Shelter Island Boat Launch Repairs to Begin January 27

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The Port of San Diego is set to begin repairs on the west side of the Shelter Island Boat Launch Ramp on Monday, January 27. Work is anticipated to be completed in April. In the meantime, the east side floating dock remains open and accessible, and the Port anticipates it will remain open during the repair project. 

Work on the west side of the launch facility will include pumping about 200 cubic yards of suitable sand underneath the damaged floating docks onto the adjacent upland beach along the existing concrete boardwalk that is currently experiencing erosion, installing neoprene sleeves and stainless-steel wedge anchors along the existing seawall to prevent future sand migration, removing the damaged floating docks, and installing the new floating dock. 

During construction, pedestrian and vehicular traffic will be routed around the work sites and noise may be experienced due to machinery and other construction operations. All construction will be limited to the hours of 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Background
In June 2023, the west floating dock sustained significant damage due to sand accumulation underneath it, which caused the dock to bottom out at low tide. For public safety, the Port closed the dock, with the east side floating docks remaining open and accessible to boaters.

The Port’s engineering department and consultants immediately launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause and extent of the damage and to begin developing a repair and restoration plan. The investigation determined that gaps in the western wall of the facility, designed to allow for some wave attenuation, had widened more than anticipated, and filter fabric installed during construction to prevent some anticipated sand migration had deteriorated. These issues were likely exacerbated by frequent and often strong winter storms and were unforeseen in the design development process for the facility and during construction. To prevent future excess sand migration into the launch basin, staff and consultants worked diligently to develop solutions to cover the wall gaps and to replace the damaged floating dock. 

This is a complex project due to a variety of factors including the challenges of in-water work, required permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the custom-made nature of the floating dock, which was specially designed to serve the large size and high-use of the facility, but also to withstand and function efficiently in the local marine environment.

Port staff and consultants completed their investigation into the cause of the damage and started the engineering design process in the fall of 2023. In parallel, Port staff also began seeking necessary work permits through the Coastal and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the latter of which allows for sand removal. CEQA permit approvals were obtained in late 2023, and the Port received the USACE permit in the spring of 2024. As a condition of the USACE permits, sand removal must be done in a way that minimizes disturbance of eelgrass that is prevalent in the launch basin, which means no sand removal equipment is allowed within the basin.

With engineering design costs and contingency built in, the total anticipated cost of repairs and replacement is nearly $717,000. At its October 2024 meeting, the Board of Port Commissioners approved a $386,775 construction contract with Harbour Constructors Co. to complete the work needed to restore the dock and prevent future issues. Additionally, the Port directly negotiated with Bellingham Marine to build a new, custom-designed dock to replace the damaged dock for $266,114.