Holiday draws fewer boats

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 12, 2026

PORT TOWNSEND — Boat traffic at Boat Haven marina was half of normal over Memorial Day weekend, a sign that the Port of Port Townsend may be heading into a softer summer season than anticipated.

Port Harbormaster Kristian Ferrero told commissioners Wednesday that about 23 boats came in over the holiday weekend compared to the typical 40-plus, a shortfall he estimated at $5,000 to $6,000 in lost revenue. He said he is watching the number closely because Memorial Day has traditionally been a reliable measure of what lies ahead for recreational boating.

“That’s an indicator I’m paying attention to,” he said.

Ferrero said he is working to stabilize moorage revenue at Boat Haven by shifting some transient slips toward longer-term assignments for the summer.

Overall reservations at Point Hudson are running about 300 nights behind last year, although he said the pace of new bookings remains consistent and he’s “cautiously optimistic” about the summer.

Meanwhile, the port is gaining revenue at its Gardiner and Port Hadlock boat launches, where newly posted signs are encouraging payment compliance. Boaters are calling in to purchase annual passes, and QR codes are in place to make payment easy.

Ferrero said there was some grumbling about the fees in Gardiner, where a new $1.07 boat launch opened in October, but most users are now paying. He noted roughly 30 trucks and trailers showed up for the recent shrimp opener.

Commissioners unanimously approved adopting an alternative 2027 budget schedule, which is as allowed under state law when a port’s timeline differs from the standard process.

The compressed calendar — driven by the commission’s move from two meetings per month to one — requires it to complete its first public hearing on the preliminary budget at the October meeting and a second in November, leaving a tighter timeline that in past years.

Elmore

The fate of the Elmore, an 1890 converted tugboat that once sailed the Klondike, is still up in the air.

It has been at the boat yard since 2023, and the port assumed ownership in 2024 after it did not sell at auction.

A potential buyer had expressed interest in a purchase and sale agreement earlier this year but recently backed away.

The port has held off demolishing the Elmore, even though it received funding approval from the state Department of Natural Resources’ Derelict Vessel Removal Program, in hopes of finding a new steward for the historic vessel.

Commissioners discussed which parts of the Elmore might be saved through a salvage auction, such as the pilot house, bollards and a four-cylinder Atlas Imperial diesel engine.

Rate changes

At the commissioners’ workshop earlier Wednesday, Ferrero presented potential rate changes at the Point Hudson RV Park after a sharp drop in winter guests.

“This year we had eight guest monthlies in the park, 50 percent of what we had compared to last year,” he said, adding, “We have capacity for 17,155 nights of RV at our park. Last year we had 7,620. So we are only utilizing it 44 percent of the time,” he added.

He said the lack of Wi-Fi is a primary reason guests choose other parks.

“If I had to point to one complaint that we get more often than not, it’s that we just don’t have that connection,” he said. “I love to say, look at the scenery, we can look out at the water — but that only goes so far.”

Ferrero said Point Hudson is already near the top of the regional price range at $53 a night in winter and $68 in summer, and the port has held rates flat for two years. Proposals to increase revenue included extending the winter season, introducing a weekly rate and discounting weekday rates in May and June.

At their afternoon meeting, commissioners took a tour of Building No. 2 at Point Hudson, which is being renovated to accommodate guests like the Commanders Beach House.

The building dates to 1936, when Point Hudson was a quarantine station.

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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.