As the cost of living continues to rise, the Martin County Sheriff's Office said they are seeing more and more homeless people living on derelict vessels, which officials said has long been a problem in the county.
Derelict vessels are boats that sit idle in waterways with two or more violations. Violations could include no motor, no mast, open windows, leaking fuel, and they're often, but not always, abandoned.
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WATCH HEREFor a long time, these boats have posed navigational hazards or have leaked pollutants, like fuel or battery acid, into the environment.
"We have vagrants squatting on the boat, it's falling apart," said Lt. Michael Dougherty of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. "We have had several instances where the boats have come loose and ran into the dock."
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This actually happened last November where seven boats got loose in the Jensen Beach causeway and created havoc.
But getting rid of these abandoned vessels is a long process that costs quite a bit of taxpayer money.
"It can be anywhere from $6,000 and upwards," said Dougherty. "Astronomical amounts of money.”
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This is also impacting people whose businesses depend on tourists and who also pay the price.
“The attraction of our waters, to anglers getting out there and fish and tourists and stuff. We need to keep it looking good," said Giles Murphy, who owns Stuart Angler Bait & Tackle.
County commissioners stepped up to the plate by amending a county ordinance which gives the Harbormaster, and thus law enforcement, more power to crack down on boats that are not supposed to be in the mooring fields.
Once a boat is considered derelict, deputies can tag it and try to get in touch with the owner to either bring the boat up to code or move it. If nothing changes after 21 days, deputies hire Sea Tow to move and dispose of the boat, but that can be expensive and often falls on taxpayers.
According to the Florida State Statutes, dumping a derelict vessel and failing to comply with law enforcement is a crime and can be punishable by arrest or fines.
