Pending a final grant agreement and permit approval, the Port of Port Townsend will begin work to improve the structural integrity of the breakwater at the Boat Haven Marina.

Tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2026, the $3 million Boat Haven Main Breakwater Project will reinforce the eastern 600 feet of the main breakwater, which reduces the force of incoming waves in the marina. 

“It’s a wood cooper dam structure filled with sand and coated in rocks that dates back to the ‘30s,” said Port Executive Director Eron Berg. “It’s been tuned up since, of course, but this project will take out some of the unsuitable sand and basically just put a whole bunch of more rock in place.” 

The project is a non-emergent, proactive measure. As the copper dam deteriorates, the exposed sand becomes vulnerable to erosion.

“At the end of the day, that’s really the project — just getting rock to armor it,” Berg said. “I would call this a structural repair.”

Port Deputy Director Eric Toews elaborated in a written statement, noting that portions of the breakwater that are slumping or subsiding will be excavated and replaced with a combination of geotextile fabric, quarry spalls and smaller rock to restore stability.

The breakwater repair represents the highest price tag for a single project within the port’s $15.8 million capital projects budget for next year. It is included in the port’s five-year capital plan, presented to commissioners at their Sept. 10 meeting. 

The project has been in the works for several years. Most federal permits were issued in 2022, and the port secured an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) in 2024, according to the port’s website.

“We had originally sought funding for a $7 million project that would have been to dig it all up and replace it, but that one anticipated a whole lot more money from our federal friends,” Berg said. “We think this will give us a couple of decades of support. It’s a good project for us, it’s just not a whole new structure.”

The remainder of the $3 million project cost will come from the port’s Industrial Development District tax levy and reserve funds. 

The project was initially scheduled for the second half of 2025, but faced slight delays due to several factors. 

“That’s really why we’re not doing it right this minute, is we’re still waiting to get to the final grant agreement with MARAD, and then when we get our final permits in place, we’ll be good to go,” Berg said.

Toews said staffing limitations and other ongoing projects also contributed to the delay.  

He anticipates the work will wrap up in less than a month once it begins. The project will likely begin after the 2026 Wooden Boat Festival to minimize disruption. 

“We’re hoping not to affect tenants too much,” Berg said. “Ideally, we’ll build most of this project from outside. There may be some impacts, but it’s sort of too soon to know exactly what that might look like.” 

Once the final MARAD grant agreement is signed and permits are secured, the port will open the project for construction bids.