PORT TOWNSEND — The Port of Port Townsend boatyard is at capacity and staff are doing their best to accommodate boat owners seeking space, Operations Manager Chris Sparks and Harbormaster Kristian Ferrero told commissioners Pam Petranek and Carol Hasse.

“The yard is busier than ever,” Ferrero told the two commissioners at the Wednesday afternoon meeting. Commissioner Pete Hanke was absent.

Sparks said vessel owners accustomed to last-minute requests for space needed to prepare and think ahead.

“Back in the day, when it wasn’t as busy, we could always accommodate people,” Sparks said. “Now you have to make a plan.

“I understand you don’t always know, but this calling two weeks before or even more before is no longer an option,” he said. “That’s why the yard expansion is so important.”

The Sims Gateway and Boatyard Expansion approved by the Port Townsend City Council, port and Jefferson County Public Utility District in September 2022 to remove Italian poplars along Sims Way and underground powerlines will enable the port to expand the boatyard north and increase capacity.

More space would enable the port some flexibility in scheduling. That would benefit vessel owners.

“The timeline for when you can schedule them doesn’t always work, so there is a portion of vessels hauling out, primarily fishing vessels,” Ferrero said. “Right now we are scheduling absolutely everything we possibly can in a way that hopefully works.”

Personnel addition

The commissioners approved an upgraded organizational chart that added a full-time manager of capital projects who would work under capital projects director Matt Klontz.

Klontz is managing at least 13 major projects for the port.

“The desire is to keep these projects on track and make sure we have the capability to be there to witness the project, to inspect the project to our own quality assurance,” Executive Director Eron Berg said.

Klontz identified a number of projects on the port’s budget that an engineer could step in to oversee, including replacement of the Boat Haven main breakwater, the boatyard expansion along Sims Way, Point Hudson facility preservation and construction of the Gardiner boat ramp.

The whole cost estimate for the position would be $122,000 for May-December 2023 and $182,000 in 2024. The port’s goal is to have the person on board in May.

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Paula Hunt can be reached at paula.hunt@soundpublishing.com.