Miami's Marine Patrol rounds up sunken, abandoned or dilapidated boats

Most of Daniel Banko's belongings are gone, tossed into a Dumpster along with his home -- a 32-foot Hunter sailboat that he says was crushed by a crane while he was at work.

On Friday, the 50-year-old restaurant consultant sat on dry land with about 10 others who call the Dinner Key anchorage home, watching as a crane known as ''The Crusher'' dropped boats into a bin.

''It's eating me up inside,'' said Banko.

As Banko rested beneath the shade of a palm tree near the Seminole Boat Ramp, others scrambled to hide their boats from Miami's Marine Patrol during a city cleanup of Biscayne Bay, concealing the vessels amid mangrove trees or moving them outside the city limits.

''They're killing us,'' said James Martin, a basket weaver from Key West who hoped to keep his boat hidden.

For the past few weeks, Miami's Marine Patrol has rounded up sunken, abandoned or dilapidated boats and had them destroyed.

The boats are scooped up by a crane atop a floating barge and dropped into a Dumpster.

The boat cleanup is an ongoing effort that the city has undertaken several times over the past four years, citing environmental and navigational hazards.

Abandoned boats can become projectiles during storms.

Sunken boats can also leak waste and oil into Biscayne Bay, according to Stephen Bogner, Miami's marinas manager.

Derelict boats often sink, leaving the city to foot the clean-up bill when the boat owners can't be located, Bogner said.

''It's much more difficult to remove a boat from the bay bottom,'' Bogner said.

About 35 boats were removed from the waters surrounding City Hall this time around, Bogner said.

The city also plans to remove boats from waters near Watson Island and Virginia Key.

Stuart Sorg, chairman of the city's Waterfront Advisory Board, said anchorage residents have long known the area would be cleared of derelict and unregistered vessels.

''I understand the way they feel,'' Sorg said. ``But it's been coming.''

Miami's Marine Patrol did not return several messages requesting comment. Bogner, the marinas manager, said police have given owners a chance to bring their vessels up to code by updating equipment and providing proof of ownership and registration.

''This initiative didn't just fall down from heaven overnight,'' Bogner said, noting that at least 10 people brought vessels that otherwise would have been destroyed up to code.

Some anchorage residents say police spared their homes. Hugh ''Skip'' Boord, 76, said the city destroyed three of his boats but allowed him to keep his house boat.

But Banko, the restaurant consultant, said he was given no notice that his boat would be removed.

''We've got a whole community now that's going to be in disarray,'' said Banko, who is now staying with a friend at night.

Others aren't so lucky.

Burt, a 20-year anchorage resident who would not give his last name, has been sleeping under mangroves on the shore of Peacock Park for the past two weeks.

The 56-year-old had been living in a boat anchored down by The Barnacle, the historic home of Commodore Ralph Munroe. Officials had tagged Burt's boat with the bright orange sticker notifying owners they have five days to legalize or move the vessel.

He did neither and is now homeless.

Bogner said the city has been working with Miami's Homeless Assistance Center to find a safe haven for those who lost their floating homes.

But in many cases live aboards, as they are referred to under the city code, won't go to a shelter.

Sitting on a park bench, sipping on a Miller Lite, Burt said he'd rather spend his nights near the shore than in a shelter -- despite being attacked in Peacock Park in the past.

''I don't have any place to go,'' he said.

On Friday afternoon, a dozen anchorage residents gathered near the Coconut Grove Expo Center to enjoy a free hot meal, delivered once a week by members of St. Raymond's Catholic Church.

William Swink, who for years has brought food to Dinner Key's liveaboards, said the city is within its rights to move the boats.

''But you have to wonder,'' he said, as he packed up the last of the steaming bean soup. ``Is it moral?''