Nome weighs what to do with the boats that never leave its port yards

Boats and dredges that haven't floated in years are taking up space on the Port of Nome's uplands, the shore-side yards working vessels need every haul-out season, and the Port Commission is weighing whether to charge them more or clear them out.

A work session Thursday drew a full house of owners. The discussion focused on the lower pads by the inner harbor ramps, not the port's uplands as a whole. Commissioners floated options but settled on none: moving idle vessels to other spots, a sliding-scale storage fee, and eventual deadlines for removal. Staff said any repositioning would be worked out with owners rather than forced. Owners asked for fee waivers for anyone with a signed contract to scrap or haul equipment away; one said he expects his dredge, the AU Grabber, gone by mid-July.

The idle boats on the pads are only the first layer. "Vessels that have been in stores for 15 or 20 years in the backland areas are going to be the next layer to address," Project Manager Joy Baker said.

Part of the confusion is about the rules themselves. Harbormaster Lucas Stotts said users wrongly tell him dredges and containers are already banned.

The commission took no vote and continued the item. It advises the city council, which sets the rates; storage currently runs 9 cents a square foot a week.