Part of an aging recreational dock at Possession Beach Waterfront Park in Clinton is due for a replacement.

During a special meeting last week, Port of South Whidbey Executive Director Angi Mozer said the port has applied for a state Recreation and Conservation Office – commonly known as RCO – grant of $350,000 for new boarding floats. She estimated that the current ones were built in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s and refurbished in 2017 when the boat ramp was renovated.

“I found out recently that even though we don’t have a current grant, that if we are awarded funds, we can be reimbursed for any work that we do leading up to the success of that project, including permitting and design,” Mozer told the port commissioners.

An engineer has provided an estimate of $38,292 for permitting, a mitigation plan and coordination with agencies.

Commissioner Curt Gordon said it was a gamble because if the RCO grant isn’t secured, the money for the project is coming out of the port’s general fund. He added he had seen a video from a few years ago of someone who was almost thrown out of his boat while trying to launch at the site, because a larger vessel passing by caused a wake that rolled the floats.

“You can see why you wouldn’t expect that from normal wind and tide and stuff, but every now and then, one of those vessels goes by a little fast, and it just hammers those things,” he said.

Pat Kisch, the port’s maintenance and operations supervisor, recalled the massive cargo ships that anchored in Holmes Harbor during the COVID-19 pandemic. His calls to the U.S. Coast Guard about the ships going too fast past Possession Beach were unanswered.

Mozer and Kisch explained that one of the options is to replace the floats with smaller segments that are about half the size and bolted together.

The commissioners approved the $38,282 contract with the engineering firm.

The port will find out if it received the $350,000 RCO grant in April.

(Photo provided) Old and battered boarding floats at Possession Beach Waterfront Park in Clinton are due for a replacement.

(Photo provided) Old and battered boarding floats at Possession Beach Waterfront Park in Clinton are due for a replacement.