Boat owners in Wrangell now have some new rules to follow if they plan on keeping inactive vessels tied up in any of the harbors.

At the Feb. 10 borough assembly meeting, members unanimously passed a new law designed to crack down on inactive boats taking up moorage space in the harbors. The provisions, which went into effect immediately, come after years of talks between Harbormaster Steve Miller, the port commission and borough leaders.

No one from the public offered any comments about the ordinance at the meeting.

The goal isn’t just about paperwork, it’s about safety and making room for people who actually use their boats. According to Miller, there are between 25 and 30 boats on a waitlist for a permanent moorage.

“This is an effort to develop a code section targeting that and running some preventative measures so that we’re not dealing with sunken vessels and all that comes along with it,” Miller explained at the Jan. 27 assembly meeting.

Under the new rules, a boat is officially considered inactive if it doesn’t leave its stall under its own power at least once a year. To stay in the clear, owners will have to take their vessels out of the harbor for at least 24 hours straight. Owners of smaller boats under 32 feet have it a bit easier, as they can spread out those 24 hours over the course of the year.

To keep track of who is coming and going, harbor staff will perform daily inventories. Miller noted that the ordinance “gives us the tools to help manage the harbors a little bit better,” while still being fair to boat owners.

However, letting a boat sit idle will quickly become expensive. Once a vessel has been stationary for 12 months, the borough will charge a storage fee that basically doubles the monthly cost of moorage.

The requirements get even tougher the longer a boat stays put. After two years of inactivity, owners must pay for a professional inspection from an accredited marine surveyor. If that surveyor finds any safety risks, the owner has two months to fix them.

In cases where a boat is an immediate danger to the harbor, the harbormaster can step in and demand repairs right away to keep the vessel from being labeled as “derelict.”

By the three-year mark, owners of inactive boats must carry $500,000 in liability and pollution insurance, naming the borough as an insured party.

To make sure everyone understands the rules, the harbor is introducing a new moorage agreement that every boater must sign.

“There’s not going to be any mistakes or ‘I didn’t know,’ because we’re going to have this piece of paper that’s signed,” Miller said.

If a boat is flagged as inactive, the Harbor Department will mail a notice to the owner’s last known address. Anyone who thinks their boat was flagged unfairly will have 14 days to file a written appeal.