Someone literally left a boat in Pennsylvania’s North Shore in Pittsburgh, and authorities are trying to figure out how to have it removed — legally.
The Post Gazette reports someone tied their 31-foot Bayliner up on the Allegheny River in either July or August … and never came back for it. Apparently the owner, who wasn’t identified for privacy reasons, doesn’t want the boat back and isn’t cooperating.
The Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, which oversees that portion of the river, is demanding that the boat be removed.
Incidentally, tourists and hikers have allegedly been complaining about the supposed eyesore.
The problem is that the boat has become a hot potato of sorts, with multiple entities screaming “not it” when it comes to who can remove the vessel. Public Works said the city isn’t on the hook for this and bowed out — as have the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has stepped up to take care of the situation, but officials say the water is a bit murky on this.
“The difficulty is the law is set up to protect boat owners from having their boats stolen,” said spokesperson Mike Parker. “You can’t just claim one if you find it. There’s a process for changing ownership without the owner’s participation and it takes a while.”
And before they can give it the heave-ho, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has to check the boat for any pollutants, like oil or fuel.
If the EPA does find pollutants, that starts another legal process.