The city of Port Moody is cracking down on derelict and unpermitted boats moored in the Burrard Inlet within the municipal boundary.
Mayor Mike Clay told The Tri-City News on Thursday that five boats were removed in the middle of July and another five were taken out earlier this week. The vessels can create environmental problems and can cost the city money if they wash up on shore, he said.
“Mainly, it is an environmental issue,” Clay added. “Some people living on them discharge their sewage overboard. Some are sinking and being abandoned and washing up on shore. That’s a significant cost to the city.”
The number of abandoned boats off the shores of Port Moody began to climb following a crackdown in Vancouver a few years ago, when dozens of vessels were forced to leave the False Creek area. Clay said the numbers in Port Moody peaked last summer at 47 and have been declining ever since.
So far this year, 10 were removed in June, followed by five more in the middle of July. Earlier this week, another five were towed or driven away, he added.
On New Year’s Day, the city’s annual Penguin Plunge was cancelled when a boat that ran aground near Rocky Point Park began spilling fuel into the inlet. Clay said the owner did the right thing by driving the boat to shore but when it came time to cover cleanup costs, the person did not have the money.
But not all boats are moored illegally.
At least one vessel is permitted to park in the inlet and many are anchored within the dock lines connected to private homes. That allows the city to at least know that the vessels are insured and that someone is responsible for them should a mishap occur, Clay said.
“We want to know who the owners are,” he said. “We want to know that they have insurance.”
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