An abandoned barge, formerly the Vancouver Yacht Club, has been moored to the dock at Metro's M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp since March. The Coast Guard says it had no choice but to order the barge to be moored to the dock.
A Coast Guard captain said officials from that agency are trying to help figure out what to do with a creaky barge moored to a Metro-owned dock on the Columbia River.
Capt. Len Tumbarello said Monday that the Coast Guard had no choice but to tie the Vancouver Yacht Club to the dock at the M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp on March 22, after attempts to tow it to its point of origin failed.
"It was clear we had to do something," Tumbarello said. But the operator of the tugboat ordered by the Coast Guard to tow the barge said he was having a hard time moving the vessel.
It had been moored on the Washington side of the river near private property; the vessel's owner, Rick Dulas, has said he can't afford to move the barge.
"The decision was made with the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and the tugboat operator to tie to to the nearest safe haven, which was the Metro pier," Tumbarello said.
The abandoned barge has sat there for more than a month, chewing away at the side of the dock, blocking recreational access and causing concern at Metro about potential long-term damage to the dock's pilings in the river.
Tumbarello agreed with Metro's assertion that the barge is a problem.
"It's an eyesore, a public nuisance, and it may be causing some damage to the docks," he said. But, he added, the Coast Guard's role is limited to the emergency at hand. "Once that's mitigated, our role is really to help facilitate finding a solution to get rid of the problem."
Metro parks director Paul Slyman said Metro is unlikely to be working with the Coast Guard after a scheduled conference call on Thursday. Instead, the parks department will work with the sheriff's office and the Oregon State Marine Board to develop an agreement to move forward, he said.
Once the state, county and Metro agree on a path forward, Metro will issue a request for proposals to responsibly remove the barge. That will also open up state money to offset some of the costs of removal, which could approach $100,000.
It's unclear at this point, though, how much of the bill each of the three parties will be stuck with.