By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Sheriff offers free disposal of your old fishing boats
RIVER-sunken-boat-pic-1-LT
A boat sits partially submerged at a dilapidated dock in a slough near Turtle Beach. The boat is leaking fuel into the water, worrying residents and fishermen. - photo by James Burns

Just pulled the tarp off that old fishing boat and realized that it’s no longer seaworthy?

Don’t worry – the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department has got you covered.

This week the agency – which is responsible for patrolling the county’s portion of the 700 miles of waterways that comprise the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta – announced that it is partnering with the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways to make it easier for residents to dispose of unusable or unwanted boats or watercraft free of charge.

Known as the vessel turn-in program, the effort aims to keep the state’s waterways free of debris and obstruction and curtail the environmental impacts that arise when boats are abandoned or sunk in river channels or left to rot along the shore.

“The Vessel Turn-in Program (VTIP) is a proactive approach aimed at preventing unwanted vessels from being abandoned on our waterways,” the sheriff’s office said in the statement announcing the partnership with the State of California. “When vessels are abandoned, they can cause significant environmental, navigational, and safety hazards on our waterways.”

According to the state agency, the owner of any vessel with a clean registration that resides in an area with a participating law enforcement office can submit the necessary paperwork to take advantage of the program – which features free disposal of old boats and personal watercraft.

Even vessels without a trailer will be accepted.

And it may make financial sense to take advantage of the program rather than simply dumping the boat along the banks of a river or slough.

In the release announcing the partnership the sheriff’s office said that the registered owner of the watercraft can be fined between $1,000 and $3,000 and face up to a $10,000 charge for the safe removal of the vessel from a waterway.

Anybody with an old vessel that they’re looking to get rid of is encouraged to visit the website of the Division of Boating and Waterways at www.dbw.parks.ca.gov/VTIP or by contacting a San Joaquin County Sheriff’s boating unit deputy at 209.953.8845.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.