"Nobody wants to take responsibility": Owner of Glades RV Park Marina struggles with abandoned boat removal

MOOREHAVEN, Fla. — Earlier this month, Fox 4 told you about abandoned boats in the Glades RV Park Marina, how people there want them gone because they’re concerned about what they’re doing to the environment.

Now, Fox 4’s Austin Schargorodski talked with the owner of the park about how the boats got there, and why he said removing them has not been smooth sailing.

Austin Schargorodski

Tom Tripoli has owned the Glades RV Park and Marina since 2015 - he said the boats have been sitting in their half-sunk state since 2021 because the previous owners didn’t maintain them.

“The previous owner of the big boat just skipped out after his boat went down. He was negligent in maintaining his bilge pump, and overnight the boat just went down, and he almost went with it,” said Tripoli.

Tripoli said the owners didn’t have insurance, either. So, he said he went to work to figure out what to do about the boats.

“I’ve had a lot of doors closed on requests for help and so on - nobody seems to want to take responsibility for them,” said Tripoli.

Schargorodski went to the marina recently because people are concerned about oil on the water near the boats - which is an unknown oil according to a U.S Coast Guard report.

Austin Schargorodski

Florida Fish and Wildlife said since the boats are in the marina, it’s on the marina owner or the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to remove the boats because there’s oil involved.

“It makes us feel like a victim actually. You know, these boats went down through no fault of anybody at the park,” Tripoli said.

Tripoli said he received quotes of up to $100,000 to remove them, which he can’t afford right now. He said these boats are costing him money in several ways.

“It would be good to have actual clients in right now. That’s our goal - to have that dock space available again,” said Tripoli.

Tripoli said he’s tried to strike a deal with private owners to remove the boats so they can use the space, and he’s reached out to state agencies that could help in a case like this - he said any funding would be a big help in removing the boats.