That could be good news to nearby residents who have complained for years about the eyesores.

The state is set to remove the debris, which can pose environmental and safety hazards, and scrap it by year's end unless owners step forward.

The state hopes to get more grants to remove the rest of the debris and possibly expand the program into other coastal counties, but that will hinge on the success of this first effort, Chinnis said.

Marine debris is a long-standing issue that often gets mired in legal muck. When owners of abandoned vessels can be tracked down, at great public expense, they often claim they no longer own the boat, or they say they have no money to move or dispose of the vessel.

Some boats were sold but never registered, so an owner can't be identified.

Some just become money pits, so their owners run them aground at high tide and walk away, said Bob Bennett, a former Coast Guard officer and captain of the Port of Charleston.

There used to be a certain romanticism to seeing the old boats scattered around, Bennett said, adding that weathered boats silhouetted on the horizon speak subtly to the city's maritime history.

"Having old boats out in the marsh was common in the old days," Bennett said. "There was a lot of salvage to be had."

But under today's stringent environmental and safety standards, they are seen as eyesores and accidents waiting to happen.

"This debris is not only aesthetically unattractive but damages critical marsh habitat and can occasionally pose a hazard to navigation," said DNR spokeswoman Elizabeth von Kolnitz.

Some marine debris can actually be beneficial. As long as they aren't polluting the water, some steel objects such as barges make good artificial reefs, Chinnis said. Most of the debris set to be removed is made of wood.

Some boats, Lowcountry landmarks with sentimental value to residents, are not on the removal list.

One in particular, a lifeboat on Folly Road that's become a community billboard since Hurricane Hugo gave it a resting place, will be spared, Chinnis said. "We were careful to exclude that one."

ABANDONED BOATS

The state is seeking bids to remove these vessels according to an invitation to bid at www.scdhec.net/procurement:

-- Six vessels in the marshes and tributaries of the Intercoastal Waterway between Sullivan's Island and Mount Pleasant.

-- Two vessels in the marshes and tributaries of Clouter Creek and the Cooper River between Thomas Island and the old Charleston Naval Base.

-- Three vessels in the marshes and tributaries of the Ashley River on the upstream and downstream sides of the S.C. Highway 7 bridge.

-- Two vessels in the marshes and tributaries of the Cooper River between Drum Island and the Charleston Peninsula.

-- Three vessels in the marshes and tributaries of the Ashley River and Wappoo Creek (Elliot's Cut).

-- One vessel in the marshes and tributaries of the Stono River on the upstream side of the Maybank Highway bridge.

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