Old Faithful
At tonight’s Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority (ARRA) meeting, the council, excuse me, ARRA Board, will decide whether to spend $200,000 to remove The Faithful, a 293 foot vessel and a barge that has recently been moored to it at the FISC property.
What’s crazy about this, is that they know how owns the boat (Al Bouraq Inc…..wait for it A Delaware Corporation. Google is no help on this one). Staff attempted to negotiate a lease for leaving the ship and to get Al Bouraq Inc. to remove the ship. Nothing doing.
So they sent a letter saying it had been appeared to be abandoned, no reply in 30-days, presto-chango, by-law the boat is abandoned!
Staff looked at three options: 1) Salvaging the ship and having it recycled ($1million), 2) scuttling the ship, aka towing it out to sea and sinking it ($250,000) and 3) removing the ship ($200,000). Staff is obviously recommending #3.
The questions, which The Google is again letting me down on, is who is “Mr. Curt Lind” the sole bid to remove the ship (and pump the 15,000 gallons of oily water out of the boats) and what will he be doing with his $200,000 boat once he has it? I wonder allowed about it, because if the plan is to tow Faithful and it’s barge to India, run it up on a beach and let it be gutted, I think the Council, excuse me ARRA, should find another way. Whatever agreement is signed with Mr. Curt Lind should include language that makes sure what happens to the ship next is responsible.
The staff report is not available online right now, but I made the ARRA Barge Staff Report available here.
UPDATE: According to the city, Al Bouraq, Inc. has been dissolved and has no assets, so there is very little chance that the city will ever see this money back. There’s basically no one to sue. Though it sounds like the city attorney will be pursuing whatever her office can.
dave
January 15th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Schnitzer Steel is right across the Harbor. Have they been approached?
Lauren Do
January 15th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Make it an extension of the Catellus proposed floating dock.
john piziali
January 15th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
How about making it into a floating theater, or maybe a hospital ship.
Greg
January 21st, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Id be very suprised once the city finds out the Coast Gurard requirements for towing the vessel, esp that distance to the delta through the shipping lanes. They will reguire hull repairs, as the vessel has been taking on water and listing. Hopfully the city will proof of proper insuance from buyer to prove that he is covered for the liability.
Mark Ceraldi
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Save the ship! Preserve it and dock it at the future Alameda Landing. Are finances
seriously your only concern…? I certainly hope not.
Also, why are there brand new notices posted all over the ship stating that the restoration is in progress if in fact
it has not yet been approved? Have any of you guys actually visited Alameda Landing (FISC!?
Have you actually been to, or god forbid, been INSIDE the buildings or the ship? Do you know their histories? Or do you just
sit from the comfort of your home and celebrate their demolition? I would get out and take
a walk guys. I spend hours at FISC every week because I think it’s beautiful… certainly
much more beautiful than those disgusting cookie cutter bayport buildings you all call
homes…
Mark
p.s. I’m not trying to diss Bayport, I just think there is so much room for creativity
without substantial increase in construction cost… However my first priority would be to
preserve the existing buildings and operate businesses out of them (like Bobac.) There once
was a dream that California would be a powerful maritime force, but as piers are
shut down in SF and all over the bay area the dream fades…