Lengthy process ahead to remove derelict boat from Bimini Basin

Stranded boats can definitely be an eyesore. Residents nearby the one on its side in Cape Coral say it’s an eyesore, but getting it out of the water won’t be easy.

There is a process that has to be followed. A lot of paperwork has to be done before the boat can be pulled out of the water. That is weeks of effort that take place outside of the water before anyone can go in it.

People living along Bimini Basin have dealt with derelict vessels for years. This isn’t anything new to them. What is new is a boat tipped over at a 45-degree angle that was moved to a canal, tipped over, then brought into the basin, and tipped over again.

MORE: Residents around Bimini Basin upset over city’s handling of derelict boat

Residents along the basin have to protect their docks and boats from derelict vessels that move across the water because they aren’t anchored correctly. As much as they want the boats gone, if they are here, they want them upright.

“I’d like to see that boat out of here. And, somewhere else,” said Gerald Butch, a lifelong sailor. “Naturally, boat maintenance is so expensive. And when people fall behind on the maintenance, this is what happens.”

Butch knows how tough it is to get a boat like this out of the water.

“It’s a tragedy that some people abandoned their boats. And I know they’ve had problems down here with people polluting the waters, and that’s a form of pollution. So I’m all against it,” said Butch.

People who live along Bimini Basin say it may be known for pollution, but people who police it, like Cape Coral police, boast that boats have a safe anchorage here. However, it has not been known as a spot for boats sitting at a 45-degree angle.

“Get this sailboat out of the water! It is an imminent danger,” said Cape Coral resident Carl Marullo.

As mad as the people are who live in the nearby condos, even writing a letter to their council member weeks ago citing WINK News reporting, getting the boat out of the water is no easy task.

According to Cape Coral police, the cost alone to tow and destroy a vessel such as this is about $10,000.

CCPD says it tipped over again because it dragged anchor but says it is not currently creating a hazard.

“How in good conscience put this floating bomb just waiting for us to have to get up at two in the morning,” said Cape Coral resident Diane Mazarakis.

Mazarakis disagrees with Cape Coral police’s assessment of the boat being safe. The bottom line is the boat probably won’t be removed for several months.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is working the boat as a derelict vessel. That means the boat is abandoned but still owned by an identifiable person.

The process to get ownership of the boat back to someone other than that person is a trip through choppy, troubled waters.