Sunken sailboat attracting attention in St. Pete, city unsure when it will be removed
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Vinoy Park in St. Pete is a favorite spot to watch the dolphins, but lately, there has been something else people have been looking at.
"When we were walking, my boys were like ‘whoa look at that. That sunk. What’s going on,’" Christian Kas, who’s visiting from Michigan, said.
Kas, her husband and their five boys have come to see a sinking ship in St. Pete near the pier every day for the past week.
"The sail was a lot more intact than now, so they've kind of just been coming down to see the progression of the sale and wondering, why is it still here, what's going on," Kas said. "It was cool and interesting and [they’re] trying to make up their own stories," she said.
According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, the boat has been in the Bay since February.
"The whole derelict process starts when a vessel is either run aground or completely submerged and cannot be moved on its own power. It has to be lifted or moved mechanically," Lieutenant Jason Levey with the SPPD Traffic and Marine division said.
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Lieutenant Levey said Florida law mandates that police have to find the owner of derelict boats and once they’re notified, the owner has 21 days to move the vessel.
"If they do not, then they are issued a notice to appear. It's actually a first-degree misdemeanor, and then we seize the vehicle and then tow it, impound it, destroy it," Levey said.
"That owner was notified within the 21 days, and as you can see, the vessel is still out there," he said.
Police said the owner sailed out of the St. Pete Municipal Marina, took on water and called the Coast Guard, who helped him get the boat to a nearby city dock. After more than a week tied to the dock, the vessel was impounded, police said.
The owner paid to get it back, and the boat was moved and anchored on the northside of the St. Pete Pier. On March 5, police got a call that the boat was sinking.
"Our marine unit is very active looking for derelict vessels, among other issues that they see out in the water. Plus, we do get calls considering where this particular vessel is by the pier," Levey said.
Now, it’s up to the city to move it.
"Unfortunately, it's not a cheap process to contract with our company. It's several thousand dollars. Typically, $5,000-7,000 just for that company to tow it to the boat ramp, and then the cost on the city to crush it, destroy it, tow it. Those costs can be imposed upon the owner of the vessel, but that's all up to the court that imposes those fines," he said.
The only problem is a piece of city equipment they need to do that is out of service, and they don’t know when parts will be in to fix it.
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"As we get closer to Memorial Day, Fourth of July, if it's still out there, we may have to go another route. It could be more costly, but those are the options we'll have to explore at that time," he said.
Lieutenant Levey said if you’re out on the water, be careful navigating around the vessel, and stay away from the boat if you can.
"If you're going out at night, use your lights. If you have radar or sonar, use it. I don't know the exact distance from the pier, but I know it's pretty close to the pier, so just don’t sail a boat close to the pier," Levey said.
St. Pete Police say derelict boats are pretty common. Since October, there have been five to six they’ve dealt with in St. Pete. This incident is still under investigation.
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