8 abandoned vessels, marine debris removed from City Island's shoreline
According to New York City Parks, forgotten vessels and debris can damage other boats in the water.
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Apr 21, 2023, 11:57 PM
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Updated 462 days ago
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3h agoThe New York City Parks team and community members on Friday removed eight abandoned vessels and marine debris that were along City Island's shoreline.
Bronx Council Member Marjorie Velazquez teamed up with New York City Parks in the cleanup effort.
"It's just a way for folks to realize that we all have a purpose to play right. This is what happens when the community comes together," Velazquez said.
"Removal of derelict vessels, abandoned debris along our shore lines, it's a real important issue. Not only because of the visual blight that it poses, but it can be an environmental hazard as it gets into our waste stream as these things deteriorate," said New York City Parks and Recreation chief of waterfront and marine operations, Nate Grove.
According to New York City Parks, forgotten vessels and debris can damage other boats in the water, so it is worth the $4,000 to remove a vessel. But that process is not easy.
"Today was a very difficult day to get this one up because it was stuck in the mud for several years. So with the crew of divers, we were able to get it and we put three times the amount of lift on it," said Dwayne Reith, owner of Custom Marine.
Reith pointed out that one boat that weighed 5,000 pounds, so the team added 16,000 pounds of lift just to pull it up out of the mud in the water.
"If the boats are underwater 10 years, they break apart. They're very fragile. The fiberglass becomes brittle, but we were lucky today we got this one," Reith said.
The vessels that were removed from the water are going to a transfer station in Hunts Point where some of their parts will be recycled and the rest will be disposed of.
The clean job cleared City Island from debris just as summer approaches.
"I've been at this for a while, and I got to say it's the best. You know just leaving it better than you found it," Grove said.
This was the last vessel and marine debris cleanup for City Island, but the New York City Parks team said it will not be the last cleanup for the city. They said there are hundreds of vessels in the city's waters and their goal is to remove as many as they can.
