- April 19, 2024
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A boat that has been floating in the middle of the Halifax river, just south of the Granada Bridge, is not considered derelict by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, city officials said.
The boat, named "Miss Mariah," has been in its current location since April of this year, said Ormond Beach Police Public Information Officer Keith Walker. In an email, he stated that the vessel is registered to a man in Port Orange. The city's Neighborhood Improvement Division has been working with the FWC on the issue, he added.
City Manager Joyce Shanahan said in an email that the FWC relayed in April that the boat is properly registered and that "although it may be unsightly, it is legal."
The FWC was not able to be reached for comment.
According to the FWC website, a vessel is considered at-risk of becoming derelict if it is taking on, or has taken on, water without a means to remedy the issue, spaces on the boat designed to be enclosed remain open to the elements for long periods of time and if the boat has broken loose from its anchor, or its in danger to. An at-risk vessel is also one that is left unattended in a state that would prevent it from starting, is leaning due to water intrusion or is sunk.
"Miss Mariah" does not appear on the FWC's statewide at-risk and derelict vessel map. However, the FWC states on its website that Florida is "plagued with many abandoned vessels," which could become derelict. Derelict vessels impact taxpayers as local, county or state authorities are tasked with removing them.
