118-year-old Olympia tugboat has accrued $30K in fees, is set to be dismantled
The Sandman, a 60-foot wooden tugboat that was originally built in 1908, has racked up $30,000 in delinquent rent in the Port of Olympia’s boatyard. It may soon be taken off the historic register and dismantled, never to be active in the water again.
The City of Olympia’s Heritage Review Committee met on April 13 to discuss the plans for the dilapidated vessel that has sat outside the water for three years.
Mike Reid, Community and Economic Development Director for the Port of Olympia, said at the meeting that the Sandman was brought out of the water in May 2023 for maintenance work. At that time, he said the vessel was owned by the Sandman Foundation, a nonprofit that has since evaporated.
Once the boat came out of the water, Reid said more significant damage was discovered. The boat was put up on bracing stilts by the port’s boat works operation, and it’s remained there since.
He said the vessel has continued to decline in the boatyard with no active owner, and it has accrued almost $30,000 in delinquent rent payment for storage. He said the port ultimately had to initiate a legal process to impound the delinquent, and maybe even derelict, boat.
Reid said a 60-day delinquency notice was issued, followed by a 10-day pre-impound letter and public notices in The Olympian newspaper. The Olympian also reported about the state of the vessel in July 2025 following attempts to auction the vessel off and recoup any of the delinquent fees. There were no bidders for the Sandman.
“And if you know anything about wooden boats, the longer that they stay out of the water, the worse the condition that they will get in,” Reid said. “It is a bad idea to leave a wooden boat out of the water for three years, as you start getting contraction on the wood of the hull, and you can really, kind of create some significant issues.”
Reid said it’s the opinion of a number of experienced folks who have looked at the vessel that it is not going back in the water. And it’s surpassed the point of repairing it, from a financial standpoint.
He said now the plan is to figure out how to preserve the history and legacy of the Sandman. He said this isn’t the area of expertise for the Port of Olympia, so they’re seeking a partner to help.
“The last thing that the Port of Olympia would want to do is do something to destroy a piece of working waterfront history,” Reid said. “Managing and maintaining a working waterfront is primary to our mission, and so the history associated with it is critical to our identity.”
He said it would be too costly to preserve the Sandman in its current state. One concept being considered is to take working pieces from the 1908 tug and install them on historic working tugs to bring the spirit of the Sandman back to Puget Sound.
Aaron LaPointe, executive director of the Historic Maritime Foundation, said during the meeting that these pieces would include masts and perhaps the engine, as well as other small memorable pieces from the Sandman. He said the unfortunate truth is that everything else would be salvaged and end up in a dumpster.
LaPointe said some pieces could also be incorporated into local parks and be commemorated with plaques. A local restaurant could end up with a window or two. Some pieces could end up at the history museum downtown.
He said his organization has offered to oversee this project moving forward alongside the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society. Their plan is to conduct archaeological surveys on the vessel before it’s ultimately demolished and create 3-D virtual models that people can look at online.
“So in essence, while the boat might not be here existing anymore, it still can be reviewed and referred back to historically, and also it could be on display for somebody at some point,” he said.
LaPointe said that as artifacts are removed from the vessel, they will come up with a worksheet with information on each piece to share with interested parties. He said he’d like to exclude individuals, to avoid any pieces ending up in someone’s garage.
“They should be on display for the public to enjoy at some level, whether it is at a restaurant, in a park or in a museum,” he said.
People would essentially fill out a very short, one-page application, which would be reviewed by a committee of around three people, he said.
LaPointe said the port has an interest in seeing this done and completed by the end of this summer. He said this could line up with Harbor Days, where the end of the Sandman could be celebrated by the community.
Reid said they’re trying to treat the Sandman with the reverence he thinks she deserves, but within the reality that the vessel is past the point of returning to the water.
Brittany Gillia, an associate planner with Community Planning and Economic Development, said at the meeting that the plans to take the vessel off the historic register and dismantle it will next go to the full Heritage Commission and then the full City Council for approval. The next Heritage Commission meeting is scheduled for April 22 at 5:30 p.m.
Gary Miller, chair of the Design Review Committee for the Olympia Heritage Commission, said his biggest fear was not finding an organization that would step up to help with the Sandman. He said he and a good friend always dreamt of retiring to be docents of the Sandman when it was parked in Percival Landing. He said that dream won’t be happening for them, but he’s glad to still be a part of continuing its legacy.
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