Coast Guard Finds 459 Derelict Boats in US Virgins after Irma and Maria. Now Trying to Find Owners
Three months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Coast Guard has found 459 derelict boats that remain damaged or sunk, resting in marinas, coves, bays, mangrove swamps or washed up on shore. Some are hazards to navigation, others are simply in the way. But in all the cases, the Coast Guard is trying to find their owners, taking out ads on the radio and TV and websites, while working to recover the damaged boats and salvage those that can be fixed. Many boats were damaged so much that the owners won’t take them back. The…