The fourth of five derelict boats to be removed from the Jamaica Bay area has been drained and floated up closer to the surface, making it almost ready to be dismantled.
For the first time in years, the Hawtree Basin vessel, which has been a real stick in the mud for residents, is upright and on the move instead of lodged on its side, as seen at right while it was being drained.
“We are happy to report that the contractors are hard at work removing the Hawtree Basin vessel, and hope to have it removed within the next week,” said National Park Service spokesperson Dan Kastanis last week.
As of Wednesday, divers were pulling the boat towards the 99th Street side of the canal for the crew to bring equipment and dismantle it. They should have it there by Thursday but are working according to the tide.
The project to remove the five boats started in December but was delayed due to the pandemic.
According to Google Maps, the Hawtree boat, estimated at over 50 feet, has been abandoned for approximately eight years.
After going in to remove the large Hawtree Basin vessel with a crane, the contractor, Custom Marine, discovered that the boat was impaled by a large steel piling.
That allowed water and debris to fill the vessel, which also had mattresses left behind from when it was a functioning passenger boat.
According to the Custom Marine, which is based out of Westchester, the craft weighs 10,000 pounds per 10 feet, making its mass close to 60,000 pounds.
Divers told Roger Gendron, president of the New Hamilton Beach Civic Association, that the rudder was broken off and the engine had rotted out, allowing even more water and debris to get inside. Gendron has been posting photos and updates on the civic’s Facebook page.
