At the Port of Coos Bay we are committed to ensuring the stability and prosperity of our maritime community while safeguarding the assets of the port. I wanted to write and shed some light on recent developments within our local fishing industry at the Charleston Marina and keep you all informed. 

I realize it is easy for information to get passed along and sometimes people don’t have all the facts. If you have more questions that aren’t answered here, please reach out to me directly and I’ll do my best to get you what you need.

Let’s walk through some questions we’ve gotten recently about the public dock in marina.

What is the public dock and hoist?
The Port owns a public hoist which has historically been available to load and offload vessel gear. It is located on the ice dock.

How often has the dock been used in the past?
On average, the dock hoist has been used less than 12 hours per year going back to 2014. The hoist costs $27 per hour to lease. We have no record of the hoist being used for sustained commercial off-loading.

What happened recently with the hoist? Was the dock damaged?
Recently, mobile live catch payers have started utilizing the dock and hoist for commercially offloading live crab.  Due to this expanded use of the hoist, the Port became aware of damage sustained to the dock. 

What did the Port do?
The Port closed the public dock for 48 hours to work diligently on an equitable solution and new interim protocols. The Port reached out and met directly with those involved to find a fair resolution. This response was not unilateral but involved robust engagement with our stakeholders. We developed a protocol for the remainder of the season that predominantly utilized preexisting requirements. This includes insurance requirements for mobile buyers, additional dock inspections, and a small surcharge that will go to protecting our infrastructure.

Let me emphasize that our intent is to maintain a balanced approach that safeguards the interests of all involved parties and the public infrastructure. As the facilitator of the dock we want to be the one that ensures you have all the right information and assist constructive and transparent dialogue.

I was just down at the dock this morning and saw crab moving swiftly off boats. It is exciting to see the backbone of our coastal community in action and we appreciate interest in the marina. We will keep you updated as this moves forward. Again, feel free to reach out to me directly if you have additional questions, I’m always happy to chat.

Thanks,
Ray Dwire, Charleston Marina Manager
email: rdwire@portofcoosbay.com
phone: 541-266-3710