Several apparently abandoned boats berthed at poles on the western side of Porirua Harbour could be forcibly sold if none of their owners come forward.The boats are part of a wider problem not constrained to Wellington - with regions elsewhere observing abandoned boats - potentially because owners cannot afford to keep them seaworthy, according to Northland Regional Council.Wellington harbourmaster Grant Nalder issued a public notice in May over four boats tied up at the Porirua City Council poles in Onepoto, asking for the owners or any person with knowledge of the owner.He confirmed this week that the owner of only one ship came forward.The remaining unclaimed boats included the Karehana, a wooden sloop about 12 metres long, and the Alana B, a double ended sloop about 10m long.The regional council can remove, store, sell, or dispose of abandoned ships under the Maritime Transport Act, which says the council must "make reasonable efforts" to locate the owner or port of registry, and only one month after it has published a public notice in two issues of a daily newspaper.The council could dip into the proceeds from selling the ship to reimburse itself for any expenses."The heightened cost of living has meant there is less discretionary income for spending on boats," said Tim Lidgard, the chief executive of Seaview Marina in Lower Hutt."As a consequence, boats can be left to degrade into a state where it's no longer viable to run them or own them."Last week, the Northland Regional Council harbourmaster's office warned those planning to buy an ageing boat should think about the costs.Deputy harbourmaster Peter Thomas said, on average, the council disposed of one boat per month.Many are old vessels bought cheaply as "doer-uppers", which unwary new owners quickly discover need a lot of money and maintenance to keep seaworthy, which they cannot afford."So before you commit to what looks like the bargain of the century, make sure you get the vessel inspected and get a good understanding from experienced vessel owners of the many costs associated with purchasing a vessel, especially one that is old and requires a lot of work," Thomas said.In 2022, the Gisborne District Council was left to dispose of an abandoned fishing trawler from a remote beach near Tikitiki after it failed to track down the owner.- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.