A fishing vessel stuck in mud in the Penobscot River for 14 years should be removed by this time next year.
The Roamer ran aground in July 2011 after it was disabled when a line got tangled in its propeller. It then drifted into a cove and got stuck in the flats near Waterfront Marine, off Route 1A in Hampden.
Multiple attempts to remove the boat in the past decade and a half went nowhere. It was considered abandoned in October 2011.
Now a $750,000 grant from BoatUS will cover the state’s removal cost for the Roamer and three other vessels. The four sunken vessels will be removed by mid-2027, said Jim Britt, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
The grant is specifically for removing some of the “largest and most expensive derelict vessels in Maine,” Britt said. The state will then dispose of the vessels.
A 100-foot former car ferry at Rogue Bluffs State Park has sat rusting for more than 20 years. It will be removed along with an associated marine debris field.
Another boat scheduled to be removed is the Columbia, a 97-foot former commercial fishing vessel that ran aground at Louds Island, near Bristol. The fishing boat was constructed in 1985 and was likely the last wooden scallop dragger ever launched in New England.
“I think the surrounding towns Bremen and Bristol will be very pleased if it’s removed,” Bristol Town Administrator Rachel Bizarro said.
The final vessel is the 65-foot Sans Peur in Wiscasset, which sank during a blizzard in January 2018 near the town’s dock. The wooden minesweeper, whose French name translates to “without fear,” was built in England during World War II.
There are no dates set yet for the removals, but work must be done by mid-2027. The Roamer is likely to be one of the first vessels removed, Britt said.
Private contractors will be hired to carry out the in-water removal, Britt said. Final permissions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are expected within a month, he said.
