Haines Borough public facilities director Carlos Jimenez said this week he hopes the municipality can repair a broken mooring float at Letnikof Harbor by June or July.
The borough suspended moorage at the Letnikof floats in mid-March when the shore-side leg of the foam-filled, U-shaped float broke off and flipped over in high winds and stormy seas.
Jimenez said the repair can probably be made for $200,000 or less.
The borough spent $23,000 to put a sleeve and turnbuckle on a crack discovered on the float last year, but it was a “no guarantee fix,” Jimenez said.
“If we don’t pull it out of the water and fix it this year, it’s going to get hammered next year and probably be irreparable. (It will) probably cost two-plus million dollars to replace it,” he said.
Representatives from Juneau-based Trucano Construction visited Haines last week to view the damage. Jimenez said he’s hoping the company can do the same kind of fix they did at Letnikof 15 years ago.
That fix involves removing the dock from the water, moving it to the beach, and picking it up with a crane so it can be welded and repaired.
Jimenez is suggesting a permanent fix for the dock, but the assembly must ultimately approve the expenditure. Jimenez spoke with the Port and Harbor Advisory Committee Wednesday during an emergency meeting to advise them of his recommendation.
People have started mooring to the drive-down launch ramp, which is prohibited and could further damage the facility, Jimenez said. “It’s not designed to have boats tied up to it all the time,” he said.