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Boats that had been wrecked, stuck for years in Great Kills finally removed

June 24, 2021

After years of complaints by boaters and community residents, three abandoned boats were removed on Monday that washed up near the marina in Great Kills Park in 2019.

The boats, which were located between the marina, now called Moonbeam Great Kills Marina, and the ramp to the docks, were removed today after much lobbying by local boaters who said the wrecks were an eyesore to the community.

After two Advance/SILive.com stories about the shipwrecks, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) said she requested NPS remove them.

“Today National Park Service (NPS) started the removal of the first of three boats abandoned in Great Kills Harbor that have reportedly been there since 2019,” she said. “I’ve had a good relationship with NPS going back to my days in the state Assembly where I worked with them to organize volunteer community cleanups. Now, as a new member of Congress, I’ve been personally involved in pushing NPS to remove these abandoned boats, and my office will continue to prioritize keeping our parks clean and properly maintained.”

A NPS spokesperson said the agency partnered with the MTA for it to fulfill a mitigation requirement that benefited NPS and the community.

“Tutor Perini Corporation [a contractor that works for the MTA on various city projects] removed three boats today from the Great Kills Park shoreline. We appreciate their expertise in completing this work,” said Jen Nersesian, superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area.

“The MTA’s purpose for the boat removal was to satisfy a mitigation obligation for tidal wetland impacts. The National Park Service was eager for their removal to protect natural resources and improve the visitor experience. With these complementary interests, all parties were able to partner together on the common goal of removing the boats from the shoreline,” she added.

In February 2020, and again in April 2021, the NPS told the Advance/SIlive.com the process to remove the boats “takes time,” and is “expensive.”

Fred DeLise, who was one of the founders of The Committee to Save Great Kills Park Marina Community, has been trying to have abandoned boats in the harbor removed for many years.

Last year, he alerted the Advance/SILive.com of three boats that were abandoned at Gateway National Recreation Area since at least 2019. Since then, at least three more boats had been spotted in the area, according to boaters.

“The [NPS] did nothing but drag their feet for four years. [A lot of] red tape. Thanks to Nicole for putting a fire under the right person,” said DeLise.