Last month Cortes Currents published a story about a local initiative to use some of the abandoned boats around Cortes Island for housing. There were more than a dozen boats at that time. Dominic dos Santos said he had found a Victoria based firm that will tow them away. Some would undergo any needed repairs and be sold. The remainder will be scrapped. dos Santos said he has fixed up a number of abandoned boats himself and sold them to Cortes residents who needed housing. Since then a person identifying himself as ‘Storm’ emailed Cortes Currents that putting people who cannot find housing onto boats ‘is a disaster waiting to happen.’
“All too often boats get abandoned when weather cools and roughs up,” he wrote. People with ‘no nautical experience’ are not equipped to handle ‘the requirements of living on the water in a less than stellar craft.’
Storm added, “Another issue is that vessels without insurance cannot find dock space, and boats older than 40 are not insurable according to my insurance agent.”
Hiway Hippy wrote, “I think with the lack of affordable housing we should all consider how we can get people on abandoned boats, but more importantly looking at training newbies on proper maintenance and water safety. Perhaps through local community mentorship, there is within the boating community a plethora of knowledge on off the grid survival.”
The alternative is disposing of the abandoned boats.
Transport Canada has regulations for removing abandoned vessels. This starts with obtaining ‘legal possession of the vessel in order to assess, remove and dispose of it.’ They also may provide funding through the Small Craft Harbours Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels Removal Program.
Storm emailed that he has a vessel capable of towing multiple vessels, but would require payment. He suggested looking into a government sponsored program for crushing old boats operating out of Menzies Bay (just north of Campbell River).
Alternately, the Dead Boat Disposal Society is a non-pofit which removes “abandoned & dead boats, marine debris/garbage/crap from our beaches, oceans, and inlets from Port Renfrew, British Columbia to the border with Alaska.” While most of their work is volunteer, a post on their Facebook page states that approximately $5,500 was needed to pay for the ‘assessment, excavator rental, insurance, labour, bin rental and disposal’ of an abandoned vessel in K’omox Harbour.
Some of their previous projects were in qathed Regional District, around Denman Island, Cowichan Bay, and in the Broughton Archipelago.
Top photo credit: Three abandoned boats which Harbour Authority Cortes Island said the Coast Guard will remove from Squirrel Cove – Photo by Roy L Hales
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