As Tropical Storm Fay's winds pull at mooring lines and boat anchors, some vessels may break free in spite of the best efforts of the boats' owners. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and other agencies will take on the task of identifying and returning lost boats to their owners after the winds die down and officials can assess the condition of waterways.

Typically, returning a lost boat to its owner is easy. However, in some instances, the owner chooses not to reclaim his vessel and abandons it. Eventually the vessel becomes "derelict."

A vessel is considered derelict if it is wrecked, junked or dismantled and is left on any public waters or at any port or docked at private property without the property owner's consent. The FWC and local law enforcement agencies must exhaust all available means to have the owner remove the vessel.

"The owner of a derelict vessel is responsible for removing it from public waters. If the owner refuses, he may face criminal charges, with a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in jail or both," FWC's law enforcement director, Col. Julie Jones, said. "Derelict vessels are dangerous to other boaters, they are unsightly and they damage our environment."

In addition, the boat owner may have to reimburse local governments or the state for the disposal costs of their vessel. The vessel's owner will not be able to register any vehicle or vessel in Florida until the state has been reimbursed for removing the derelict vessel.

Information on boating laws and other boating-related information are available at MyFWC.com/boating/.  Report damaged markers to 1-866-405-BUOY.