Partner Oregon, Columbia Co. to retrieve 9 sunken ships from the Columbia River

St. HELENS, Ore. (KPTV) – The state of Oregon and the District of Columbia are working together to retrieve nine sunken pleasure boats from the Columbia River near St. Helens thanks to state and federal funds.

The D.C. Sheriff’s Office said abandoned vessels are dangerous, potentially leaking pollutants or floating into navigation channels.

“They’re trash on our beautiful waterways and it’s just sad to see these things abandoned and abandoned,” said Stan Tonneson, who has been boating for 66 years.

Tonneson has worked with Multnomah County and state legislators in the past and has removed about two dozen boats along the Multnomah Canal. He said there are far more sailboats than motorboats because sailboats are cheaper and have no value, so people get rid of them.

CCSO said there has been no funding for the process until now. The New Abandoned and Abandoned Vessel Fund and the American Salvage Plan Act raised $236,000 to remove the nine boats.

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The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) has issued a new water quality certificate for Ross Island Sand and Gravel.

“I will say with the crane and so on, they spend probably $25,000 to $40,000 each to raise the boat because they have people on booms around it, they have divers, they have cranes, time to get him here, Tonneson said.

Tonneson owns Rocky Pointe Marina and Boatyard and says he does everything he can to keep abandoned vessels away from his marina and its 56 houseboats.

“If I have to, I get out and give them gas, I’ll tow them somewhere, I’ll give them directions, I’ll do everything I can to keep it out of our vicinity. It just pushes them somewhere else,” Tonneson said.

Diversified Marine Incorporated, the supplier contracted to remove the St Helens cluster, will also remove the 115ft vessel from St Helens later next month.