The Columbia has left the harbor.
On the morning of Monday, Nov. 9, the 90-foot Columbia left Pemaquid Harbor bound for Bremen. The fishing vessel had been abandoned in the harbor for almost two years.
“It’s a relief in a lot of ways; that’s the biggest thing,” said Bristol Board of Selectmen Chairman Chad Hanna. “I give all the credit to John Stolecki and the harbor committee for all their hard work to get us to this day.”
The Columbia has been in Pemaquid Harbor since early 2014 and was originally reported to be “an apparent abandoned boat,” according to minutes from the Jan. 9 Bristol Harbor Committee meeting.
After attempts to find the owner of the vessel failed due to a lack of documented ownership, the harbor committee declared the Columbia abandoned during its Feb. 26 meeting. This declaration was later echoed by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
Doug Wood, of Bremen, expressed interest in the vessel during the June 25 harbor committee meeting, and was authorized by both the harbor committee and the Bristol Board of Selectmen to remove the vessel from the harbor and transport it to another area.
Hanna said Wood waited until the wind and tide were favorable to remove the Columbia. Wood intends to restore the boat and use it to harvest seaweed.
“I’m very glad she’s going to go on and have a useful life,” Hanna said.
Although he was unable to actually see the Columbia leave the harbor, Bristol Harbor Master John Stolecki said he was glad almost two years of work had come to a conclusion.
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel pretty good,” Stolecki said. “We can celebrate today, because this is a happy ending. She’s not being removed to be destroyed or torn apart. Her basic purpose is to work, and that’s hopefully what she’s going to do again.”
