The derelict tug Enchantress was demolished and removed from Fidalgo Bay today. There seemed to be only a handful of onlookers for the process, which took much of the day.
(Jan Hodgman photo)
The derelict tug Enchantress was demolished and removed from Fidalgo Bay today. There seemed to be only a handful of onlookers for the process, which took much of the day.
A floating crane was brought alongside the tug in the morning. The crane used claws as a wrecking ball, repeatedly smashing into the tug, then using the claws to remove the debris from the water.
The removal was a loss for local artist and self-styled historian Bill Mitchell, who has fought for several months to save the tug. He had said the tug was a local landmark, which could be used to draw tourists.
Later in the afternoon, the crane was seen removing underwater debris.
The Enchantress, a World War II-era tug, has been resting on the bottom of Fidalgo Bay for eight years, hung up on an old pier piling.
It’s removal has been a priority by the state Department of Ecology, which claimed the tug contained toxic materials. And, the tug was on land owned by the state Department of Natural Resources, which wanted the tug removed, too.
The removal was ultimately done by a contractor for the Port of Anacortes, working in an arrangement with Ecology.