Nearly a dozen abandoned, derelict boats removed from Hilton Head Island waterway

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WTOC) - The Town of Hilton Head has announced that it has removed 11 abandoned and derelict boats from its waterway.

Officials say there is still a lot of work to do to clean up the waterway, but now they have more resources to do that.

For years, abandoned and derelict boats have caused problems for boaters off Hilton Head Island.

“They pose navigational hazards, environmental risks, and safety concerns for residents and visitors,” Beaufort County Council Member, Larry McElynn said.

Before, the town and county had to count on groups from the private sector to help remove these boats.

Now they have state resources to help take the responsibility away from the private sector.

“We’ve got to celebrate those wins when we can, and this is one of those great wins,” Mayor of Hilton Head Island, Alan Perry said.

New state regulations and laws were passed that now provide a funding source to help remove more boats and remove the vessels faster, and even impose stricter penalties for those who leave them behind.

All to try and protect the state’s waterways.

“The natural environment we have here is special, and it sustains our ways of life then and now,” Perry said. “It’s our sacred duty and privilege to protest this unique resource.”

Mayor Perry says there are still some boats in the water that they have seen that need to be removed.

The town requests that anyone in the community who sees an abandoned or derelict boat on the water report it.

They can do that through the MYHHI app, which can be downloaded on the Google Play Store for Android users or on the App Store for Apple users.