"Not suspicious"

The reason why the fishing boat Glory sunk a week and a half ago at its berth in Blaine Harbor won’t be known for sure until it’s hauled out, according to Blaine harbor officials.

“We don’t have any reason to believe there’s anything suspicious about the sinking,” said wharfinger Andy Peterson. “I’m banking on a through hull corroding out.” The boat sunk Saturday, July 7.

Peterson said the seams on old wooden boats dry out in the sun and if the water pumps fail or batteries run low, water will start leaking in without passersby noticing. “These boats can be down two feet in the water and no one would notice just walking by,” he said. Asked if an insurance claim was involved, Peterson replied, “You can’t insure these old wood boats. This one was bought for a dollar by a Treaty Indian who intended to take it out fishing this summer and make a hundred thousand dollars.”

Following the sinking, a containment boom was placed around the boat to prevent pollutants from spreading throughout the harbor. It took 22 hours over two days to bring the boat to the surface. Mark Gummley of M/G Shipwright & Dive Services with his wife Kimm along with Captain Sean Waters and his son Laurence of the Tulip did the recovery work.

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