Today, the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water announced its speaker lineup for its 2026 Turning the Tide Summit. The four-day event, which addresses abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) and disposal solutions, is set for Dec. 6-9 in New Orleans, La. The summit is currently open for registration.

The in-person summit tackles removal practices and programs, and what to do with ADVs, including proven methods and technologies that are being used for safe disposal. The event will convene environmental experts, boating and waste industry leaders, and policymakers to participate in discussions around the removal and disposal of ADVs.

“This year’s lineup brings people who’ve actually done the work, not just studied it,” said Alanna Keating, BoatUS Foundation’s director of outreach, in a statement. “Their experience turns hard-won lessons into real solutions for communities dealing with this problem.”

Confirmed speakers for the Turning the Tide Summit include: 

  • Chief administrative officer Noah Lirette of Terrebonne Parish, La. Lirette will speak about new state laws and parish procedures that are closing the gaps that allow derelict vessels sit for years.
  • Product leader Paul Salach of Owens Corning Composite Materials. Salach will focus on circular recycling solutions for end-of-life fiberglass, and a hydrogen melting process that could cut emissions up to 95% at the company’s French facility.
  • TowBoatUS San Diego Capt. Rob Butler will discuss breaking down the methods, risks and obstacles nobody plans for when removing exposed ADVs.
  • Restoration manager Vince Bowhers of Lynnhaven River Now will share lessons learned from three years of NOAA-funded ADV removal across coastal Virginia.
  • Associate editor Kelsey Bonham Bailey of BoatUS Magazine, will present her two-year, $16,000 boat disposal ordeal, including logistical snags and boatyard roadblocks.
  • Anacostia Riverkeeper Trey Sherard will discuss how 25 ADVs were pulled from the Anacostia River, including vessels tied to the nation’s first African American boating organization.
  • Roy Brown, owner of Trident Dredging and Marine Construction will share field stories from years of ADV removal work and give his take on why the problem is only getting worse.
  • Grants administrator Brigitte Berry from the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources will discuss ADV removal at St. Thomas East End Reserves, the territory’s only marine protected area.
  • CEO and co-founder Rusty Batey of ZULU Marine will walk through how drones, photogrammetry and GIS mapping help plan low-impact removal routes before crews mobilize.

The cost to attend the four-day summit is $400 for general admission, $200 for nonprofit and government employees and $100 for students. Registered attendees get access to all sessions, a welcome reception, breakfast and lunch for the duration of the conference.

Interested attendees can register here ahead of the early bird deadline of Oct. 1.