BARNEGAT BAY – It was a sunny Saturday afternoon when an eagle-eyed observer noticed something wasn’t quite right near the Governor’s Mansion at Tices Shoal in Barnegat Bay.
A boat had sunk, quietly slipped beneath the shallow water’s surface. There was no dramatic crash, no emergency call over the radio. Just a half-buried hazard waiting for someone to find it the hard way.
“Someone I know spotted it and called me,” said Capt. Walt Bohn, General Manager of Sea Tow Central Jersey. “I told them to report it to the State Police and Coast Guard.”
“The next morning, both agencies located the boat,” Bohn continued. “But there’s only so much they can do without dive equipment.”
With water depths of just four feet in the area, the vessel sat like a hidden mine, waiting for the next unfortunate passerby.
It didn’t take long.
Later that Sunday afternoon, a 25-foot open bow rider hit the sunken wreckage. The collision severely damaged the outdrive of the moving boat, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in repairs.
“He was just cruising along, like he always does,” Bohn explained. “And then he hit it – just like that. If it had been a jet skier or a small kid tubing behind a boat, it could have ended very differently.”
Bohn has seen this scenario unfolding more often over the past five years – and says it’s only getting worse.
A Growing Problem Below The Surface
New Jersey, like most states, has laws on the books concerning abandoned vessels. In 2011, then-State Senator and now-Congressman Jeff Van Drew introduced legislation that amended existing statutes to streamline how the Motor Vehicle Commission processes title transfers of deserted boats. The change eliminated the need for a court order and clarified the timeline that defines a vessel as officially “abandoned.”
But while the legal tools exist to declare a boat abandoned, there’s a gaping hole when it comes to enforcement: money.
There is no dedicated state funding source to remove derelict or sunken boats from New Jersey waters. Costs can be recovered – in theory – through fines or the sale of forfeited vessels. But in practice, Bohn said, that rarely happens. Removal costs typically exceed what can be recovered, especially if a boat has already sunk.
“You’re talking about $200 a foot,” said Bohn. “If it’s a 25-footer, that’s $5,000 – and that’s just to get started.”
In 2022, a bipartisan effort by Senators Michael Testa, Jr. and Vin Gopal sought to tackle the issue head-on. They co-sponsored a bill that would have established a 21-member working group and created a $25 million “Abandoned Vessels Fund.”
Senate Bill 2757 was referred to the Law and Public Safety Committee. And there it died – quietly, without ever making it out for a vote. No similar legislation has been introduced since.
Forgotten On Land, Too
The issue extends beyond the water’s edge.
Jeff Dangelmajer, manager of Key Harbor Marina in Waretown, said marinas are facing growing problems with boats abandoned in dry slips or storage lots.
“We’ve got three right now,” he said. “Owners either stopped paying or just vanished. We don’t have the title. We can’t sell them. And disposing of them? That’s a $4,000 to $5,000 job – per boat.”
Even if a marina tries to offload the vessel, it’s a gamble. Dangelmajer said one sister marina was lucky when a boat owner left behind a clean title – they managed to sell it for $22,000. But most aren’t so fortunate.
“Some of them aren’t even worth giving away,” he said. “And if you crush a boat, there’s fuel to drain, fluids to remove, engines to dismantle – all before you can even haul it off.”
Derelict Dangers
The problem isn’t just offshore or confined to scenic stretches like Tices Shoal. Bohn can easily tick off a list of known derelict vessels in the region.
And, there’s a new one to add to the list. Just last week, a boat that was over by Island Beach State Park drifted during a storm. Bohn found evidence that someone was living on it. “It’s now at the entrance of Laurel Harbor,” he said.
The State Police responded to JerseyShoreOnline.com regarding this case.
“The New Jersey State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Aids to Navigation personnel have investigated the vessel. At this time, the vessel has been clearly marked with hazard buoys to warn boaters. Additionally, the Coast Guard has issued a Notice to Mariners to alert boaters of the hazard to navigation,” said Sgt. Ryan Koehler of the
Marine Service Bureau.
“Currently, no further action is being taken. The vessel does not pose any pollution risk at this time and appears to have been in that location for an extended period. There were no visible identifiers on the vessel that could be used to determine ownership,” he said.
“There’s one right outside Oyster Creek in Waretown,” said Bohn. “Another by Seaside Park on the line by Seaside Heights. And that’s just a few.”
In one case, a floating boat in Waretown sat neglected for so long that it eventually sank and now lies on its side. “If we had gotten it when it first happened, it might’ve cost a couple thousand at most,” he said. “Now you need a barge, a crane, divers to rig straps underneath – you’re talking about 10 times the cost.”
Of course, the question remains concerning who pays for the removal. And, it also might also bring into focus the difference between derelict and abandoned vessels. According to the Marine Debris Program, which falls under the Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the legal definitions may vary.
New Jersey’s law appears to only reference abandoned vessels. However, according to the federal government, “derelict” often refers to vessels that are neglected with an identifiable owner, while “abandoned” vessels are those where the owner is unknown or has surrendered rights of ownership.”
Environmental Hazards And Public Safety
The dangers go far beyond damaged outdrives and lost storage fees.
Derelict boats often contain fuel, oil, batteries, and waste systems – all potential pollutants waiting to leak into delicate ecosystems. According to NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, abandoned and derelict vessels pose serious threats to waterways, wildlife, and human safety.
“These boats are just sitting out there,” said Bohn. “They break apart. Debris spreads. And you have no idea what’s leaking out of them.”
Even when someone reports a vessel in trouble, the process to address it is cumbersome – especially without a funding mechanism. Bohn believes the state should create a streamlined method for identifying, bidding out, and funding removal.
“Give salvage companies a way to go out, assess the job, submit a proposal, and get reimbursed for the work,” he suggested. “Right now, it’s almost like nobody wants to touch it.”
A Call For Action
Bohn said he spoke directly with Congressman Van Drew about the issue. “He actually called me,” Bohn recalled, with a mix of appreciation and frustration. “Which was great. But we still need something done.”
The hope among those who work on and around the water is that lawmakers will see the mounting risks – environmental, economic, and human – and act before the problem becomes unmanageable.
Until then, abandoned boats will continue to haunt New Jersey’s waterways and marinas, lurking just beneath the surface – and sometimes, tragically, in plain sight.
