BRINNON — A 65-foot pleasure craft that sank near a Pleasant Harbor shore last month has been raised from the water and taken to Port Townsend.
Divers commissioned by the state Department of Natural Resources pulled the boat from the water at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday after about three hours of work.
The Avalon, a 1929 wooden purse seiner, was attached to a barge in Pleasant Harbor and towed to the Port Townsend Boat Haven on Wednesday.
There, it will be dismantled and disposed of, according to DNR spokesman Joe Smillie.
There were no difficulties in raising the vessel, and the operation went smoothly, he said.
The cost of the salvage was about $70,000.
DNR may go to court to recover the amount, according to Smillie.
The Avalon sank as it was being towed by a 14-foot skiff in the early morning hours of Sept. 14.
DNR had given the vessel’s owner, Randy Schleisch of Brinnon, 30 days to come up with a suitable salvage plan that would satisfy the Coast Guard.
At the time, Schleisch said he wanted to pay damages and take possession of the vessel, but when he failed to do so, the state confiscated it Oct. 24.
“The owner, despite willingness to act, was unable to salvage his vessel, and the period of time provided for him to act expired,” Ecology said in a news release.
As it sank, the Avalon’s open seams caused it to take on water faster than the 2-inch bilge pumps could handle, and the vessel sank bow-first at about 2:30 a.m., releasing about 70 gallons of diesel into Pleasant Harbor.
A fast response to cleaning up the spill was credited with preventing a more damaging result, according to Coast Guard Cmdr. Brian Meier, chief of response for Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound.
“It was a good response in terms of cleaning it up,” Meier said.
“We were able to get there within a day and get rid of the pollutants.
“Public interest was high, and that was a good thing since it kept us focused,” he added.
A Brinnon community meeting early this month dealt with residents’ questions about the response, and opportunities to strengthen response plans in the region were examined.
The state Department of Ecology has stationed limited-response equipment in Brinnon and is working with first responders to ensure training is completed, allowing for reduced response time to possible future maritime incidents.
Ecology was also on the scene completing the final cleanup of the spilled fuel, which is now contained, Smillie said Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, this kind of thing is common where people can’t take care of their boats and they sink, resulting in a polluting situation,” he said.
To this end, DNR has instituted a program to take possession of small disabled boats that the owner does not have the ability to repair before a problem occurs.
Boats are restricted to 45 feet and under. Proof of ownership is required.
Owners are not reimbursed, but the disposal is free of charge.
For more information about the program, email dvrp@dnr.wa.gov or phone 360-902-2628.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Rob Ollikainen contributed to this report.
