Seabeck Marina Remains One Big Shipwreck

SEABECK, Kitsap County - It was finger-numbing work in bright but freezing weather yesterday.

Michael Mohondro; his wife, Tracey; and a friend, Harold Tabert, lashed a tarp around what was left of the Mohondros' 23-foot cabin cruiser, the Royal Paint. The Des Moines couple's craft was not at its slip at the docks of the Marina and Moorage at Seabeck, Inc., but had been tossed nearly a half-mile south down the beach.

The Mohondros' vessel was one of 88 pleasure boats, ranging from a 42-foot cabin cruiser to 19-foot sailboats, moored at the marina's docks when the wind accompanying Tuesday evening's snowstorm roared down Hood Canal out of the northwest.

When the final blow came around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, only eight boats were left afloat. Twenty, including the Mohondros' cruiser, were scattered down the beach. The rest sank. Nine went down under the main dock itself.

Damage has been estimated at about $1 million to the vessels and more than $500,000 to the docks, said Dennis McBreen, harbor master and marina owner who clocked gusts of 75 to 80 miles an hour.

Mohondro found the hull severely damaged and saltwater in the engine, among other things. He said he has insurance on his vessel, which is worth about $10,000.

``The problem is, if we end up with high tides and 35-knot winds, these boats are going to be picked up and moved again,'' said Mohondro, a sales engineer for a tool company.

Monhondro attributes the docks' buckling to a combination of the winds, high tide and high swells.

At one point, about 30 loose boats were exerting pressure against one dock. The north dock broke loose Tuesday night. Then, with the high tides Wednesday morning, ``everything popped out and the south side was gone in a half-hour,'' McBreen said.

McBreen, who bought the marina five years ago, said if the weather moderates Monday he will use video cameras to see how much damage was done to the pilings.

``We lost 1,500 to 1,800 feet of dock and over 5,000 feet of finger piers,'' McBreen said. Those were uninsured. The main dock and store at the marina, which were not damaged, are insured.

McBreen and others had asked the Port of Bremerton to install a larger floating breakwater at Seabeck, but there has been resistance from environmentalists.

The present breakwater consists of floating steel balls, although last year McBroom installed a $60,000 floating concrete dock. It broke under the storm's impact, but pieces still are afloat, and McBroom believes it probably saved the main dock.

McBreen praised his Seabeck neighbors who ``came out and helped like hell . . . trying to tie things up. We had people standing vigil to make sure there weren't any vandals. A lot of people have offered help.''

No fuel or oil was spilled, McBreen said.

Randy Billick, fire inspector for Kitsap County Fire District No. 1, said that the marina has been posted as dangerous and is off-limits.

Yesterday, a steady stream of motorists, many with cameras, stopped along the highway that parallels the beach to gawk at the damaged vessels and the icy Styrofoam-littered beach.

Leo Westermann, 66, a retired Bremerton machinist who has visited the area for 50 years, said, ``North winds have always been a problem here.'' But, he added, ``I've never seen it this bad.''

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WARNING TO SMALL-BOAT OWNERS

``We're having a major problem with boats that are sinking in this cold weather because people leave the sea valves open,'' said Don Janicke with the Northwest Marine Trade Association, which represents area boat dealers.

In this cold snap, 10 small boats at Friday Harbor and a couple of vessels on Lake Union have sunk as a result of frozen sea valves, which also are referred to as sea cocks. In 1988, more than two dozen boats were lost during a similar cold snap, Janicke said.

The valves are connected to hoses and are used to bring sea or lake water into the vessel to cool engines. If strainers in the valves freeze and crack, water can fill the boat's bilges and sink it.