02-06-2025
St. Augustine to remove 9 abandoned boats from local waters to protect boaters and marine life
As summer boating season kicks off, the City of St. Augustine is launching a two-week effort to remove nine abandoned boats from local waterways, aiming to improve safety and protect marine ecosystems.
The operation, funded through grants from the Florida Inland Navigation District and the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District, will target derelict vessels in Salt Run and the Matanzas River.
City officials say the boats, many damaged or half-sunken, pose a growing risk to boaters, wildlife, and water quality.
'Some of them are from hurricanes that happened in previous history, some are abandoned,' Jacob Webber, the city's Grants Administration Coordinator, said. 'They're all abandoned and not seaworthy and need to be removed.'
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Beyond being eyesores, the vessels threaten both public infrastructure and the environment.
'If you're driving a boat in the water, you can run into it,' Webber said. 'It can damage a ramp or public property. If it ends up leaking, that's a danger for the wildlife and the property that's all around it.'
Each vessel will be carefully removed, relocated, and destroyed. Webber says the city works closely with local law enforcement to authorize removals and follow up with potential vessel owners.
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'We received authorization from some local law enforcement agencies, whether that's St. Augustine PD or St. Johns County Sheriff's Office,' he said. 'They give us authorization.'
Once the boats are removed, information about each vessel is returned to law enforcement so officials can contact owners and, if necessary, pursue restitution.
The city expects the cleanup to be completed in about two weeks.
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