One way to deal with old boats...

[Sea Change]

Sixty tonne 'bargain boat' sunk by coastguard following rescue - BBC News

I haven't heard of this happening before. It doesn't sound like any effort was made to remove the two tonnes of diesel first. Seems a bit extreme!

 

[Barton Seagoon]

It amazes me that the coastguard have the authority to sink the boat, but don't have authority to compel a harbour to accept it. They must have decided that it would cost too much to scrap it, and their budget is already too tight.

 

[Dogone]

Dumping waste at sea. I’d be in deep trouble for that. Why not the Coastguard?

 

[oldharry]

Dumping waste at sea. I’d be in deep trouble for that. Why not the Coastguard?

I wondered about that too. Normally any 'deposit' on the seabed requires a license from MCZ who will look very carefully for environmental and safety implications.

 

[Biggles Wader]

I suspect someone "exceeded their authority" here and might yet face a few awkward questions. Deliberately or negligently dumping two tons of fuel at sea must be a criminal matter even for the coastguard. Maybe the story is not quite true?

 

[Stemar]

They got some professionals to do the job, so I would expect that the fuel and engine oil would have been removed before the seacocks were opened. Wrecks also make a good home for all sorts of marine life - an artificial reef. The only people who seem to be upset are the fishermen who scour the bottom and, AIUI, do a fair bit of damage to the local ecology.

 

[oldharry]

I cant help wondering if there is some imaginative and inventive reporting going on here maybe from an editor trying to fill a gap? A salvage Company was involved making it even more unlikely that anything seriously outside normal protocols happened. It clearly was a more coordinated effort than just a couple of local CG lads going aboard and quietly pulling the plug to get rid of a problem.

 

[ducked]

They got some professionals to do the job, so I would expect that the fuel and engine oil would have been removed before the seacocks were opened. Wrecks also make a good home for all sorts of marine life - an artificial reef. The only people who seem to be upset are the fishermen who scour the bottom and, AIUI, do a fair bit of damage to the local ecology.

Looks to be a wooden hull, which should be OK, as should steel. Fibreglass is apparently a bit more dodgy, since the fibres get in the water and are injested by filter feeders, though in very deep water with no tidal scouring the rate of release is probably very slow. Areas marked as explosive dumping grounds on charts might be suitable.

Seabed obstacles in fishing grounds seem like a very good thing. Perhaps wrecks should be enhanced by grapnel arrays before sinking, to increase their anti-fishing effect