By Isabel Ashley

On the morning of Nov. 18, a derelict vessel that has been tied to the dock at the Westound Marina on Orcas for many years, sank. There was no one aboard nor was it underway when it sank. In 2020, San Juan County partnered with the Coast Guard, Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to remove as much fuel and oil from the boat as possible to minimize pollution impact in the event of the boat sinking. Efforts from the Marina and others to get the vessel’s owners to remove the boat have been on going. Since the morning of the sinkage, the response has involved the Islands’ Oil Spill Association, the Coast Guard and the Department of Ecology, as well as paid contractors from Global Drive and Salvage.