Latest news with #Coastal
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Coastal well positioned to deliver long-term value
PETALING JAYA: Coastal Contracts Bhd is well positioned to deliver long-term value, backed by its strong cash reserves and a growing presence in shipbuilding and energy infrastructure. While short-term earnings for the integrated oil and gas services and energy infrastructure solutions provider are being weighed down by timing-related factors, the group's medium-term prospects remain intact. The group's robust financial footing stems from major contributions from its Mexican joint venture Coastoil Dynamic SA De CV (Cody), and proceeds from the sale of two offshore support vessels (OSVs). As a result, Coastal now holds approximately RM1bil in cash and cash equivalents, the majority of which is currently placed in short-term investments such as money market funds, said TA Research. This liquidity, the research house noted, 'provides room to pursue key growth initiatives'. Coastal's shipbuilding division is expected to drive earnings recovery, TA Research said. Three utility support vessels are currently under construction, with two scheduled for delivery in the second half of this financial year (2H25), and one in 1H26. The company also has three high-end OSVs in the pipeline, with staggered deliveries planned from 1H26 through 1H27. Beyond its core business, Coastal is exploring diversification into high-end hospitality, which would further boost its prospects. TA Research noted that the group is in discussions with luxury hotel operators to manage a resort development on Pulau Mabul. 'The capital expenditure for the first phase is estimated to be RM85mil and the room rate is expected to be more than US$500 per person per night,' the research house said. Given the project's timeline of one to two years and the fact that discussions are still ongoing, TA Research said it does not expect the hospitality segment to generate revenue until 2026. Meanwhile, Coastal's near-term financial results reflect a lull in project deliveries. For the first quarter ended March 31, the group reported core profit of RM17.7mil, which TA Research said was within its expectations at 22% of its full-year forecast, though it missed consensus forecasts at 15%. 'We anticipate earnings to grow from the shipbuilding division with two utility support vessels scheduled for delivery in 2H25,' the research house said. Quarter-on-quarter, revenue fell 58.2% to RM16.5mil, due to weaker contributions from shipbuilding and ship repair, while pre-tax profit dropped by 84.9%. Year-on-year, revenue declined by 7.1%, with pre-tax profit plunging 83.3% due to the absence of charter income from an OSV. TA Research maintained its 'buy' recommendation on Coastal with a target price of RM2.04 per share, based on a sum-of-parts valuation.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Previewing Florida baseball's competition in Conway Regional
Previewing Florida baseball's competition in Conway Regional Florida might be the No. 2 seed in the Conway Regional, but many consider the Gators a favorite to advance to the Super Regionals. The Orange and Blue were perhaps one win away from securing a hosting spot in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament and are playing some of the best baseball in the country over the last month. A 14-4 finish to conference play all but erased the memory of a 1-11 start, and Florida is looking to do some damage in June. Advancing through the regional field won't be a cakewalk, though. Coastal Carolina has the home-field advantage throughout the weekend, and East Carolina should have a decent fan showing based on proximity. Fairfield actually has an RPI of 74, which is less than 10 spots below ECU at No. 66. The Stags will have to pull off a few upsets to advance, but don't count them out of any game. Here's a closer look at the Conway Regional field. No. 1 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers The Chanticleers claimed the No. 13 national seed with a 48-11 record en route to a Sun Belt Conference regular season title and conference tournament championship. A combination of good defense and strong pitching is this team's calling card, and the Chants are riding an 18-game win streak. Hitting If there's an area where Coastal is going to struggle, it's hitting the ball and putting up runs. The Chants don't drive the long ball (56 team homers, 154th nationwide) despite being in a hitter-friendly park. Still, their 109 wRC+ — a weighted metric that adjusts for competition level and ballpark nuances — is ranked No. 70 in college baseball. Coastal doesn't have a hitter with an OPS above .942 this year and only junior infielder Blake