The abandoned boat stuck in the mudflats of Tomales Bay has drawn an endless stream of selfie-snapping tourists to Inverness. But time and atmospheric rivers have taken a toll on the iconic vessel, which is starting to look less like an Instagram dream and more like a pile of junk.

Its graceful, arcing bow is no longer intact. The hull has split open, exposing empty beer cans and trash that tourists have deposited inside. The charred stern bears the scars of a fire of unverified origin that was blamed on a social media prank.

The boat still sits high on internet lists of “Things to Do in Point Reyes.” But the people who come to see it aren’t finding what they expected.

“Based on pictures I had seen on travel blogs, and pictures my friend had taken years ago, I thought it would be more intact,” said Becca Brandi, who stopped by on a recent day trip from Sacramento to the Point Reyes National Seashore. “I thought it would look charming and distressed versus very broken down and tagged with spray paint.”

The disintegrating vessel sits in a sandflat behind Dixon Marine Services and the Inverness Store, which sells sweatshirts featuring the boat and generates some business from people who stop by to gawk at it.

Nav Singh, whose family owns the store, would like the boat to remain but took a philosophical view of the situation. 

“It would be sad to see it go,” she said. “I like broken-down barns and things that are falling apart. You just have to embrace things for how they are. You can’t control anything in life. Things happen. Whatever happens will be for the best.”

The so-called Point Reyes Shipwreck isn’t really a shipwreck at all. When it ran aground, someone was hauling the old fishing boat—the Point Reyes—from one side of the bay to the other with the intention of dismantling it. It’s been stuck there since sometime in the 1990s.

The boat was built in 1944, according to Rebecca Dixon of Dixon Marine Services. She said it was a World War II launch boat that brought soldiers from aircraft carriers in the Bay Area to port. It was then used for salmon fishing for many years. For a time, it was owned by a late Marshall fisherman named Merrel Rocca.

Before it began caving in on itself, the boat’s graceful lines and Tomales Bay backdrop gave it a certain romance, especially when the sun cast pinks, oranges, purples and yellows across the water behind it at dusk. But apparently one internet nincompoop decided even that wasn’t glorious enough.

The precise sequence of events that led to the blaze was never definitively determined—but like many moronic moments, it was documented on social media. In the wee hours of Feb. 22, 2016, under a full moon, someone livestreamed the blaze on Instagram as flames shot into the sky and sparks circled the boat. 

Shortly afterward, Inverness Fire Chief Jim Fox said it would probably have to be removed. But seven years later, it’s still there. And it’s not clear who, if anyone, will ever take the wreckage away. Last year, the California State Lands Commission unsuccessfully sought a federal grant to remove the vessel along with other abandoned boats in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. 

Several state and federal agencies have jurisdiction in the bay, but the lines of authority are not always clear.

“This is an issue we confront with abandoned boats—it’s quite a challenge figuring out who is the responsible party,” said Jennifer Stock, a spokeswoman for the marine sanctuary.

The boat sits on property owned by the Point Reyes National Seashore, according to county maps, and Marin County Assessor’s Office records say the parcel belongs to “The United States of America.” 

“We don’t have any immediate plans to remove it,” said Christine Beekman, a spokeswoman for the park. “We are aware that it continues to fall apart. I think that awareness is going to prompt action.”

Richard James, an Inverness environmental activist who monitors abandoned ships on the bay and along the coast, thinks it is unlikely the park will remove the boat. 

“I don’t see them doing anything,” Mr. James said. “They probably have other things to spend their money on. This is the smallest fire that they’re dealing with.”

When he first came to Inverness in 2008, Mr. James was enchanted by the boat and snapped a few pictures of it himself. But after the fire, he said, its charm began to wear off.

“It was not the blight that it is now,” he said. “I would say get rid of it. It detracts from the natural beauty that brings people to this part of the world.”

Moreover, he said, the rotting wood is probably full of rusty nails that would be easy for a curious visitor to step on while inspecting the boat.

“It’s kind of sad,” said Michelle Daeseleer, a day-tripper who came to the coast to escape the 100-degree Modesto heat. “When I saw it online, it wasn’t like this. But it’s still interesting. It’s a piece of history. I would recommend people come look at it.”

Just last month, another boat ran aground in West Marin, this time on the shore north of Stinson Beach, while its captain was taking a nap. The fate of the 33-foot sloop remains unknown. But if it were up to Mark Dowie, who lives close to the Inverness wreck, the Chandalar would remain where it is.

“I’d leave it there, a beautiful marine ruin, and reminder for all sailors to stay awake at the helm,” Mr. Dowie said.