After many years of no action and some pent-up demand to clean up the waterways, the first two abandoned boats came out of the Waccamaw River on Tuesday. Wounded Nature-Working Veterans partnered with TowBoat US-Grand Strand to remove the boats and Squeaky’s Towing provided the heavy equipment and dumpsters for demolition and disposal. Horry County Solid Waste Authority is supporting the cleanup efforts with a $1,500 tipping fee waiver to get the waterway cleanup process started. Waccamaw Outfitters in Conway was the initial gathering spot in early September for the collaborative team meeting to discuss the problem boats and explore options to get started cleaning the waterways.
Abandoned boat removal is never easy, but this team made it look so on Tuesday. When the standing water was pumped from the first boat, it remained stuck in place when hooked up to be towed. The team found a submerged log wedged on the sailboat rudder post – but the experience of the Wounded Nature-Working Veterans team came to the forefront. Packing cordless tools for the job, the submerged log was quickly cut and the job was smooth sailing going to the haul-out site.
As an added bonus, the team located a second boat nearby that was flipped upside down with large holes in the hull. After an onsite assessment and communication with the riverfront property owner, the second abandoned sailboat was towed out and set on land for disposal.
This is just the beginning of abandoned boat removal efforts in Horry County as there are at least twenty more boats being tracked as abandoned in the local waters. Wounded Nature-Working Veterans is looking for support to clean up the local waterways, with financial support being the most impactful. Contributions to Wounded Nature-Working Veterans are tax deductible, check out their website to learn more. Heavy equipment and salvage diver services are also a big need in abandoned boat removal. Contact whit.jones@woundednature.org