Barthol has double-digit homers on the year. Caden Bodine is the team's best hitter — and might be the best catcher in the country — with a .333/.477/.463 slash line and 67 hits. Perhaps most impressively, Bodine has walked 44 times and struck out just 19 times. This is an elite eye, and Barthol has some pop to protect him from intentional walks. Left fielder Sebastian Alexander, center fielder Dean Mihos and first baseman Colby Thorndyke all have 50-plus hits on the year, too. Thorndyke leads the team with 16 doubles and Alexander is the only other home run threat in the lineup with nine under his belt. Pitching This is where Coastal shines. Not only do the Chants have an elite starting rotation, but they also boast an elite bullpen. Jacob Morrison might be the best arm in the regional and has been a comeback star this season with an 11-0 record and 1.90 ERA. Cameron Flukey (6-1, 3.28) and Riley Eikhoff (6-2, 3.19) round out one of the best trios in the country. Morrison is 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds with a four-pitch mix. His fastball rides and sits just under 93 mph. He can reach back for 95, but his mid-70s curveball plays off it well regardless of speed. Batters are hitting just .098 against Morrison's curveball, and his slider is just as devastating with a 39% whiff rate. Flukey has some more heat, touching 98 at times with the fastball. It draws a ton of swings and sets up an even better curveball (50.7% whiff rate). Eikhoff doesn't have the same velocity as the other two starters, but he has been around college ball for a while and does not walk guys. The bullpen is just as good and is a major reason Coastal has the second-best ERA (3.24) in the country. Seven different arms have 16 or more appearances on the year, five of which threw more 23 innings or more. One of those pitchers is freshman Luke Jones (48.2 IP, 3.51), who has worked as a starter and a reliever. In a regional setting, he's likely to come out of the bullpen, giving Coastal another weapon on the mound. Dominick Carbone (34.1, 2.36) and Ryan Lynch (29.2, 0.61) are the two most-used arms in terms of appearances, playing in 25 and 23 games, respectively. Carbone's a lefty and Lynch is a righty. That kind of versatility is good for playing matchups. Hayden Johnson (28.2, 3.45) is the No. 2 lefty out of the 'pen and has the highest K% among qualified pitchers on the team, 32.3. The last name to know here is Matthew Potok (30.2, 2.05), a junior with an elite strikeout-to-walk ratio (31:6). No. 2 Florida Gators Florida might not be the No. 1 seed, but this is as dangerous as No. 2 seeds get in college baseball. Florida can hit the ball well for both contact and power. Brody Donay could do some serious damage this weekend if he taps into that power stroke, but the Gators' pitching staff has to limit the damage to get through games efficiently. Hitting Florida might score just 0.1 more runs per game than Coastal Carolina, but there's no doubt that UF is the best offensive team in the regional. The Gators are ranked No. 31 as a team with 88 homers this year and are a top-50 team in wRC+ with 115. Losing Luke Heyman to a fractured arm is a big hit to the offense, but there's plenty of depth on this roster even with several injuries throughout the year. Led by Colby Shelton (.377/.458/.606) and Bobby Boser(.330/.433/.598), Florida's top of the order is lethal. The duo has combined for 140 hits, 96 RBIs, 31 doubles and 23 homers and mans the left side of the infield without many mistakes. Boser has more pop (this year), but Shelton has changed his approach to the plate to drastically lower his strikeout rate. He walks (21) nearly as much as he strikes out (24) now, making him one of the SEC's most dangerous bats. Freshman phenom Brendan Lawson (.301/.408/.498) is among the best rookie hitters in the country and has a penchant for coming up clutch. Donay is a 70-grade power bat or better when he's seeing it well, and even guys like Ty Evans, Justin Nadeau and Hayden Yost are starting to heat up. Because of the setting, Florida might need to overpower some of its opponents this weekend. Pitching Florida finally has all four of its main arms active and relatively healthy. The trio of Liam Peterson (8-3, 4.10), Aidan King (6-2, 2.76) and Pierce Coppola (3-0, 1.86) have some of the best potential in the country, but only King has lived up to, or exceeded, expectations this year. There's also Jake Clemente, who started the year in the weekend rotation but has found a more comfortable role as multi-inning closer. Peterson has the 98-mph fastball and a 12.6 K/9, making him one of the top arms in the 2026 draft class. However, he hasn't been the most consistent starter for Florida this year. He's