The Columbia might finally be leaving Pemaquid Harbor.
The Bristol Harbor Committee and the Bristol Board of Selectmen recently signed a letter at their meetings authorizing Doug Wood, of Bremen, to remove the 90-foot fishing vessel from Pemaquid Harbor.
The Columbia has been in the harbor since early 2014, when it was first reported as an “apparent abandoned boat” at the Jan. 9 meeting of the harbor committee, according to minutes from the meeting.
The harbor committee worked to find the owner of the vessel, however, due to a lapse of documented ownership since 2011, this proved to be a challenge.
“What we think happened is when she started to degrade, she was sold from person to person,” said Bristol Harbor Master John Stolecki. “At some point, someone lost track of the ownership and there’s a dead spot in the record.”
The harbor committee unanimously declared the vessel abandoned at its Feb. 26 meeting after an owner or interested party failed to come forward to claim the boat. The committee began reaching out to various agencies for assistance in removing the boat, which proved to be more difficult than expected.
Selectman Chad Hanna said the U.S. Coast Guard could not help since the Columbia was in the harbor and on its mooring. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection would have assisted if the boat sank and leaked oil into the harbor.
Wood expressed interest in the vessel at the June 25 meeting of the harbor committee. After the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry declared the vessel to be abandoned under state statute, the committee drafted and signed a letter to authorize Wood to remove the vessel during its meeting on Sept. 24.
The board of selectmen signed the letter on Sept. 30.
The letter signed by town officials does not give Wood ownership of the Columbia , but rather gives him permission to remove the vessel and transport it to another area. Stolecki said that due to the lapse in documentation, the transfer of ownership might be a bit of a challenge.
“We would have liked to be able to transfer ownership to make things easier for Mr. Wood,” Stolecki said. “He is actually taking possession of the vessel as if it was going to stay in his possession.”
Stolecki said Wood expressed interest in restoring the vessel and using it to harvest seaweed.
Both the selectmen and the committee members expressed cautious optimism about the development.
“It doesn’t feel like anything’s over quite yet,” Stolecki said. “In the meantime we have our fingers crossed.”
Hanna said he also looks forward to the day the Columbia leaves the harbor, but for a different reason.
“I hope to go for a ride on it someday when he gets it in service again,” Hanna said. “It’s quite an amazing vessel and it would be great to see her restored to her original glory.”
