A public pier in Ballard is expected to reopen after the City of Seattle won a lawsuit against the owner of a vessel that has occupied the site since 2020.
In an update to constituents, Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss said Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans successfully pursued legal action against the owner of the ship Albert, which has been illegally moored at the public pier on 24th Avenue NW along the Lake Washington Ship Canal since March 2020.
Albert has a long history that stretches back nearly a century. According to local researcher Chris Mills (of Sea Lion Radio fame), who is writing a book about the vessel, the ship was named in memory of Albert Thorvaldsson, a 25-year-old Icelandic fisherman who disappeared at sea in 1936 while tending fishing nets near the town of Olafsfjordur. After his death, his parents helped launch a fundraising campaign that ultimately led to the construction of Northern Iceland’s first rescue vessel. When the steel-hulled ship was built in Reykjavik and launched in 1956, it was named Albert in his honor.
Mills says the vessel spent its early years with the Icelandic Coast Guard, serving during the Cod Wars, conducting search-and-rescue missions, and supporting scientific research. After leaving Iceland in the late 1970s, the Albert took on a wide range of roles, including as a research vessel, diving charter boat, mail carrier in Costa Rica, and support vessel during the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup in Alaska. Despite its many owners and changing purposes over the decades, the ship has retained the name Albert.
Strauss said the vessel has blocked public access to the pier for more than six years. He also said it attracted criminal activity and required an emergency response in 2023 after it began taking on water.
According to Strauss, a judge ruled in the city’s favor, finding that the vessel constituted a nuisance. The court imposed civil penalties totaling $185,500 and ordered an additional $500 per day until the vessel is removed. Strauss said the owner is also responsible for all costs associated with enforcing the order and removing the vessel.
Strauss said the ruling means the neighborhood will soon regain access to the public pier once the vessel is removed.
The public pier was rebuilt in 2018 as part of Seattle Public Utilities’ Ship Canal Water Quality Project, which aims to reduce stormwater and sewage overflows into the Lake Washington Ship Canal during heavy rains. The replacement removed creosote-treated wood pilings to improve water quality and fish habitat, while adding a new public viewing area with a concrete surface featuring artwork by local artist Christian French. The project was also intended to improve pedestrian access to the waterfront.
Featured photo: Dan Strauss