Friday, November 5, 2010

Derelict Vessel Removed From Cape Romano

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the removal and disposal of a derelict vessel from the beach at Cape Romano on Thursday.

The vessel was an 18-foot fiberglass hull that had been resting among the mangroves of Cape Romano, located south of Marco Island, for some time, according to Sgt. Dave Bruening of the CCSO Marine Bureau. There were no identifying marks on the vessel, so after a five-day waiting period removal began.

It took around three hours to dismantle the vessel at Cape Romano. Members of the CCSO Marine Unit transported the broken pieces of the vessel to the sheriff’s Joint Marine Operations Center on Marco Island. The Collier County Department of Transportation will deliver the pieces to the county landfill for disposal.

CCSO is among six local partners that joined together in July to begin the process of removing derelict vessels from Collier County waterways.

In addition to the county DOT, the partners are Collier County Coastal Zone Management Department, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Sea Tow, and Collier County Emergency Medical Services.

The six partners are pooling their resources because state funding for municipal vessel recovery efforts have all but dried up due to the slumping economy.

It would have cost an estimated $1,620 to remove the vessel from Cape Romano on Thursday had resources not been shared.

Derelict vessels create safety and navigational hazards, are eyesores and leak pollutants such as battery acid, fuel oil, chemical preservatives, and lead from paint.

An 18-foot vessel had been resting in the mangroves on the beach at Cape Romano for some time before it was removed and disposed of Thursday, thanks to a partnership that includes the Collier County Sheriff's Office aimed at removing derelict vessels from Collier waterways. Photos courtesy of CCSO

Cpl. Steve Barber of the CCSO Marine Unit transports part of the vessel to Marco Island after the boat was dismantled at Cape Romano.