Clearing Debris at Main Dock

Sunken vessel is being dismantled bit by bit  |  photo and post by Pete Hudson

Waldo Point Harbor is in the final stages of its 5-year renovation project. The docks are complete, the parking lots are raised, the seawall is in place and the new vegetation is flourishing. All that’s left to do are the final moves of homes onto Main Dock. Hampering progress, however, are the remains of a vessel buried in the mud between No. 15 and No. 17. Some say it is an old tugboat, others can’t remember, but there is definitely something down there and the metal and wood debris has to be removed before a home can occupy the slip.

For the past several weeks workers have been sawzalling away at parts of the cast iron propeller, wooden keel and what appears to be the frame of the hull. Work is slow—only occurring at low tide—and the bay mud is heavy, sticky, and wet. The plan is to remove enough debris from the surface down a few feet and cover it back up with mud to create a soft pad for a new neighbor.