recently performed at the ace level, but it's hard to tell when Peterson is bringing the best version of himself. If he's anything less, Florida might run into trouble. King has burst onto the season as a freshman and is at the top of his draft class (2027) as well. He's fastball-heavy but still averages a strikeout per inning and rarely walks guys (7.6%). Still, he hasn't ever pitched with the pressure of a regional hanging over his head, so there's an element of uncertainty to consider. Rounding out the rotation is Pierce Coppola, who has dealt with injuries most of his college career. When he's healthy, though, Coppola is among the best strikeout artists in the country. He has 38 strikeouts over 19.1 innings this year, which is an 18 K/9. Coppola's going to make batters look silly at some point this weekend, but he needs to show some stamina if Florida is going to make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament. The bullpen is a bit more hazy than the starting rotation. Clemente, senior Billy Barlow and sophomore Luke McNeillie are the three staples. Clemente will come in with a one-run lead in the seventh and close out the game, while the other two tend to work an inning or two before turning it over to someone else. Both Barlow and McNeillie have slightly elevated ERAs at 5.67 and 4.65, respectively. The latter is a strikeout artist, though, with 71 over 50 frames. Behind that trio are Jackson Barberi, Alex Philpott and Christian Rodriguez. Barberi is a freshman who has shown promise, Rodriguez has improved a ton over the season after coming back from Tommy John and Philpott was a trusted arm last season. It's hard to tell which one of the three Kevin O'Sullivan will go with, but they're all righties so it'll come down to who he trusts most right now. No. 3 East Carolina Pirates East Carolina is always in the mix to make some noise in June, but this isn't the strongest version of the Pirates compared to years past. They don't hit particularly well but do have a solid pitching staff and won an AAC Tournament Championship. Hitting The Pirates score the least amount of runs (6.3) in the region, by more than an entire run. Junior second baseman Dixon Williams has been a standout at the plate, slashing .296/.451/.563 with 13 homers and 48 runs batted in. He's a five-tool threat with speed (22 stolen bases) and a premium glove. He's a better fit at second base, but ECU can put him at short whenever it feels right. Freshman outfielder Braden Buress is another bat worth knowing with a .994 OPS and .392 batting average over 236 plate appearances. Buress has walked (28) more than he's struck out (24) this season and can steal bases (16). The only other Pirate with an OPS above .900 and more than two games played is freshman outfielder Braxton Tramel, who hasn't played since April 12. He's unlikely to return in the playoffs, but senior Ryley Johnson has stepped up inhis place. Freshman first baseman Austin Irby is solid with runners on base, driving in 43 runs this year. He has nine homers, which is good for third on the team behind Williams and sophomore third baseman Colby Wallace (10). Besides Irby and Williams, there aren't too many threats in this lineup. Pitching Ethan Norby is the leader of this pitching staff and he's had quite a strong 2025 after breaking out in early March. Norby gained national attention after striking out 19 over 7.1 innings. Despite putting up dominant numbers over the regular season (7-5, 3.81 ERA, 109 K, 22 BB), ECU used Norby out of the bullpen at times in the conference tournament. Expect him to start against Florida on Friday, but his stamina might be a question mark for him, especially if the plan is to use him more than once this weekend. Freshman Sean Jenkins (4-4, 5.35) has the second-most starts and innings on the team. He's stuck in the No. 2 spot for most of the year, making spot starts on Sundays and during the midweek whenever necessary. Florida likely won't see him if he's the Game 2 starter. It's hard to tell who the third starter is here, but sophomore Brad Pruett (5-5, 4.77) was the hero in the conference tournament, throwing five scoreless innings in relief. Senior Jake Hunter (2-3) and freshman Lance Williams (2-1, 5.30) are right-handed relief options, and Liberty transfer Nick Moran (1-1, 3.68) is the main lefty. No. 4 Fairfield Stags Who doesn't love some MAAC-tion? Fairfield won its conference tournament and qualified for the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed. For a No. 4 seed, this is about as good as it gets. Hitting Dean Ferrara (.381/.444/.529) is one of the nation's top hitters with 98 on the year. Only 22 of those are for extra bases, but he's still the best bat in the lineup. The pop comes