PORT TOWNSEND — Many came late Wednesday night to plead with the Port of Port Townsend commissioners to give John “Mike” Hogan and his marine shipyard business a second chance.

The Port commissioners refused to rescind the eviction of Hogan and his full-service shipyard service business, Oceanview Marine Services.

“I just don’t want to jeopardize our shipyard and (city) noise ordinance,” said port Commissioner Herb Beck of Quilcene.

Hogan was apologetic before the commissioners.

“It was never my intent to jeopardize one other marine trade in the shipyard,” he said.

He asked the commissioners to allow his employees to continue their work under his old business, perhaps with a new name.

“And I’ll just get out of your hair,” he said.

Tail-gater

Commissioners Bob Sokol and Dave Thompson agreed with the eviction, but Thompson made it clear that he would not object to Hogan returning to the shipyard as a “tail-gater.”

The Port commissioners have scheduled a special meeting at 9 a.m. Monday at the Port Administrative Offices, Commissioner Room, 375 Hudson St., Hudson Point, to discuss tail-gaters.

Generally speaking, a tail-gater is an independent operator who works out of his vehicle and has a specialty skill in the marine trades.

A tail-gater can contract with boat owners who do not want to do their own repair work or with other marine businesses.

Tail-gaters do not lease property from the Port, and Port officials fear that the Port’s loose tail-gater policy leads to potential high liability for the Port, especially in the event of a serious accident.

The issue of tail-gaters on Port property has been debated for three decades, said Thompson.