New Jersey partners with BoatUS Foundation to track abandoned boats
by Bradley Weaver 3 Oct 07:41 PDT
Abandoned derelict vessel in Beaufort, North Carolina © Stacey Nedrow Wigmore
The New Jersey State Police is BoatUS Foundation's newest partner in tracking and removing abandoned and derelict vessels (ADV) through the Foundation's innovative ADV database.
The national database provides a centralized resource for documenting ADVs, helping officials and agencies track vessels that may pose environmental, navigational, and public safety concerns.
In New Jersey, the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Marine Services Bureau uses the database as an investigative tool to document and track ADVs. Information entered into the database can help investigators identify vessels, establish a record of reported incidents, and support enforcement and removal efforts when appropriate.
ADVs pose significant environmental and safety risks. They can damage sensitive aquatic habitats, leak fuel and other pollutants, obstruct navigation channels, and create hazards for other boaters. Removal costs can average $24,000 or more, depending on a vessel's size, location, and condition. A centralized tracking system provides a way to document these vessels and help identify those requiring further investigation or removal.
The database is the first national tool of its kind for tracking abandoned and derelict vessels. Boaters and residents can upload an optional photo, log the date and time of a sighting, answer a short set of safety and vessel-related questions, and drop a pin on an interactive map to mark a vessel's exact location. Every report, whether submitted by the public or by an agency like NJSP, feeds into a single national dataset, giving communities, agencies, and advocates a shared picture of the ADV problem nationwide.
New Jersey's adoption of the database builds on the Foundation's broader push to remove hundreds of ADVs from coastal waterways nationwide, supported by a 2023 award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program. That effort is already funding targeted removals in eight states and territories. The project will also bring the broader movement together at the Turning the Tide Summit, December 6-9, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where industry leaders, environmental stakeholders and waste management experts will tackle sustainable ADV disposal solutions.
To report an abandoned or derelict vessel, visit boatus.org/database. If you're interested in attending the Turning the Tide Summit, register here.