A litter of 'ghost ships' is costing Auckland ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars

The number of abandoned vessels hauled out of the city's waters every year has quadrupled in less than a decade.

Auckland Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton says when he started in the role eight years ago, they were recovering about half a dozen abandoned boats a year.

Last year there were 23 - costing Auckland Transport 135-thousand-dollars.

Hayton estimates there could still be as many as 200 abandoned boats in the region.