Boat Haven breakwater to receive emergency repairs

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The Port of Port Townsend has authorized the emergency repair of the Boat Haven breakwater, which would not hold through the winter.

"The structure is nearing the end of its life, so we are fixing the things that we can see," said Sam Gibboney, port district executive director. "The risk is so great now that it could lead to a catastrophic failure that could close the marina."

The rock structure protects the public moorage from winds and high tides. It is divided into two sections: the original 550-foot section, built in the 1950s at the marina entrance to protect what initially was a small boat basin; and an attached 1,950-foot section, which protects the large Boat Haven built in the early 1960s.

Both sections have seen better days and are in need of repair, but the old section is the focus of immediate concern.

The cost of the short-term "Band-Aid" repair is about $190,000 and would take about two weeks to complete, Gibboney said.

The port is currently awaiting permit approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with work beginning as soon as the permit is approved, Gibboney said.

At a Nov. 22 meeting, consultant Shane Philips presented four options for the repair and replacement of the old breakwater, ranging from $2.2 million for soil rehabilitation to $3.7 million for full replacement.

The port paid Philips' company, Mott MacDonald, $13,000 to prepare a report about the breakwater, its shortcomings and what is needed for its full repair. According to the report, the old breakwater has eroded to the point where the outer-layer armor stones are rolling down the slope, and the under-armor layer is exposed to waves, leading to the creation of several sinkholes on the top of the breakwater.

"There is a lot of exposure of underlying materials on the old breakwater, but very little on the new breakwater," Philips said during his presentation. "The quality of the stone on the new breakwater was much higher."

Philips said the old breakwater was constructed with basalt, which has deteriorated at a higher rate than the granite used in a repair.

The Army Corps of Engineers made small repairs to the old breakwater in 1983, according to the report.

Replacement of the Boat Haven breakwater is a separate project from the unscheduled replacement of the Point Hudson jetty, which has an estimated cost of $6 million.

For more information, go to

portofpt.com.