BOWIE, Md. — A 1990 Bayliner runabout -- a type of boat -- has been sitting on the shoulder of exit 13A off Route 50 in Bowie for at least two months.
Maryland State Police say they are just hearing about what appears to be an egregious case of the illegal dumping of an abandoned boat on a state road right of way. They are promising to investigate and remove the boat.
It’s the second time since March of 2022 that illegally dumped boats on roadways in Prince George’s County have made headlines. In a previous case, county officials were forced to haul away a mystery boat that was left in the county’s right of way on a frontage road along Indian Head Highway.
“Boat disposal is definitely a challenge for owners and the industry,” said David B. Kennedy, the manager of government affairs for BoatUS, the nation's largest organization representing the interests of boat owners.
Kennedy said BoatUS is working with states such as California, Florida and Rhode Island to come up with solutions including the potential for recycling, as well as state programs to help boat owners dispose of boats legally at lower cost. The organization is also advocating for a nationwide standard for boat registration, so that states can better share information about who owns illegally abandoned boats.
BoatUS and other groups urge boat owners to investigate options such as donating unwanted boats.
But the harsh reality is that many donation organizations don’t want boats, because they have zero value and are expensive to dispose of properly, according to salvagers in Maryland contacted by WUSA9. Unlike cars, which have a few hundred dollars of value as scrap metal, boats can end up costing thousands for whoever is stuck with them, salvagers said.
In the case of the abandoned runabout on Rt. 50, which is made of fiberglass, the removal cost would be about $100 per foot, with additional fees to handle environmental problems such as waste oil and gasoline. It all creates an incentive for illegal dumping, salvagers said.
The most recent found boat has a hull identification number and the remains of a Virginia registration. Investigators might be able to use the numbers to track down previous owners, but proving who exactly dumped the boat is another matter, which makes holding individuals accountable challenging, according to investigators who have worked on similar illegal dumping cases.
The penalties for illegal dumping in Maryland can be up to a $30,000 fine and five years in jail.
Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources has a program to help local agencies remove sunken or abandoned boats from in or near Maryland waterways. Agencies can apply for grants of up to $10,000 to cover the costs of abandoned boat removals, according to the DNR’s website. A portion of Maryland boat registration fees pays for the program.
But in the case of the boat abandoned on US 50, Maryland state police say it is their agency’s problem. Police will call in a salvage truck to remove the boat, according to a state police spokesperson.