Derelict barge sat in Tacoma waterway for 2+ years. Cost to remove it: $463K
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- Port of Tacoma will remove derelict vessel in November at $463,000 cost.
- Port advances $325,000 from its removal budget and logs $183,000 expense.
- Port will seek DNR reimbursement under state Derelict Vessel Removal Program.
The Port of Tacoma approved a resolution to remove a derelict boat that has been sitting in the Hylebos Waterway since March 2023. After two of its most recent owners failed to remove it, taxpayers will, at the cost of $463,000, according to port records.
The Disawah, a 110-foot barge, is expected to be removed in November after the Port of Tacoma Commission on Tuesday approved authorization for Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. to remove and dispose of it.
The Port of Tacoma will file for reimbursement from the state Department of Natural Resources as part of its Derelict Vessel Removal Program budget. That will happen after the vessel is removed, according to port records.
In the meantime the port will pull $325,000 from its own derelict-vessel removal budget and log $183,000 as an unbudgeted expense, according to a presentation to commissioners by port staff.
In March 2023 when the boat was discovered, the port reached out to the vessel’s owner, who agreed to voluntarily remove it, per port records. The man didn’t comply with the terms of an agreement he signed with the port to do so and sold it to another man who entered into a similar agreement with the port. That man also failed to comply.
“Following standard procedures and notices, the Vessel has been declared derelict and ownership has been legally transferred to Port, under applicable State law,” according to a memo prepared for the commissioners. “The vessel remains moored in the Hylebos and poses potential risks to navigation, safety and the environment. Its deteriorating condition and lack of active oversight present liability concerns for the port. Immediate removal is necessary to mitigate these risks and comply with regulatory expectations.”
Next month Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. will remove the steel barge, deconstruct the hull and dispose of the material, according to the memo. The company will also survey for hazardous materials and mobilize a four-person dive team “with spill control, damage control and pumping gear for moving the vessel.”
Global Diving and Salvage, Inc. is a pre-qualified vendor through the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services, per the memo.
The DNR’s Derelict Vessel Removal Program had a budget of $17.1 million for the 2025-2027 biennium, $8.1 million of which comes from state sales tax revenue and $6 million is from the state capital budget.
“The DNR is expected to fully reimburse the Port,” port communications manager Graham Johnson told The News Tribune on Tuesday. “Any cost recovery would require the Port to pursue legal action against the vessel owner, which has not been decided.”
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
