A 134-year-old former steam-powered tugboat was put up for public auction at the Port of Port Townsend on Monday, Aug. 5, but the auction ended without any bids.

The Elmore, a 70-foot, 150-ton wooden boat built in 1890, holds a significant place in maritime history. It traversed the waters of Puget Sound, Oregon, and Alaska before finding its way to Port Townsend. The vessel was previously owned by Henning Heinemann, who died on Feb. 8. The Elmore has been at the port for the last 18 months after it was towed to the boatyard due to an oil leak.

The Elmore was built in Astoria, Oregon, in 1890 by Samuel Elmore and Sanborn Fisheries as a cargo-hauling steamer. Over the years, it has had many owners, including the American Tugboat Company, Dunlap Towing, Puget Sound Freight Lines, and Washington Tug & Barge.

The port established that it would require a minimum bid of $10,000. At the time of the auction, the successful bidder would be required to pay 10% of the purchase price, and the entire balance must be paid within 72 hours. In addition, a successful bidder would be required to pay a derelict vessel deposit of $46,376 within the first 10 days after the auction as an expressed condition of sale.  

With the auction concluding without any bids, the future of the Elmore remains unclear. Harbormaster Kristian Ferrero acknowledged that the next steps in the process could lead to a variety of outcomes for the vessel.

“Right now, we’ve got some more decision-making and pathfinding to figure out if it’s going to be recycled or moved on to its next life or if there’s another owner potentially in its future,” said Ferrero.

Following the auction, there will be a window of 10 days to express interest in the Elmore. However, if the century-old vessel cannot find any bidders, there is a real possibility that anything of value aboard will be salvaged and sold, with the remaining material to be demolished.

“If there’s interest here, we’ve got 10 days in our process before we take legal ownership of the vessel. So, right now, we’re just custodians for the auction. Ten days from now, we take full possession, and then we can, at will, do what we need to do,” said Ferrero.

The auction took place at 10 a.m. in front of 12 potential buyers, each with their own hopes for the Elmore. Ferrero opened the bid at $10,000, but it took just a few moments to realize that the Elmore would not be saved this day.

Despite the auction’s outcome, a glimmer of hope emerged when John Holbert, the captain of the 1922 107-foot sailing schooner Merrie Ellen, expressed his potential interest in reviving the Elmore, depending on the status of its title.

“I’ve already done one big restoration project here in the port. Clint Thompson called me a couple of days ago and said the Elmore needs help,” said Holbert. “I’m also going to talk to some of my friends in the crazy wooden boat world. Because this boat’s just got to last. It just needs something.”

Thompson is a local shipwright who has completed repairs to the Elmore over the last 15 years.

It is unclear how much the vessel’s repair will cost, but the common impression is that it could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe even surpassing $1 million.

“I know what it costs to fix it. You know, when you have a little boat, let’s break out another thousand, you put a couple more zeros on it. Like I said, a hundred thousand here and a hundred thousand there and a couple times. It’s definitely not a lost cause,” said Holbert.