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Sunday, January 10, 2010

What do you do with a runaway boathouse?

Pier 39, AstoriaWe had a glorious blue-sky day yesterday, and I met Laurel, James, and my grandtapir, Teagan, at Coffee Girl. I hadn't been out to Pier 39 since before the storm of November 22. At the time I'd heard that the Sheriff's floating boathouse had come unhitched from its tether on the other side of East Mooring Basin and crashed into Pier 39. But I'd forgotten about it in the intervening month and a half, figuring it had been taken back home - so I was surprised to see it this morning, still snuggling up to the dock at 39.

Pier 39, Astoria Here's the boathouse from a slightly different angle. Do you see the white dot on the horizon in front of the bridge? That's a fishing boat docked at the 36th Street Pier, right near where the boathouse drifted from. You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

Pier 39, Astoria And the crime scene tape? Well, when the tide was high, the ill-mannered boathouse had wedged up against Pier 39's railing (you can see where it's broken), and impaled itself. It seems that Floyd had to call in a crane to get it off. Pier 39 was left with a broken rail, hence the tape, and the boathouse was left limping.

East Mooring Basin, Astoria Here's a larger view of the pier where the boathouse used to live just to the left of the white boat and the rust-colored ramp. It's worth clicking on this photo just to see the beautiful fishing boats. When I left Pier 39, I went over to the original location of the boathouse at the 36th Street Pier, and that's where I stood to take the photo below.

Pier 39, Astoria The bright tan rectangle at the waterline in the distance to the right of the old cannery and the jetty is . . . the errant boathouse.

36th Street Pier, Astoria The place where it used to live is now quite empty except for a couple of poles and swimming sea lions (not visible under the water in this photo). The City felt it was too expensive to transport the boathouse back to its dock and fix the damage, so, according to the tale I heard, Floyd is hoping it will be able to be refurbished and used as a shed by an organization that teaches kids about boating. I don't have all the facts, so maybe someone will fill me in and I can update the blog.

If nothing else, today's post was an excellent excuse to get out and walk around the docks - not that one really needs an excuse on a day like this.

7 comments:

cieldequimper said...

Wow, what a story! Here's hoping he gets his way and that it gets a second life!

Gorgeous weather, it's been gray in gray here...

Amy said...

gosh I don't know, how can they get that back?

Lowell said...

What a grand day to be wandering about taking photos!

But that's got to be the funniest boathouse I've ever seen. Had the interior been knocked out of it?

Interesting story, whatever. And super photography!

Lee Spangler said...

Must have been a an embarrassing surprise for the sherif who is in charge in making sure boats are safe and secure!

Don and Krise said...

I'm glad the weather was good there too. That boathouse traveled quite a distance. I'm really surprised though, I wouldn't thing the expense would be too bad to tow it back to it's original location. Perhaps it moving it, plus repairs, plus securing it back where it was.

VP said...

I hope this story will get a happy end, the picture illustrating it are amazing. Your fishing boat are quite big, but I guess this is an ocean thing.
I haven't seen our harbor since last year. It's raining here and the sky is always, as in the Pink Floyd album, obscured by clouds.

tapirgal said...

Floyd Holcomb, owner of Pier 39, commented on Facebook: "This is a great "update" on the Sheriff Boat House situation. Currently we are all awaiting on the Sheriff's insurance company to make the move...."

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