Bottom Line: Virginia does not have an easy or affordable pathway to dispose of unwanted vessels. This reality has led many vessel owners to abandon and/or sink their vessels in public waters creating a hazard to navigation, damaging marine ecosystems, and littering Virginia’s scenic landscape. Virginia has an opportunity to follow the examples set forth by Florida, Oregon, and California through establishment of a proactive Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP), which would provide a subsidized removal pathway and increase responsible disposals.

VTIP Overview: A Virginia VTIP would allow Virginia residents and businesses who have received a written notice for their vessel being at-risk and/or derelict to voluntarily surrender their unwanted vessel to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) free of charge. Surrendered vessels would be removed from the water, disposed, and its components recycled as applicable.

Relevance: Proactive removal and disposal of unwanted vessels before they sink is a preventative measure designed to control and ultimately reduce the volume of Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (ADV) in Virginia’s waterways. As of 2022, the US Coast Guard documented 170+ ADVs in Virginia, and the FY-2022/2023 budget allocated $3,000,000 to begin their removal and disposal. 

Financial Benefit: On average, one sunk vessel costs $14,000 dollars to raise, remove, and dispose. By contrast, removing at-risk vessels before they sink requires less than $150 per linear foot. Proactive removal and disposal will save Virginians millions of dollars over the next five years. 

Environmental Benefit: A sunk vessel releases oil, fuel, hazardous fluids, glass, nets, and trash into the waterways. As fiberglass ages and breaks down micro plastics are released, which then enters the food chain. Waterway bottoms provide sanctuary and habitat for oysters and other marine creatures, which are negatively impacted by the presence of boat hulls and hazardous materials. Boat hulls shifting with the tide along the bottom scrape and bulldoze as they move.

Eligibility: The Virginia VTIP Program Manager at the VMRC would award VTIP removals on a first come first served basis. VMRC would accept applications online on a continuous basis until available funding was used. Vessels must be free of all liens or other claims of ownership, and the applicant must be the titled owner of the vessel.

Cost: There will be no cost to the owner of the vessel for this removal, destruction, and disposal process.