ST. MARTIN PARISH — In Henderson, houseboats once used for recreation or living are now sitting idle — stuck in trees, sinking in the swamp, or drifting loose through the Atchafalaya Basin. Henderson Mayor Sherbin Collette says the growing number of abandoned vessels is creating both a safety hazard and a threat to local tourism.
“It’s your responsibility. How about if that’d be in your front yard? What you say about it then?” said Mayor Sherbin Collette. “You try to explain that to them, and some will do it, but some won’t.”
He says the issue has worsened in recent years, creating an unwelcome view for the thousands of visitors who travel through the area’s waterways.
“You know how many tourists come in that lake in Henderson? Thousands upon thousands every year,” Collette said. “You think they wanna see that?” While some vessels are left behind out of neglect, Collette pointed to the lasting impact of a tornado that hit the area in 2024, scattering boats deep into the swamp.
“With that tornado, you have house boats in the middle of the woods, nobody will go see about them,” he said.
Clinton Robin, a local houseboat owner, said the storm left a lasting mark on him and others along the Basin.
“We personally got hit head on and six houseboats right here were across,” Robin said. “We’re still rebuilding ours. We lost our outdoor kitchen.”
He added that many abandoned boats pose an ongoing safety risk. “It’s a hassle out here cause sometimes you have them where they break loose and they float around,” Robin said. “They hit other people’s houseboats and they damage them.”
In response to mounting concerns across south Louisiana, lawmakers passed House Bill 676 during the most recent legislative session. The bill, which takes effect August 1, gives state authorities the power to tag and track abandoned vessels — and hold owners accountable for removal.
“Within 30 days after Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries tags these vessels or houseboats as abandoned, the owner has 30 days to have them removed,” said Rep. Chad Boyer, who represents District 46. “If a third party comes in and removes it, they assume the responsibility as far as the financial responsibility of having them removed.”
Boyer said the new law also closes loopholes that allowed houseboat owners to operate without proper identification in the past. “There will also be some more rules and regulations that will be put in place that the owners of these vessels or houseboats will have to identify them,” he said.
Robin said those changes are welcome and long overdue, “definitely a good step for now because once you implement it…they’ll be able to know who's houseboat that is and give them a call,” he said.
Collette hopes the legislation will spark change — but he believes it will take more than enforcement alone.
“Anything will help,” the mayor said. “You’ve got to educate the people.”
