An unusual boat tied up to the bulkhead in Olde Towne Portsmouth caught fire over the weekend. Thankfully, first responders were able to save a dog on board, but the burnt boat is still causing issues in the area.
Flames broke out on the large, steel-hulled vessel early on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 6, while it was tied up to the seawall at the Renaissance Portsmouth-Norfolk Waterfront Hotel. In a large multi-agency response, the Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Norfolk fire departments all came to the scene along with the Virginia Port Authority and the Coast Guard.
No people were on board at the time, but one dog was rescued from the boat. Firefighters were able to successfully extinguish the fire.
Coast Guard Sector Virginia said its Incident Management Division is “overseeing the safe removal of hazardous materials and petroleum products” from the vessel. The Coast Guard said, “The priority of this mission is protecting the community and the environment from damage.” A boom was deployed around the boat.
Damage from the fire caused the vessel to sink, and as of Tuesday, Sept. 9, the nearby Elizabeth River Ferry’s North Landing dock remained closed to ferry service. “Customers going to and from Portsmouth, as well as those going to Harbor Park may board at the High St. dock,” said an alert from Hampton Roads Transit.
Jim Cullen, retired U.S. Coast Guard Chief Evaluation Officer and a former Coast Guard Police Chief, blasted the “derelict boat” he says was evicted from two nearby marinas before tying up to the seawall. Cullen, who is running for Portsmouth Sheriff, is calling for a Harbormaster position in the city. “Now our city is spending thousands of dollars responding to this emergency. It is time to establish a Harbormaster function in our city to prevent these problems before they occur.”
The steel vessel that sunk bears the name Island Diver and a home port of Harwich, United Kingdom. Chesapeake Bay Magazine has learned the vessel was built as a pilot cutter (No. 3) in the 1960s and served in the 1970s as a workboat for the Harwich Harbour Conservancy in Harwich, U.K. It was then known as St Joan. According to writer and historian Philip Cone on his website A Brief History of Harwich, St Joan was sold and re-named Island Diver in 1974. On the discussion forum Ships Nostalgia, the former St Joan was traced to the United States as recently as four years ago. A photo showed the vessel bearing the Island Diver nameplate visible on the burnt boat, as well as the “No. 3” on its bow.
