Plover undergoes repairs to become seaworthy again

The historic Plover ferry will undergo repairs expected to make it seaworthy by spring. The city carved out $30,000 to pay for the repairs, which are the first of this extent in over 25 years, while city council will consider approving additional funds for the vessel’s 2023 operations.

“Our goal, without compromising the quality of the work, is to meet all of our obligations beginning in March,” said Plover captain Richard Sturgill, adding he hoped to have it finished in time for the Wings Over Water Festival. Sturgill helms Drayton Harbor Maritime (DHM), which operates the city-owned vessel. 

 The 78-year-old Plover ferry has transported passengers between Semiahmoo Spit and Blaine Harbor nearly every summer since 1996. The U.S. Coast Guard performs a yearly in-water inspection and hauls the boat out of the water every two years to examine its hull and propeller, among other areas. 

In September, the U.S. Coast Guard found soft spots on the wood planking of the vessel’s hull as well as on the stem post on the front of the boat. Sturgill said the repairs were significant enough to require fixing the boat before it could carry passengers again. 

“It’s like if you have an old house, you have to take some of the boards out to see what’s underneath there,” Sturgill said. He added these are the boat’s first major repairs since returning to sea in 1996.

Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee (BTAC) increased its original budget recommendation for the Plover ferry by $13,000 during its December 13 meeting. BTAC first asked Blaine City Council to approve $25,000 for the boat’s 2023 operations, but after community pushback, increased it to $38,000, the amount Sturgill initially requested. Council will consider approving the recommendation at a future meeting.

DHM plans to raise supplemental funds to meet the boat’s total 2023 operating costs of $45,000, said Sturgill’s daughter Anna Johnson during the November 28 city council meeting. Johnson said the boat’s insurance is half of the annual cost and the captains are paid a discounted rate. She added that Sturgill and other supporters volunteer many hours.

The city is also paying $30,000 out of its capital budget for the boat’s repairs. Shipwright Steve Alaniz will repair the boat for a third of what it would typically cost, Sturgill said. Alaniz is also helping Sturgill restore the Diamond NN59 sailboat, a 1906 fishing boat that was built for Alaska Packers Association’s Diamond NN Cannery in Bristol Bay. 

“If it doesn’t get the repairs, there is no operation,” Johnson said of the Plover during the November council meeting. “The repairs are going to get done and that’s first. And the city’s going to pay for the boat’s repairs because they own the boat and they want the boat repaired. Otherwise, it’s just firewood.”

About 10 residents spoke in favor of additional Plover funding during the November meeting. Ferndale resident Olivia Rutherford told council she was in full support of increased funding after she rode the Plover with her children for the first time this year.

“We otherwise don’t have access to the water,” she said. “So having the opportunity to get out and see the seals and be on the water as a family is really special.”

Councilmember Mike Hill likened not having the Plover in Blaine to not having a trolley in San Francisco.

Alex Wenger, the city’s tourism and economic development director, said the ferry connects Semiahmoo Resort guests to downtown while being an attraction during festivals like Wings Over Water or the first-ever Blaine Oyster Festival this past October. The vessel, which is the state’s oldest foot passenger ferry, transported the highest number of people on record in 2022 with nearly 8,000 one-way passengers, according to city documents.

“It’s such a great connection to the water. Not only for the Semiahmoo guests, but for Blaine residents and tourists,” Wenger said. “It’s a great way to emphasize ‘Blaine by the Sea’ and really connect our city to the water and get people on the water.”