from Matt Bucciero (.351/.468/.635) and Luke Nomura (.331/.444/.585), who each have 78 hits and 14 homers. Bucciero is the team RBI leader with 66, and Nomura is third with 52. All three guys can steal bases. Nick Sturino (.2765/.446/.478) and TJ Schmalzle (.282/.430/.484) both have an OPS north of .900, but it's those three bats mentioned above that carry the offense daily. Of course, Fairfield isn't playing an SEC schedule, so it'll be interesting to see how well the Stags hit against tougher competition. Pitching For a No. 4 seed, Fairfield is pretty well-rounded. Bowen Baker (8-1, 3.20), Ben Alekson (9-1, 3.24) and Kyle Lesler (5-1, 3.97) make up the weekend rotation and should give the Stags a fighting chance in each game. Beating Coastal in the opening round will be tough, but Alekson or Baker are more than capable of leading the team to a win. The three main relief arms for Fairfield are Blake Helmstetter (3-3, 5.45), Matthew Grabmann (6-3, 4.82) and Jack Sheldon (2-2, 8.04). Sheldon got work as a starter, too, which helps explain the elevated ERA. Grabmann is the innings-eater out of the 'pen with more than 50 frames thrown on the year, and Helmstetter is the top lefty. Conway Regional Schedule Game # Matchup When TV Game 1 East Carolina vs. Florida Friday, May 30; Noon ESPN2 Game 2 Fairfield vs. Coastal Carolina Friday, May 30; 6 p.m. ESPN+ Game 3 Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 Saturday, May 31; Noon TBD Game 4 Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 Saturday, May 31; 6 p.m. TBD Game 5 Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3 Sunday, June 1; Noon TBD Game 6 Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 Sunday, June 1; 6 p.m. TBD Game 7* Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 Monday, June 2; TBD TBD Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stephanie Vanderbilt Named SBA Business Person of the Year as Coastal Windows & Exteriors Celebrates 15 Years and National #1 Ranking
Beverly-Based Woman-Owned Business Named #1 Woman-Owned Contractor in the U.S. by James Hardie BEVERLY, Mass., May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Coastal Windows & Exteriors, a Beverly-based woman-owned remodeling company, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with national recognition. James Hardie has named the company the #1 Woman-Owned Contractor in the U.S., marking a major milestone in Coastal's journey from a one-desk startup to one of New England's most awarded exterior remodelers. Owner Stephanie Vanderbilt, recently honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration as Massachusetts' Small Business Person of the Year, leads one of the most awarded companies— a milestone made even more meaningful by their deep community roots and regional impact across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Founder Stephanie Vanderbilt launched Coastal in 2010 after a career teaching the deaf, bringing her passion for education into the remodeling space. "Our success started in a classroom," says Vanderbilt. "That mindset of putting education first is still the foundation of everything we do. We lead with empathy and transparency to help homeowners make confident decisions." Over the past 15 years, Coastal has installed thousands of energy-efficient windows, doors, roofing, and siding systems across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. These accolades reflect a long-standing commitment to exceptional workmanship, customer satisfaction, and team excellence. "Coastal has demonstrated impressive job creation and community impact through programs like Roofs for Heroes." said SBA District Director Robert Nelson. "Stephanie is the finest example of a small business in today's business world," added Michael Bevilacqua, VP of the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce. "Her dedication to her customers and community — especially veterans — is especially noteworthy." But for Vanderbilt, recognition is only part of the story. "Our mission is to serve," says Vanderbilt. "We just happen to install siding, roofing, windows, and doors." That service-first mission extends to the broader community through programs like Roofs for Heroes, which provides free roof replacements to local veterans, and Coastal has also donated over $375,000 in products and services to Habitat for Humanity. With a 4.8-star Google rating and 7,000+ homes transformed, Coastal continues to build more than just beautiful exteriors. "When you lead with passion and empathy," Vanderbilt adds, "you create real impact, break barriers, and shape a legacy." About Coastal Windows & Exteriors Founded in 2010, Coastal Windows & Exteriors is a woman-owned, family-operated home remodeling