Inside Florida's Vessel Turn In Program

A look at your the effort to declutter our waterways—and courts.

August 08, 2024 By Jeff Weakley

Spend enough time on the water around Florida and you’ve seen it.

That point at which an unmaintained, aging or badly damaged boat goes from “classy” or “fixer upper” to… derelict.

In legal terms, derelict is not a matter of age. And it’s not just a matter of personal taste. Florida actually has laws on the books defining “derelict vessel.” The laws empower authorities to issue criminal fines and civil penalties to vessel owners who will not remove derelict vessels from the waters.

“Derelict vessels, whether floating or sunken, can deposit fuels and oils into the water. They can leach garbage or other chemicals, and cause damage to seagrasses or corals,” explained Phil Horning, Derelict Vessel Program administrator, FWC. “They can also drift about and become navigational hazards, affecting the safety of the boating community, particularly if they become submerged or partially submerged.”

There are things that we, as Floridians, can do to help mitigate this threat to our environment.

One, we can keep our boats to basic standards: Hull integrity, propulsion systems, dewatering, secure and lawful mooring. This stuff is defined by law but mostly conforms to common sense.

Two, we can report to law enforcement authorities the location of derelict vessels—or vessels which seem to be at risk of becoming so. “Florida law authorizes FWC officers and all Florida-certified law enforcement officers to conduct derelict vessel investigations and cause their removal if owners don’t bring the boats into compliance or remove them on their own,” said Horning.

Lastly, those of us who may find ourselves in receipt of a written at-risk vessel warning or citation—but for whatever reason are incapable of bringing the boat into compliance—may opt to enroll in Florida’s Vessel Turn-In Program.

As Horning explains it, VTIP allows the owner of a titled or documented at-risk vessel—who’s been given an official written warning or citation—to forfeit the title to the FWC and allow FWC to arrange for removal and disposal of the vessel. There is no cost to the owner.

Yes, the owner might take a more conventional route, such as donating the boat, selling for cheap or hauling out for a refit, but if none of those options is in the cards, the VTIP program stands as a last option.

“The titled owner of the boat applies to the VTIP program, and once they’ve been tentatively approved, we ask for the title,” Horning said. “We hire a contractor to remove the vessel and dispose of it at a local landfill. The state picks up the tab—we want to get these boats out of the water before it becomes derelict; it’s cheaper to get it off the water before it becomes derelict and sinks.”

It also prevents the owner from getting into trouble; once an at-risk boat is officially deemed “derelict,” the owner faces legal consequences.

“If an owner is notified of at-risk conditions that need to be brought into compliance, it’s a non-criminal citation,” said Horning. “If the owner doesn’t resolve the problem, and the vessel deteriorates into a derelict condition, at that point it becomes a criminal matter—a first degree misdemeanor, with court appearance, up to a year in jail and $1,000 fine, and subject to civil penalties.”

Horning says at any given time, there are more than 750 vessels under investigation by FWC and other agencies. Any titled or documented vessel, on the waters of Florida, from a 16-foot jon boat to a 200-foot freighter, might fall into the “at risk” or derelict category.

Obviously, not all such vessels reflect willful neglect. The VTIP program was envisioned by Florida legislators as a way to insulate otherwise well-intended people in difficult circumstances. Horning offered an example.

“For instance, there was an elderly gentleman in his 80s, living in a home with a seawall—he had an old 38-footer behind his house—the engines didn’t work, the vessel was falling apart. He didn’t know what do to.”

As the vessel was deemed “at-risk” by law enforcement, the owner applied for the Vessel Turn in Program, was approved and his vessel was removed and disposed of at no cost.

To date, Horning’s office has received about 160 applications for the VTIP, which began in September 2022. “We’ve had 94 vessels removed since the program started,” he said. “We’ve helped a lot of people, and helped the environment.”

Overall, Florida’s derelict vessel program, in two years, has resulted in getting almost 1,000 vessels off the water through various enforcement efforts.

VTIP: Find Out More

Florida’s Vessel Turn In Program (VTIP) enables owners of vessels cited as “at risk” of becoming derelict to have such vessel removed and disposed for no charge. Visit myfwc.com/boating/waterway/vtip to learn more. Florida statutory definitions of derelict and “at risk” are included there. Applies only to boats floating on the water—not on trailers or other land storage. Vessels in derelict condition are not eligible for the VTIP program.