What to Know
- A New Jersey city has been trying to clean up a so-called boat graveyard in the Hudson River for the past few years but now officials say they need federal funding to do finish the job
- Earlier this month, the city applied for a $100,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to remove the boats, as well as three other boats further up the coast
- The boats -- some of them ditched after storms -- weren't only an eyesore, they were presenting a hazard, officials say
A New Jersey city has been trying to clean up a so-called boat graveyard in the Hudson River for the past few years but now officials say they need federal funding to do finish the job.
At first glance, the Weehawken Cove looks like a bustling marina but a closer look reveals sunken boats with their masts shooting up from the water's surface. The mayor of Hoboken says at least 14 boats have been long abandoned along the city's waterfront. The boats are not only an eyesore but they're also a safety hazard, Mayor Ravinder Bhalla said.
A new online petition demanding Hoboken remove the boat has racked up more than 500 signatures.
City officials say they want the boats gone as much as the residents. Earlier this month, the city applied for a $100,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to remove the boats, as well as three other boats further up the coast.
"The owners of the boats have chosen to, at no cost, simply have them sunken into that cove," Bhalla said.
The city believes some of the boats have been left in the water since Super Storm Sandy battered the region, but some have been abandoned much more recently. One of the boats is just steps from joggers and bicyclists along the scenic waterfront. It's unclear who the boat belongs to because the serial number has been removed.
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Other boaters say the submerged vessels act as potential land mines for those unaware of their existence.
"They might hit something they don't want to hit," one boat owner says.
But fishing the boats out of the river comes with a $250,000 price tag. That's why the city is urging residents to sign on to its grant letter, to strengthen the chance they'll receive funding from the federal government.
Mayor Bhalla says over 600 residents have signed on to the letter. The city will find out next month if the initial application has been approved.
