The Port Of Hoodsport Welcomes Divers, Disc Golfers and Visitors to the area

Port Of Hoodsport Commissioner Cody Morris talks about the Port of Hoodsport public dock, its recent updates, and future plans. They've been working on modernizing the dock to meet safety and environmental standards, replacing old materials, and making it more resilient to weather. After structural failures last winter, they secured emergency funding for repairs just in time for shrimp season. The dock is a popular spot for divers, fishermen, and visitors to downtown Hoodsport's shops and restaurants. Additionally, The Port of Hoodsport manages a disc golf course and a trail system up the Cushman Road.

If you had attended Fjordin Crossin in June, you may know that the Port has been working on modernizing the dock to meet safety and environmental standards, replacing old materials, and making it more resilient to weather. After structural failures last winter, they secured emergency funding for repairs just in time for shrimp season. The dock is a popular spot for divers, fishermen, and visitors to downtown Hoodsport's shops and restaurants.

"We are in negotiations with DNR to renew our lease," Cody Morris explained to Jeff, "and part of that stipulates that we need to modernize the material being used here. Our dock is quite old, and so it is very out of code, both for safety and environmental standards. So two of the main things we’re looking at is the materials."

Morris spoke regarding the winter dock closures, "we had some extreme structural failures, and for the safety, the port had to close it down and seek emergency funding from the state to hire a contractor to do the repairs. We were lucky that we were able to get repairs done just in the time of shrimp season. That’s definitely when this dock gets the most use. The second most use is during the salmon season."

Although the Port was able to make temporary repairs, Morris realizes there is still a lot of work to be done.

"As the dock is currently configured," he continued, "it kind of more or less has a self-destruct button. And that’s mostly from the fact that the dock itself doesn’t flex. It creates an insane amount of tension during the tidal changes, and those much gnarlier waters in the winter."

Regardless of the pending long term upgrades to the docks that will take some time and funds, Morris attests that the docks are an important asset to the Port of Hoodsport not just for the basic needs of accessibility but also for tourism. The local retail and restaurants in the area benefit greatly from the summer day traffic arriving by water.