company based in Beverly, Massachusetts, serving homeowners across MA, NH, and ME. The company specializes in energy-efficient replacement windows, insulated/James Hardie fiber cement siding, GAF-certified roofing, and fiberglass/steel entry doors. Coastal is nationally recognized for excellence and customer satisfaction with awards including: SBA Massachusetts Small Business Person of the Year, James Hardie President's Club, GAF President's Club, Qualified Remodeler HIP Top Satisfaction Leader, Inc. 5000 #1 Woman-Owned Replacement Company in New England, and Family Business of the Year. Coastal combines industry-leading products with a mission to educate and empower homeowners. Contact: Stephanie Vanderbilt (Owner)Coastal Windows & Exteriors395817@ Cabot St, Beverly, MA 01915(978) 304-0495 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Coastal Windows & Exteriors Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republicans are dodging fired federal staff: ‘They will not even look in our direction'
Workers hit by the Trump administration's sweeping cuts of federal government jobs, programs and services turned to congressional Republicans for help. But Republicans don't want to talk about it, according to people who have tried to reach the politicians. Sabrina Valenti, a former budget analyst for the Coastal Wetland Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), was fired in February, then reinstated, and fired again weeks later. She started contacting Republicans in the Senate and the House of Representatives to express concern. 'They represent hundreds of thousands or millions of people and those people deserve a safe and healthy life,' said Valenti. 'They are allowing the people who create that safe and healthy life to be fired.' But as she worked with other fired federal workers in the Fork Off Coalition to reach members of Congress, the responses ranged 'from indifference and being ignored to outright hostility', Valenti claimed. Senators Josh Hawley and Chuck Grassley 'just will not even look in our direction' in the hallways, she said. Hawley and Grassley's offices did not respond to requests for comment. Related: House passes Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill and sends it to Senate The House of Representatives narrowly passed Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful' budget bill on Thursday, which would extend tax cuts for individuals and corporations; sunset clean energy incentives enacted under Joe Biden; relieve taxes on tips, overtime and car loan interest; and fund construction of a wall along the border with Mexico, and facilities for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. To offset its costs, the GOP has approved funding cuts and new work requirements for Medicaid, which provides healthcare for poor and disabled Americans, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as Snap, which provides food benefits to low-income families. Analysts fear these changes will bar millions from these benefits. Jeanne Weaver worked as an aide for 35 years at the Ebensburg Center in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, one of two state-operated facilities for adults with intellectual disabilities, and is worried about the facility's future . But when Weaver, now president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Retiree Chapter 13, tried to reach her representative in Congress, the Republican John Joyce, she had no luck. Even when she traveled to Washington, she was unable to get a meeting. 'I've called, I've left him messages,' Weaver told the Guardian. 'If he votes for cuts for Medicaid, I will make sure everyone knows him, because they don't know him now. He's hiding out, not doing what his constituents want him to do.' After the Guardian went to Joyce for comment, Weaver heard from a member of his staff. His office declined to comment. On Sunday, after House Republicans advanced Trump's tax cut and spending package out of a key committee, Joyce claimed the legislation would 'strengthen, secure, and preserve' Medicaid for 'future generations of Americans who need and deserve these benefits'. John Kennedy, senator for Louisiana, did speak with Valenti – a graduate of Louisiana State University – about her program at Noaa, and its impact on Louisiana's coast. 'He seemed really certain that if there was any, if any mistakes were made in the past, that they would be able to go back and reverse them,' Valenti said. Kennedy's office did not respond to requests for comment. Other workers reliant on federal funds that have been cut, or are facing cuts, have also been pressuring their elected officials to address their worries. Jesse Martinez, a teacher and co-president of the La Crosse Education Association in La Crosse, Wisconsin, expressed concern about cuts to education, Medicaid and Snap benefits to staff working for the Republican representative Derrick Van Orden. The staff claimed Van Orden would not vote for cuts to Medicaid or Snap benefits, according to Martinez – but he voted for a budget blueprint that included cuts. 