Abandoned Ships

Among all the damage it's caused, Tropical Storm Fay also took a toll on several long-forgotten boats.

Numerous reports have surfaced of abandoned boats breaking loose from their moorings and either floating away or sinking on the spot. These wrecks can pose an obvious threat to marine safety, as a TCPalm.com reporter put it: “With a storm surge and 50 knots of wind, a poorly moored sloop can quickly be converted into a waterborne bulldozer. In a few hours it can sweep through a waterway wiping out docks, seawalls, other vessels and in rare cases, bridges.”

But now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Service says it will “exhaust every attempt” to locate derelict boat owners and prosecute them to the fulllest extent. If you see an abandoned cruiser, you can report it anonymously at 888-404-3922.