Avast ye scurvey dogs, Long Beach is beset by pirates!
Sadly, there are no Johnny Depp look-a-likes in this crowd, which consist primarily of people who have lost their homes and opted to buy a boat, thinking they can live rent free with ocean views.
The city has always had homeless living on boats, but with the bad economy and high rate of job loss the number of homeless boaters -- referred to as pirates by local and state authorities -- has risen substantially.
"They think if they can find a boat for a good price they will have a place to live with no rental fees and no mortgage or utility costs," said Marine Safety Sgt. Scott Mitchell. "They usually moor in the marinas or near shore."
People can find an older boat for as little as $200 at auction, he said.
What few realize is how expensive and time-consuming it is to keep a boat afloat, both literally and figuratively. Thus, the aging, broken-down vessels make up a large portion of emergency calls handled by the Long Beach Fire Department and Lifeguards.
Many homeless boaters also seem unaware of, or not interested in, coastal laws which make it illegal to drop anchor at the marinas or within and outside of the break water for extended periods of time.
And boat slips can be hard to come by; the city of Long Beach has a lengthy waiting list and slip rental fees range from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000 depending on the size of the craft.
Other waterfront trends being seen during these hard economic times include an increase in boaters scuttling, or crashing, vessels in staged accidents and arson fires, Mitchell said.
Sadly, there are no Johnny Depp look-a-likes in this crowd, which consist primarily of people who have lost their homes and opted to buy a boat, thinking they can live rent free with ocean views.
The city has always had homeless living on boats, but with the bad economy and high rate of job loss the number of homeless boaters -- referred to as pirates by local and state authorities -- has risen substantially.
"They think if they can find a boat for a good price they will have a place to live with no rental fees and no mortgage or utility costs," said Marine Safety Sgt. Scott Mitchell. "They usually moor in the marinas or near shore."
People can find an older boat for as little as $200 at auction, he said.
What few realize is how expensive and time-consuming it is to keep a boat afloat, both literally and figuratively. Thus, the aging, broken-down vessels make up a large portion of emergency calls handled by the Long Beach Fire Department and Lifeguards.
Many homeless boaters also seem unaware of, or not interested in, coastal laws which make it illegal to drop anchor at the marinas or within and outside of the break water for extended periods of time.
And boat slips can be hard to come by; the city of Long Beach has a lengthy waiting list and slip rental fees range from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000 depending on the size of the craft.
Other waterfront trends being seen during these hard economic times include an increase in boaters scuttling, or crashing, vessels in staged accidents and arson fires, Mitchell said.
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