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Five stories about derelict boats across Pierce County

Stories by Tacoma News Tribune journalists, with AI summarization

This list of curated stories highlights derelict boats across Pierce County and authorities attempting to manage abandoned vessels that pose risks to safety, navigation, and the environment.

In one story, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources removed a sinking yacht from Filucy Bay. The process involved hiring a contractor after no owner could be identified. In Tacoma, the Port of Tacoma intervened with the Disawah barge, which sat in the Hylebos Waterway for over two years. A deserted boat stranded on Titlow Beach drew public attention until a crane lifted it away. The owner's identity was unknown.

Workers move an abandoned boat from the shores of Titlow Beach onto a ship on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Tacoma, Wash. By Robert Zimmerman

NO. 1: GHOST BOAT: ABANDONED VESSEL STRANDED ASHORE AT THIS POPULAR TACOMA BEACH. SEE IT

Pictures taken Monday afternoon show the abandoned boat, which local authorities are working to address. | Published July 29, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Carter

The Department of Natural Resources removed a derelict vessel in Filucy Bay on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, by Key Peninsula, Wash.

NO. 2: SINKING YACHT HAULED AWAY FROM THIS PIERCE COUNTY BAY. WHAT WE KNOW

A vessel floating off the Key Peninsula was taking on water for days before the state hired a contractor to haul it off. | Published July 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Julia Park

The Pacific Producer, a large abandoned vessel, docked in a waterway off Commencement Bay in Tacoma, Wash., as seen July 15, 2025. (Dan DeLong/InvestigateWest)

NO. 3: U.S. GOVERNMENT SOLD OFF AGING SHIPS. NORTHWEST STATES LEFT TO PAY THE PRICE

Washington and Oregon are calling on the federal government to destroy its own decrepit vessels to prevent them from getting into the public’s hands. | Published July 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Aspen Ford

The Olympic, a retired Washington state ferry, is abandoned off Ketron Island in the Puget Sound. State officials cannot remove the vessel due to its large size and location on private property. For 15 years, it hasn’t moved. By Aspen Ford

NO. 4: WA FERRIES ARE GOING HYBRID-ELECTRIC. DISPOSAL OF OLD ONES PRESENTS PROBLEMS

An abandoned former Washington state ferry, the Olympic, rests slanted on a shoreline off Ketron Island, in southern Puget Sound. | Published August 17, 2025 | Read Full Story

The Disawah sits derelict in the Hylebos Waterway in the Port of Tacoma on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, in Tacoma. The abandoned vessel is being removed after effort to have its owner move it were unsuccessful. By Liesbeth Powers, Brian Hayes

NO. 5: DERELICT BARGE SAT IN TACOMA WATERWAY FOR 2+ YEARS. COST TO REMOVE IT: $463K

The Port of Tacoma approved a resolution to remove a derelict boat that has been sitting in the Hylebos Waterway since March 2023. | Published October 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Becca Most

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.