Cornwall Harbours commit £165k to remove wrecked boats

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Cornwall Harbours has committed £165,000 over the next 3 years to salvage and scrap end of life boats which have been abandoned by their owners. Funding has initially been earmarked for wrecks in Penryn and Truro. The harbour authority is also monitoring vessels at risk of being abandoned with a view to enforcing harbour powers to deal with end of life boats before they become wrecks and even more expensive to deal with.

Clearing up abandoned end of life boats is a mounting problem for Cornwall Harbours who have already spent £150,000 over the last few years removing 85 abandoned boats. Cornwall Harbours have the powers to clear and scrap abandoned boats that are a risk to navigation or the estuary environment, and recover the cost from owners. However, it can be difficult tracing ownership as the UK has no compulsory registration scheme for boats.

Wreck Free Fal and Helford commends the huge amount of funding and resources that Cornwall Harbours is having to commit to tackling the problem of end of life boats. In many ways Cornwall Harbours have led the way establishing powers to deal with end of life boats under the Harbour Revision Order and committing resources and funding to tackle the problem.

Cornwall Harbours is self-funded out of harbour revenues including mooring fees and harbour dues so ultimately the cost will fall back on boat owners.

CLICK HERE for ITV coverage on the story including views from local champions Councillor Martyn Alvey and Steve Green of Clean Ocean Sailing and Wreck Free Fal and Helford.