BoatUS Launches ADV Database

The abandonment of marine craft is an ever-present issue, one which costs thousands of dollars and poses a threat to both property and the environment. BoatUS Foundation, an organization which provides insurance and towing services to the recreational boating community, recently established the first online database to record abandoned and derelict vessels (ADV).

The project was completed with the support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris program to report and remove abandoned craft. According to BoatUS, the database serves as a way to spread awareness about the seriousness of ADVs and empowers the industry and local communities into taking collective action against the problem. Nearly 1,500 ADVs have been reported since the database’s inception.

“Boaters now have an easy way to take action when they encounter an abandoned vessel,” said Alanna Keating, director of outreach for the BoatUS Foundation. “By reporting a vessel, a boater is taking the first step to help give communities and agencies the information they need to prioritize cleanups and stop the problem before it grows.”

To report an ADV, users simply navigate to the BoatUS website, or https://boatus.org/database. Users can record details such as date and time, location, vessel schematics, accessibility, severity of submersion, photos and other additional comments. The BoatUS website also includes a nationwide map of recently recorded vessels.

The initiative is part of the foundation’s broader goal to remove hundreds of ADVs from the nation’s coastal waterways. BoatUS provides additional support to eight US states and territories in the endeavor to remove ADVs through its grant program. One such community, Terrebonne Parish, La., has pledged to remove more than 150 ADVs in the area.