast guard investigators. Some are of unknown origin. Others, said one wharf keeper, may have been abandoned by owners who took to the water during the 害羞草研究所淐OVID era害羞草研究所� but found themselves unable to keep up with expenses.
Now there害羞草研究所檚 new impetus to putting owners害羞草研究所� names to the vessels.
In late June, the coast guard imposed its first fine under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, a 2019 law that empowers authorities to penalize owners of boats that are hazardous to marine environments and public safety.
The owner of a wrecked cabin cruiser, the Akoo, which had washed ashore on Vancouver Island was fined $15,000 after being targeted by a coast guard compliance and enforcement program established in April, said Paul Barrett, the agency害羞草研究所檚 superintendent of compliance and enforcement.
Barrett said the vessel was anchored in Cadboro Bay in Victoria before wind washed it ashore on a popular beach and owner Ryan Brackenbury failed to establish a salvage plan.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e less worried about eyesores. What we害羞草研究所檙e worried about with this act in particular is hazards,害羞草研究所� Barrett said.
He said the Akoo had been a problem for months having drifted ashore, discharging pollution as its hull deteriorated.
Barrett said he didn害羞草研究所檛 know Brackenbury害羞草研究所檚 personal circumstances, but court records and social media posts show struggles with homelessness, keeping the Akoo afloat, and a history of run-ins with the law.
Brackenbury, 43, said in an interview that he believes his boat was deliberately cut loose, calling the fine a 害羞草研究所渧indictive害羞草研究所� move by the coast guard that he plans to appeal.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not even my boat, like it害羞草研究所檚 not registered to me,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hey can害羞草研究所檛 really prove that it害羞草研究所檚 mine.害羞草研究所�
Brackenbury said he proposed a way of removing the Akoo from the beach, but the coast guard didn害羞草研究所檛 accept his plan.
He said he害羞草研究所檚 studying social work at Camosun College, living off disability payments and living aboard boats is his only option, because he is unable to afford a rental home.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e had my name on the BC Housing thing for a couple years now and I haven害羞草研究所檛 had any luck,害羞草研究所� Brackenbury said. 害羞草研究所淪o, you know, this (living on boats) is the best option.害羞草研究所�
Barrett said the challenge when they receive a report of an abandoned vessel is 害羞草研究所渏ust trying to determine ownership, which takes a fair amount of investigative skills.害羞草研究所�
Some vessels require registration, but records might not always reflect a current and accurate chain of ownership, while smaller boats that end up abandoned don害羞草研究所檛 require registration.
害羞草研究所淚f a vessel害羞草研究所檚 been left for a really long time, the registries might have lapsed and might not be valid anymore,害羞草研究所� Barrett said.
Some vessels on the inventory of wrecked and abandoned vessels have well-documented histories, including the MV Sun Sea, intercepted off Vancouver Island after smuggling 492 Sri Lankan migrants in 2010.
Also listed is the Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski, a U.S. warship that sank south of Prince Rupert in 1946 that prompted a multimillion-dollar cleanup effort when it began leaking oil a decade ago.
Then there害羞草研究所檚 the Queen of Sidney, a former BC Ferries vessel sold off in 2002 that now sits abandoned on the Fraser River near Mission, east of Vancouver.
Transport Canada keeps a bulletin board of 害羞草研究所渧essels of concern,害羞草研究所� but the few entries on the list show the federal government is trying to find their owners before removing or disposing of the watercraft.
Nico Preston, a wharf keeper, or wharfinger, with the Capital Regional District on Mayne Island, said there are many reasons vessels end up abandoned.
害羞草研究所淚 imagine there are going to be a lot of abandoned boats from kind of the COVID era, where a lot of people got into boating and then had lost interest or became unable to keep up with the costs of keeping a boat on the water,害羞草研究所� Preston said. 害羞草研究所淭hen there害羞草研究所檚 also limited moorage available. It害羞草研究所檚 difficult to find a place to dock a boat that害羞草研究所檚 protected. You know, there害羞草研究所檚 only so many protected harbours in British Columbia.害羞草研究所�
He said the so-called live-aboard community, those who drop anchor in open waters near shorelines and live on their boats, gets unfairly blamed for problematic vessels. Many abandoned boats are unoccupied and may be from defunct fishing operations or owned by companies that have gone bankrupt, he said.
Preston said his views are 害羞草研究所渧ery nuanced害羞草研究所� because he害羞草研究所檚 known a wide range of people who 害羞草研究所減ly the seas.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淪ome vessels that you think might be neglected are in fact cared for within someone害羞草研究所檚 means, whereas the luxury yacht hasn害羞草研究所檛 moved in five years, (that) kind of thing,害羞草研究所� he said.
John Roe, a longtime mariner in Victoria, started the Dead Boats Society after helping seize and dispose of 害羞草研究所渘umerous害羞草研究所� problematic vessels over the years.
He said many boats end up abandoned due to 害羞草研究所渦rban pressures,害羞草研究所� with marina space in short supply.
害羞草研究所淭he prices have gone up exponentially. I can害羞草研究所檛 afford to keep a boat in the marina myself, so none of my boats are in the water right now,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no economical way to dispose of these things. There just isn害羞草研究所檛.害羞草研究所�
Roe said his work to clean up waterways that began in the late 1990s has been supported by heavy industry, and it害羞草研究所檚 a positive step that the coast guard has tools to deal with hazardous boats tainting marine environments.
害羞草研究所淲e can govern what happens, both municipally and provincially, and federally what happens in our water,害羞草研究所� Roe said. 害羞草研究所淪o, we just need to say, 害羞草研究所榶our rotten old boat害羞草研究所檚 got to go.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
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