Is Lake Boca Too Crowded With ‘Derelict’ Boats? It’s a Complicated Issue

Lake Boca, May 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Lake Boca draws hundreds of boaters each weekend, and it’s known to get crowded at times. But there are some boats that never seem to leave, and people are beginning to take notice.

“Hurricane season is coming up,” said resident Steve Griffith at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. “My wife and I have been going down there on our boat, and there is no room. There are a lot of vessels that have been there for ‘I don’t know how long.’”

While Lake Boca is far from the only location along the intracoastal waterway where some boats suspiciously never seem to get underway – and sometimes appear to be deteriorating –city officials say it is a microcosm of a larger problem that the state has yet to address, even as new laws have been passed to crack down on vessel abandonment.

“We only have limited authority over the intracoastal waterway,” said Mayor Scott Singer. “We have frequently asked the state to allow municipalities to regulate these portions of the waterway for just that reason.”

Last month, the state legislature passed a new law that would hold boat owners responsible for removing boats from Florida’s waterways once they have been designated abandoned. It is set to go into effect July 1, 2025. The state has long debated how to deal with abandoned vessels, even going so far as to create an interactive map that publicly lists the locations of those that have been identified. Officially, more than 900 vessels have been designated abandoned, but nearly 150 of them simply have no hull identification numbers visible, meaning their owners cannot be found.

Lake Boca, May 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The new law will require boaters who wish to anchor their boat for more than 30 days over a six month period to obtain a permit to do so. Boats observed to have violated the law are subject to having their vessels declared abandoned, and would face fines as well as the obligation to pay for the boat’s removal. Boat owners who refuse to pay would not be able to purchase another boat – or road vehicle – in Florida until they settle the matter.

Residents who spot a vessel that may be abandoned can call an FWC hotline at 888-404-FWCC to report the boat. It would then be slated for removal if it meets the parameters of the law.

Boca Raton officials said they believe local governments should be empowered to remove abandoned or derelict vessels on their own accord, without going through the state’s bureaucratic process.

“It’s been on our legislative agenda every year for as long as I can remember,” said City Manager George Brown.

The state’s map does not identify any of the vessels currently anchored at Lake Boca as being officially designated abandoned.