As each year rolls over into the next, the numbers of small craft, fibre glass boats on the whole, abandoned by owners has grown steadily. Old wooden boats get abandoned too, however, these, in time, will break down and in any case, as a last resort an owner can ‘safely’ burn.
I wrote an article about this problem in a magazine, now long out of print, back in 2010. It was published in Anglia Afloat in the May/June 2011 issue.
At that time I had not seen anything in the press about the growing problem that was clearly there to be seen, however, over the past decade it has become a hottish issue with even the BBC getting in on the act. See inside one of the two web blog links below.
Walking the sea wall from Maldon to Heybridge Basin this weekend I photographed the head of Heybridge Creek (River Blackwater) where there is a plethora of dumped craft – wooden on the whole – and running round to Herring Point there were a couple of abandoned fibreglass yachts and what appeared to be an old plywood cruiser. In the back channel two old sailormen idly rust and rot away…
There have been trials with chopping fibreglass up and reusing it – this was not very successful. Another trial was trialing chopping up the glass and fibres and ‘extracting them’ for reuse. This seemed to be working small scale – upscaling hasn’t as far as I know hit the sector yet…
Meanwhile around the world, for this is a global phenomenon, authorities are becoming agitated…
A Woodbridge boatyard has for years been into the brokerage of small cruising vessels – of the type most brokers wouldn’t even look at. The yard can be found by the rail station!
Now, a boat breakers based in Gosport, have begun a service where they match people with abandoned projects. The company has been disposing of craft for nearly twenty years it says and they have had some success in these endeavours.
Whilst I applaud the Gosport company, I would ask: what is the success rate of a match? However, they’re doing something – similar in my view to the Woodbridge enterprise.
See: https://www.andyseedhouseboats.co.uk
I have also written about this yard too…
One thing is certain, it will not be long before some form of legislation comes into the arena – it will affect us all.
Titchmarsh Marina Yard has for a while now been clearing their yard of abandoned craft. All fittings are removed – wooden boats are cut up for burning and fibreglass vessels are cut into pieces and go off into landfill…
Other yards are active in these endeavours too. Yacht clubs will need to step up and do likewise!
The operators of my new home berth have announced in their regular news letter that unclaimed dinghies will be disposed of and a process is being put into place to remove the craft of non-payers (mooring fees). Some of these craft have clearly loitered for some time. One appears in my article!
Recent article from Marine Industry News:
Along the sea wall near Heybridge Basin sits a big old wooden smack, the Telegraph. She has languished for years on the river – firstly for a couple of decades along the promenade at Maldon and more recently in a mud berth from which she ay never leave down stream.
The vessel is subject to possible ‘enforced’ sale but the owner as far as I am aware is not ‘playing’ – apparently there was (is) a buyer. This is a common problem. The UK Ships Heritage organisation is aware, but they are powerless.
Looking at the Telegraph this weekend, it was clear that her hull is out of shape with a hogged deck line especially to starboard and it was apparent that she does not often lift in her berth judging by hull/mud lines…