The city of Blaine announced August 23 that it ran into difficulty operating the Plover and would not start operations as previously anticipated. The city stated ferry service would remain suspended until further notice.
The city made the announcement one day before ferry service was supposed to begin August 24, which was highly anticipated after the vessel had undergone nearly two years of repair work. The Plover was expected to start earlier in the summer but was delayed due to final repairs and then a financial dispute with Drayton Harbor Maritime (DHM), contracted by the city to conduct repair work and the nonprofit that has historically operated the Plover.
The city announcement read, “We ask for your patience as we navigate through some other issues. Rest assured, we’re working tirelessly to resolve these as soon as possible.”
City manager Mike Harmon said during the August 26 Blaine City Council meeting that a plate over the corner of the stern fell off on August 25 due to rot behind it. This happened while the Plover crew was undergoing required training, he said, adding that a U.S. Coast Guard structural inspector was scheduled to look at the boat August 28.
“It’s likely that we’re seeing only the beginning of the rot, and there’s likely more rot,” Harmon said. “Plans will be made once we know the extent of the rot on the stern of the Plover.”
The Plover captains said water would enter the boat if they operated the vessel, Harmon said.
Council member Richard May asked city staff if they knew what percentage of the Plover was replaced by new material during the most recent repair, to which Harmon said they didn’t know.
The U.S. Coast Guard had inspected the Plover repairs earlier this summer, but was unaware of the rot. Repairs were done to the keel and bow, but not to the stern, Harmon said.
“When we were talking about the additional cost for the Plover, I was asked if this would be the last time we would spend money, I promised it wouldn’t be,” Harmon said. “This is an old wooden boat and it’s always going to be something.”
The city has spent about $130,000 on the Plover repairs over nearly the past two years. May said the amount of money the city has spent on the repairs is a higher amount than the city would need to purchase a boat of the same size.
“I hope we think very carefully what our next steps are because we now have a sunk cost,” May said. “So much of this boat has been fixed, will just a little bit more money make it completely fixed? And we have to identify whether or not what we should have done two years ago was to buy a similar boat in good condition for about half as much money, paint it and call it the new Plover. That may have been something we should have considered then, but now all we have is bad options.”
Sonia Hurt commended DHM and its executive director Richard Sturgill for nearly three decades of service to the Plover. Hurt said Sturgill has decided to officially retire, and both he and DHM will no longer be associated with the Plover.
Blaine City Council accepted the work completed on the Plover and closed the contract during its meeting.
