Submitted by Kootenay Lake Sailing Association
When well maintained, a fibreglass boat can last a lifetime; when neglected or abandoned, a fibreglass hull can remain an eyesore and navigation hazard indefinitely.
Derelict boats are a scourge to waterways all over the world. Once sunk by waves and weather, they foul local waters; when abandoned above the waterline they remain an eyesore for the long-term and occupy enjoyable public shoreline.
Fortunately, on Kootenay Lake, derelict boats are few and far between. However at Troup Beach, one has been slowly degrading for the last five years. The boat was gathering garbage, rotting from the inside and would clearly not be repaired or used again.
The Kootenay Lake Sailing Association reached out to various forms of government, officials and friends but were unable to find the boat’s owner, nor find an agency that would take responsibility for removing it.
This spring, members of the association discussed whether they could solve this problem themselves. Many members enthusiastically stepped forward to volunteer their time, generators, ideas, boats and tools. Several significant contributions from the community included a large garbage bin donated by Mountain Bin and financial support for the transfer station tipping fees facilitated by Area E representative Ramona Faust.
The boat was removed from the Troup Beach with brawn and ingenuity, towed to a boat ramp and removed from the lake, cut into manageable-sized pieces, loaded into the garbage bin and hauled to the landfill. The dust and debris were contained by tarps and the site was left clean. To see a timelapse of the demolition, go to kootenaylakesailing.ca.
“This derelict boat removal was successful because of the volunteers who feel so privileged to enjoy the waters of this beautiful lake,” said the sailing association’s Jessica Cole.