PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Happy Nesbun has been leaning on the Portsmouth seawall for more than eight months, the days of her former glory long gone and surrounded by a residential neighborhood, a marina and abandoned vessels in between.
Portsmouth residents in the Swimming Point neighborhood, along with those associated with the marina, shared their concerns.
“We have become a breeding ground,” said Douglas Union, who lives in the Swimming Point neighborhood. “The word is out — if you want to get rid of your boat bring it on down here and dump it.”
Andy Sutter, president of the Olde Towne Business Association, said it’s not only the Nesbun, but other boats that are clogging up the entrance to the marina.
“This one is up against the wall, and it has been there for a while,” Sutter said. “That one as far as we know is vacant, and there are a couple of more that are vacant with people living on them.”
What bothers homeowners is what they said are the selfish attitudes of vessel dumpers on the Elizabeth River.
“Then they just assume if they dump it off, … someone is going to take care of it for them,” Sutter said.
10 On Your Side reached out to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, which did not seem to know about the Nesbun. It is now looking into this abandoned vessel.
“You have these beautiful homes, and they have to look at these derelict boats, and then the people that are living on them,” Sutter said.
It is also a matter of safety.
“We are worried about the safety because we have had incidents down here, police called numerous times, they are throwing trash on sidewalks and using drugs,” Union said.
Mike Provost, who removes vessels and has done so on the Elizabeth River, just removed another four vessels from waters in Newport News, having now puled 51 boats from waterways in Hampton Roads.