Displaced boats after hurricanes becoming a concern for SWFL residents

Florida is often called the boating capital of the world, but that brings challenges after hurricanes with boats tossed around and damaged.

It can be expensive to remove derelict boats, but it’s also hard to sell a home with a boat in the backyard.

In addition to turning roads into rivers, it brings more than just gators and debris; it also capsizes and damages boats.

Bradley Johnson, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission, said it’s the cost of living in paradise.

“Florida is one of the boating capitals of the world, so there’s a lot of boats here on the water and around the state. So, anytime a storm comes through, that’s going to be a part of the storm response is that we’re going to see vessels that get displaced from that storm.”

It can sometimes pose a challenge for realtors like James Farrell, who currently has a home for sale with a capsized boat just feet away from the dock.

“It does impact it a little bit. We see a lot of investors coming down today, small investors, bigger investors, some of the small investors may want the boat,” said Farrell. “But generally speaking, most people would want it gone so they don’t have to deal with it.”

The boat is a Captiva 246 that is currently free on Facebook Marketplace, but the cost to remove it can be hefty.

“This is a 24-foot boat, so it’s roughly, I think that’s $4,800 or just around $5,000 just to raise it up and leave it right there,” said Farrell. “It’s probably double that price if you want them to take it away and salvage it.”

Johnson said there are other ways to remove it without the high cost.

“If we determine that your vessel has been rendered derelict as a result of the storm, you will be offered an opportunity as the vessel owner to sign a waiver and have that vessel be removed at no cost to you,” said Johnson.

FWC is currently working with other agencies to mitigate the number of boats displaced by Hurricane Milton.

“We’re also currently working with the Division of Emergency Management to create a derelict vessel hotline for hurricane Milton,” said Johnson. “You can report any derelict vessels on Florida’s waterways or any lost or displaced boats from the storm to FWC at 888-404-3922.”

Since Hurricane Ian, we’ve seen the issue of capsized boats come into focus for future storms.

“As a result of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, that FWC has deployed 20 different officers, well, 20 different personnel, three non-sworn derelict vessel specialists as well as 17 sworn law enforcement officers to come to the areas that were affected for the purpose of locating, identifying and investigating those vessels that may have been displaced,” said Johnson.