State needs to salvage more sunken boats

By Paul Drewes

Click here for updates on this story

    HAWAII (KITV) — The cost of boats going down in our waters, is adding up for the state.

There are more ships that need to be salvaged, after it is was no accident some were sunk.

At the Waianae Boat Harbor, there are two boats currently underwater.

They are still parked at their berths, but will have to be brought back to the surface then taken away or demolished.

“It happens man. Boats are hard. I’ve had boats sink on me, boats plural. And I’m all over it. Nature takes them down, so you have to be on it when it comes to maintenance,” said Greg, a boater at the Waianae Boat Harbor, who didn’t want to give his last name.

All boats over 26 feet are required to have insurance to cover costs like salvage. But sometimes, owners will fall behind on mooring fees, maintenance, and insurance will lapse – then the boat will sink.

“In those situations, when the owners can’t afford it, the state will step in to pay for the salvage,” said Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation Administrator Ed Underwood.

Bringing up these boats can be costly. Roughly ranging from $5,000 for a small boat that sinks at a slip, to $50,000 for a larger one, that is deeper or offshore.

And those costs can go a lot higher. It ended up to being nearly $500,000 to remove the luxury yacht Nakoa off the reef, and scuttle it in Maui waters.

All of those salvage efforts have added up over the years.

“We’ve documented $3 million in salvage fees dating back over the past 25 years,” stated Underwood.

Adding to the problem: boats aren’t just sinking because of neglect. Some end up underwater because of vandalism or even intentional damage.

“After a boat is abandoned, a parts raid will be the first thing – people take the hardware off. Then things start disappearing until finally it sinks,” added Greg.

Currently the state posted salvage jobs for three boats underwater at Oahu harbors.

Even though the state will pay the costs initially, owners are still responsible for paying those costs back – even if the state impounded their boat.

They won’t be able to register another boat or get a berth until they pay the back debt.

If they can’t or won’t, other boaters would end up paying for salvage, in the form of higher fees.

Underwood said they won’t know the reason the current boats were sunk, whether from vandals, neglect or unintentional sinking, until they can be brought back up to the surface.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.