The boat that emerged from the wintry gloom wasn’t a ghost ship but afflicted with an obstructed propeller.
A boat with a fouled propeller beached at Sandy Beach on Sunday managed to clear the entanglement.
“Something fouled their propeller,” said City and Borough of Juneau Docks and Harbors port engineer Erich Schaal. “Those piles and the sandy beach allowed them to tow over to pilings and tie off.”
The boat tied off to the pilings south of the pump house early Sunday.
Schaal said the owners, whom Schall could not identify, were able to untangle the fouling during the low tide and float off again by Sunday afternoon.
“The only other caveat was that the area was managed by Parks and Rec,” Schaal said.
The owners were made aware that the beach is not meant for mechanical repairs in the future by CBJ Parks and Recreation Department, Schaal said.
Harris Harbor has a steel grid for boats to ground on and perform repairs to breakages and damage that threatens the seaworthiness of the vessel, Schaal said.
“It’s the newest one. It has steel piles and steel grid so it can support heavier vessels,” Schaal said of Harris Harbor. “They have been removed at most Juneau harbors.”
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757.621.1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