'In the school district of La Crosse, we receive approximately $500,000 per year in Medicaid funding. We use that to pay for speech and language pathologists in our schools, occupational and physical therapists across the district and school nurses in our schools,' said Martinez. 'Losing that funding would be devastating to our kids.' Van Orden argued in a statement that 'being fiscally responsible and protecting benefits for vulnerable Americans can exist in the same universe', and a spokesperson for Van Orden denied the budget bill cuts Medicaid. Stephanie Teachman, an administrative assistant at the State University of New York at Fredonia, and president of Suny Fredonia Local 607, an affiliate union of AFSCME, fears that cuts could threaten the future of the only hospital in her rural area, Brooks Memorial, and the university, which is one of the largest employers in the area. But attempts to speak with her congressional representative, the Republican representative Nick Langworthy, have not elicited any responses, she said. 'I've been to Langworthy's office and he's never there. We've written letters to him, and he doesn't respond,' she added. 'All of us deserve to have a voice and be heard. It's unfortunate the people we vote for aren't listening to us and they don't seem to care what people of their districts are up to or what life is like for us.' A spokesperson for Langworthy claimed his office did not hear from Teachman until a few hours before a debate on the budget bill. 'Not one penny is being cut from eligible Americans who rely on Medicaid,' the spokesperson claimed in an email, accusing Democrats of 'dishonest fearmongering'. In Washington, those urging Republicans to resist cuts to key services have struggled to make headway. Senator Bill Cassidy's office 'kicked us out', said Valenti, who noted the senator Katie Britt of Alabama called Capitol police on some fired federal workers, and that the Indiana Republican senator Jim Banks called a fired health and human services worker, Mack Schroeder, a 'clown' who 'probably deserved it'. Senators Britt, Cassidy and Banks's respective offices did not respond to requests for comment. Senator Banks declined to apologize for his remarks following the incident and said he 'won't back down'. Four of the largest public sector unions in the US – AFSCME, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Service Employees International Union, collectively representing 8.3 million workers – have launched a new campaign to target GOP representatives over the cuts. The drive includes a $2m ad campaign across 18 congressional districts held by Republicans, including in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and Arizona. 'Their goal is the gutting of the schools and hospitals that help working Americans have a shot at a better life. And for what? To pay for tax cuts for billionaires,' said Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT. 'These ads send a message to Congress about the human toll of the administration's attacks.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nonprofit plans to remove 100 abandoned boats from Hampton Roads waterways
Abandoned vessels are a problem in Hampton Roads waterways, and this week a local environmental nonprofit is stepping in to help. At least 100 abandoned or derelict boats are in the water in southeast Virginia, according to Lynnhaven River Now Executive Director Karen Forget. The group began removing several vessels in Willoughby Bay on Monday, and the goal is to tackle 100 vessels over the next year. Forget said fiberglass boats became a big trend in the 1970s and 1980s, replacing many wooden boats on local waters. Now, many of those fiberglass boats have gone years without maintenance and are at the end of their lifespan, and owners end up abandoning them. 'There is really no good system in place for people who have a boat that no longer has any commercial value and really isn't seaworthy or usable any longer,' Forget said. 'I think a lot of boat owners just really don't know what to do. Some of them just abandon them. They anchor them someplace, and they leave the boat. Then it eventually drifts and it ends up on a shoreline.' Though other groups have removed derelict boats from local waterways before, this initiative has received significant federal funding to help cover the cost. