The popular old David Letterman gag “Will It Sink or Will It Float?” could use an abandoned Arrowsic boat as a case study.
The derelict vessel in this case ain’t floating – it’s up to its gunwales in frigid, icy sea water.
In fact, it’s not only sunken, but it’s angering neighbors who consider it an eyesore and environmental risk.
“That boat has been there for a couple weeks,” longtime local Arrowsic riverfront taxpayer Bob Caton told The Maine Wire. “I can’t believe they can just leave it there.”
“At some point it will float down the river and become a hazard,” added Caton, a veteran mariner.
Neighbors have been calling on authorities to try to force the owner to remove the abandoned boat.
But the sheriff’s office told WGME the owner has no legal responsibility to remove it from the water.
“No rules like NO rules,” Caton lamented.
The sheriff says the owner of the fishing boat, and his friends, had been living on the “Hook, Line and Sinker” most of last summer and fall.
“At some point he just abandoned it. And it went adrift and wound up getting grounded over there on the beach in Arrowsic,” Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Sergeant Matt Sharpe said.
The officer says attempts were made to find an agency to remove the boat, but nothing came of it.
“Maine DEP has been involved. Marine Patrol. Coast Guard. Sea Tow. I mean, we’ve had resources out there looking at it. Unfortunately, nobody wants to deal with it,” Sharpe said.
Cops say the boat owner broke no laws.
“Neither Woolwich or Arrowsic have a harbormaster. So there’s no laws pertaining to where they can anchor the boat,” Sharpe said.
He says without local boating laws, it’s as if the boat’s owner did nothing wrong.”
The town of Arrowsic is trying to figure out how to remove the vessel, which has holes in its keel and hull.
A boat-towing company said it would cost around $25,000 to dispose of the boat.
Harbormasters in Maine say derelict boats are a growing problem in coastal communities, costing as much as $3,000 to tow and scrap them, according to Brad Rogers of WGME.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="35474 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=35474">14 Comments
“ Maine DEP has been involved “ ……….has the boat leaked any fuel into the water ?
Pretty good bet ! But the Maine Department of Environmental Protection ….aka for slow kids DEP …can’t do anything about it …..unbelievable
The Chinese can grow and sell poisoned marijuana ,
This boat can leak fuel oil into the water
And NOBODY FROM THE STATE OF MAINE can do anything about it ….
Priceless .
This is the kind of crap they do in 3rd world sh*tholes. How far we have fallen.
Glancing at the headline I thought this was about the dire financial straights that the democrat’s have thrust onto us Mainers.
I do a lot of work for the Maine DEP and like other agencies, the folks in the field are all top notch and strive to do what’s best for the environment and the people of Maine. It isn’t their fault that this issue is not being funded by the State DEP. It’s a jurisdictional thing. If there was visual petroleum leaking from the vessel, that portion would be contained and controlled immediately. This derelict vessel is in navigable waters controlled by the United States Coast Guard. You know, that other military agency that was cut to ribbons by the former so called president.
Note; I am a private contractor, conservative to the core and not employed by any state or federal agency. I just feel its a good thing to set the facts straight. Call 1-800-RINO-SUE to get in touch with Susan Colins’ office to put pressure on the USCG which she has authority over.
so the same sheriffs office that failed to act prior to the lewiston mass shooting is failing to act now… its like they relected the same sheriff or something….
“ You know, that other military agency that was cut to ribbons by the former so called president.”
Let the NEW AMERICANS show the interest in America by stepping up Governor!
25 k for clean up is some B.S.!! show up with a chainsaw and sawzall and getter done!!
The democrats know the boat is not a voter. No political gain so no help right Congresswoman Pingree.
charge the owners of the boat with littering, and then fine them the clean up fee! if it has a motor it has to be registered… if its not registered it can be legally towed… im sure there is all kinds of laws to twist and make this work! they do it all the time to search for ne reason… just lazy sheriffs, and wardens they should take care of this
Here’s the missing part of this story – this boat has been anchored at the mouth of the Sasanoa River all Summer and Fall, and was clearly abandoned long before Winter arrived. Removing it before would have been a simple hook up and tow it to shore exercise, but no, it was just ignored by the authorities. So the ice, as could be reasonably expected broke the mooring line and now it looks like the picture, half sunk and leaking fuel and who knows what into the river. Government work at its finest.
Fine the owner for littering.
Only in Mill’s Maine!
I expect the boat will head down river with the ice. Just like all the brush people pile up by the shore for the moon tides to take care of.
Hard to believe that there are no rules that apply. The is a sure sign of several degrees of incompetence.
Now I know how to get rid of all that old lawnmower oil and gas – put it in a rowboat and letR’go.