FORT PIECE, Fla. (CBS12) — A waterfront restaurant is expressing frustration over an abandoned sailboat that has been sitting on its property for about three weeks.
According to On the Edge Bar and Grill, the sailboat broke free from its anchor and drifted onto the restaurant’s property. The restaurant alleges the boat has damaged the property and said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told owners they are now responsible for the abandoned vessel.
On the Edge Bar and Grill said the boat’s owners have been identified but have refused to remove it.
“Since then, the tides have swung this boat east and west. It has already broken one of our pilings — a repair that will cost thousands of dollars. It has damaged a paying customer’s boat docked in our marina. And it has forced us to rope off three tables at our restaurant with caution tape, tables we depend on for business,” the restaurant wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday.
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The restaurant said it is also concerned the abandoned sailboat could become a projectile as Florida remains in hurricane season.
CBS12 reached out to the FWC, which said the vessel is being investigated as a derelict vessel. The agency said officers responded to the location and secured the boat, but because it is part of an active investigation, it cannot be moved.
“Derelict vessels are a top priority for the FWC. The process of adjudicating and removing derelict vessels can be complex, often requiring multiple court hearings, orders, and administrative proceedings before removal is authorized. Vessel owners are afforded due process, including the opportunity for administrative hearings and potential criminal proceedings,” the FWC said.