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Program has provided $2.9 million toward the project, and Lynnhaven River Now has also partnered with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, the Elizabeth River Project and others to coordinate the actual removals. These boats can cause myriad environmental issues. Sometimes, boats end up in wetlands and scrape across an oyster bed or other kind of critical habitat. Some of the vessels also still contain cleaning chemicals and gasoline, which can leak into the water. Once they start to drift, or are pushed by a storm, they can become hard to track down, creating issues for navigation in the water. 'They're literally moving targets,' Forget said. The first two boats that will be removed are near Willoughby Spit, Forget said, and both are creating issues for Navy helicopter operations. One is a sailboat that has sunk next to a seawall, with its mast sticking up out of the water. The other is a vessel that is partially jammed into a culvert that drains storm water off of Naval Station Norfolk. In total, Lynnhaven River Now is aware of at least 20 abandoned or derelict vessels in Willoughby Bay. More than 300,000 pounds of hazardous debris have been removed from Hampton Roads waterways thanks to this nonprofit Abandoned boats are a growing concern, state officials say. A Virginia Beach man is taking on the issue in local waters. New Portsmouth boat tax would lower rate for smaller businesses' boats Virginia Beach to vote on revised budget that scraps boat tax for annual fee Tuesday The nonprofit has also marked other vessels for removal. After the removals in Willoughby Bay, there are six slated for the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River in Virginia Beach, two in Norfolk's Broad Creek and a 63-foot double-masted sailboat on the North Landing River. The sailboat — right by the Pungo Ferry Boat Ramp in Virginia Beach — is causing problems in the area's habitat and navigation. Some cities have tried to crack down on the problem. Last year, Portsmouth City Council updated its code to strengthen laws against abandoned vessels. Now, citizens can be charged with a class 1 misdemeanor if a vessel is abandoned. For each boat, Forget said, the team must do its due diligence before removing it from the water. Each owner must be tracked down, and with many boat sales going through unofficial channels or without a title exchanged, Forget said it can be a 'massive undertaking' to find a boat's owner. Then, the removal plan is reviewed by NOAA for adherence to the National Environmental Protection Act. After the NEPA review, it must then be approved by the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office. All of these steps take more than a year to complete, she said. The team submitted the first group of boats in one batch. Forget said the nonprofit is also gathering survey data on how to prevent boats being abandoned in the first place. In some cases, she said an elderly person can't do the maintenance, or young people inherit a boat they never wanted. Others have intentionally sunk their boats after it cost too much to fix or manage upkeep. Using the survey data, the project will inform the development of Virginia's first abandoned and derelict vessel prevention and removal program. 'When you hear all these stories, you can start to try to put together why this problem exists, why it's gotten so bad,' Forget said. 'We don't want to come back in three years and take another 100 boats out of the water. Our intention is to clean up as much as we can, of the ones that we can identify right now, and then help to develop some programs to prevent this problem from continuing.' An abandoned boat reading 'Virginia Beach, VA' sits at the Willoughby Marina in Norfolk on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) An abandoned boat sits at the Willoughby Marina in Norfolk on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Marine life swims around the mast of a sunken sailboat at the Willoughby Boat Ramp in Norfolk on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) The mast of a sunken sailboat pokes out of the water at the Willoughby Boat Ramp in Norfolk on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.(Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) The mast of a sunken sailboat pokes out of the water at the Willoughby Boat Ramp in Norfolk on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) An abandoned boat sits at the Willoughby Marina in Norfolk on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Show Caption1 of 7A notice from the City of Norfolk sticks on the mast of a sunken sailboat at the Willoughby Boat Ramp in Norfolk on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)Expand Eliza Noe,
