Bandit roamed a small Lynnhaven Inlet beach, enjoying the birds and crabs he met along the way.
Until that moment when he realized things weren’t quite what they should have been.
Trash and oil festered on the water’s edge. Crabs and other critters he had made friends with weren’t as happy as usual.
It was depressing and a quick glance down the shoreline supplied the reason.
An abandoned boat, rotting and sitting on the sandy bottom – a disgusting thing for all those witnessing the mess. Worse yet, it was polluting the water.
Luckily, Bandit belongs to Mike Provost, a man who, at the start, took the matter into his own hands in an effort to clean up things like this particular boat.
The retired Navy Special Warfare Combat crewman and 100-ton captain, as certified by the Coast Guard, quickly was alerted to the mess by Bandit.
Provost, who founded the Vessel Disposal and Reuse Foundation, had made it a passion to get rid of discharged boats that were causing pollution and eyesores to local waterways.
And in an effort to help the cause, Provost wrote a children’s book where Bandit is the hero. The book describes in poetic form the efforts of the one boat removal.
“Bandit the Boat Pup Saves Broad Bay.”
Provost illustrated the book using Artificial Intelligence in an effort to save money.
The book is scheduled for pre-orders next month and will be available at a variety of locations including some marinas. The cost is yet to be determined, but information will be available at: www.vdrf.net
Since the organization’s foundation, 81 vessels have been removed from local waters.
Provost uses his own money and donations to make it work, since he receives no federal grants.
“A hundred percent of the proceeds from the book will go to the foundation,” Provost said. “In 2022, the Coast Guard said the average cost of removing a vessel was about $14,000 and we’re doing it for half that.”
“The Coast Guard tells me there are still about 200 more that they know of in Virginia,” Provost said.
Now Bandit, a 6-month-old mixed breed, can roam her favorite areas, keep in touch with her aquatic friends, and even take a boat ride with dad.
And soon you’ll be able to read all about it.
To read more of my work, go to: leetolliveroutdoors.com
