Sailboat aground near Chambers Bay draws attention of public, authorities

It has been over three weeks since a sailboat named the Apocalypse washed ashore on the beach of Chambers Bay Regional Park.

The general manager of Chambers Bay golf course, Zac Keener, said that the general public has access to the boat and there have been no attempts to restrict people from climbing onto it.

The derelict boat has many people curious. People have been going to social media to post pictures of the boat, which has been lying on its side with its sail detached.

One post from a Facebook user has been shared over 1,000 times, and many people wonder where the boat came from.

Keener said Pierce County is in the process of removing the boat.

“I know Pierce County Parks has reached out to the Department of Natural Resources about the stranded vessel here,” said Keener. “We really take care of the golf course and manage the business of it. But in terms of, you know, if there was a stranded car in the parking lot, that would be something that Pierce County Parks would take care of.”

Joe Smillie, a spokesperson for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, said in an email to The News Tribune, “Pierce County had jurisdiction and was willing to act as the authorized public entity under (state law) and remove the vessel with technical assistance from the Derelict Vessel Removal Program.”

It’s not the first time the Apocalypse has been listed as a derelict vessel. According to the Department of Natural Resources list of Vessels of Concern, the Apocalypse was added to the list in April 2019. It was removed from the list after the owner moved the vessel.

The Apocalypse was placed back on the list in February 2020 when the vessel was reported to be anchored off McNeil Island. The owner then moved the vessel off-shore near Chambers Bay before it went aground where it is in its current state.

It is not uncommon for boats to be placed on the list of vessels of concern, according to Smillie. There are currently 191 vessels on the list.

According to the Boat Database, the Apocalypse was built in 1973 and is measured at 33.5 feet and long and 7.8 feet tall.

The Boat Database lists three previous owners of the Apocalypse but does not list a current owner.

The Department of Natural Resources has been in contact with the owner, who has yet to remove the vessel.

If the owner wants to reclaim the vessel, the owner must file a written appeal with the Pollution Control Hearings Board, according to a notice of intent to obtain custody by Pierce County Parks.

In order to keep the vessel before the custody date the owner must move it to an anchorage area or storage location that authorizes the vessel, or remove the vessel from the water.

Pierce County told The News Tribune the Apocalypse will become property of Pierce County Parks on June 26 if the owner does not remove it by then.

The notice of intent said that if Pierce County does take custody of the vessel, Pierce County Parks might use or dispose of it without further notice to the owner.

Keener hopes people stay safe when going to view the boat. Despite there being no signs that prevent people from climbing onto the vessel, he wants people to “admire it from a distance.”

“It’s kind of a mysterious sailboat,” said Keener. “I’ve been here for 13 years and I’ve never had a boat washed up on shore so there’s the first time for everything.”