MONROE COUNTY
REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
KEYS WEEKLY / OCTOBER 13, 2017
SARA MATTHIS
sara@keysweekly.com
n just four weeks, multiple state and federal agencies have finalized a plan to handle the many boats displaced by Hurricane Irma. The U.S. Coast Guard, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency have each assumed a distinct role to remove the estimated 1,300 boats from the water. “It’s important for the public to understand that this is a free service; there is no cost,” said Capt. David Dipre of the FWC. “This is NOT a case where someone has abandoned a vessel and is liable. Hurricane Irma did this.” Dipre said the agencies are working very quickly to remove the boats, accomplishing in one month what took four months after Hurricane Wilma. While some removals began this week, officials are still working to secure staging areas “on the hard,” where boats can be stored to be retrieved by owners, or smashed and
1,300 of 25,000 VESSELS
While the count is ongoing, initial assessments put the number of boats torn from mooring and docks at 800 in nearshore waters, but officials expect another 500 boats will be found sunk offshore or on outer islands. That’s not bad considering that almost 25,000 boats are registered in Monroe County. The U.S. Coast Guard has divided the Keys into sectors and is conducting visual inspections to identify all the boats. In all, officials expect 1,300 boats were “displaced” by Hurricane Irma. The U.S. Coast Guard, the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Environmental Protection Agency are all tasked with finding the boats.
IT’S FREE
All of the boat removals taking place in the Keys right now are free to the affected boat owners. The state of the harbors and outlying islands, even the messes in canals, are being blamed squarely on Hurricane Irma. Just as municipalities have emergency funds to pay for debris removal, so do the marine agencies. There are contracts in place with firms that will handle barges and cranes to remove boats after a disaster like this one. The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead agency handling the removal of stranded boats.
NAVIGATION HAZARDS & POLLUTING VESSELS
1-800-424-8802 The top priorities for marine agencies are clearing navigation routes and removing boats that are “sheening,” or actively polluting. So far, about 25 boats have been identified as hazardous to the environment and mitigation efforts, such as laying “boom” around the boats, have already taken place. If you see pollution occurring, please contact the National Response Center at 1-800424-8802. The other top priority is moving sunken boats, or boats that are obstructing main waterways. The U.S. Coast Guard and the DEP are the lead agencies.
sent to the landfill. The biggest concentrations of displaced boats are in Boot Key Harbor in Marathon and near the islands of Fleming and Wisteria in Key West plus the Key West mooring field and Boca Chica Basin. “Our plan is to begin from the center, Marathon, and then expand operations east and west along the island chain,” said Lt. Quentin Long of the U.S. Coast Guard, incident management division chief for this emergency operation. He said there are currently two crews working with cranes and barges, and more may be added as the recovery effort picks up speed. The Civil Air Patrol is also helping to locate lost buoys with aerial reconnaissance. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is assessing the underwater damage. The public is urged to report conditions to the appropriate agency. Visit floridakeys.noaa.gov for details.
FLOTSAM & FOUNDSOME
305-985-3744
Boat owners who have lost their boats, and don’t know the vessel’s current location, should report it to the nearest substation of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Mariner who find loose boats without a sticker should report them to the U.S. Coast Guard by calling 305-985-3744. By next week, the FWC expects to post a registry of found boats on myfwc. com where boat owners will be able to see if their boat has been found. More details will be published about that registry as they become available. The FWC is the lead agency.
Let It Go
305-289-2320
The FWC has extra officers who are handling the investigative process — matching boat owners with boats. They are searching for owners on Facebook, using emergency authority to search Department of Motor Vehicle registries to find phone numbers, and also sending letters to the last known address of the boaters. In many cases, boat owners might want to wash their hands of the vessels. Boat owners can relinquish title to the boat by signing a FWC form and bringing in the title to the FWC headquarters at the Marathon Government Center. The boat will be destroyed and shipped off with the rest of Irma’s debris. The lead agency on this matter is the FWC. To turn over the boat, or ask questions, call 305-289-2320 during business hours, or email david. dipre@myfwc.com.
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