By CHARLES MELTON

Editor

On a cold, blustery January afternoon Port of Bremerton marine facilities director Steve Slaton was all smiles as he viewed the progress on the Bremerton marina expansion project from his office at the Bremerton Harborside.

“Things are going pretty well so far, and we’ve been successful with the pilings,” Slaton said.

Instead of the loud clanking that echoed through downtown this past summer when the first pilings used to secure the marina expansion were put into place, crews have been able to vibrate most of them in, he said.

That change has expedited the project and helped bring it back on schedule for its expected opening in April, he said.

“I’ve already got four or five groups coming in then, so I’d better have it done,” he said.

The project has largely been unaffected by the weather, but high winds have made things difficult at times. However, the contractor has been able to shift tasks and keep the project on track, Slaton said.

“When we move the Turner Joy things will really open up,” he said, adding that the ship will be shifted possibly as early as the end of the month.

Already the breakwater and half of the new slips are in place and once the project is completed, the public will have access to the breakwater during daylight hours, he said.

Although the marina is months away from being available to boaters, Slaton said the interest in the project is strong.

“We’ve already got 13 percent of the slips reserved, and we have a number of ads in a number of publications,” he said. “We will also have a strong presence at the boat show in Seattle, which is the largest in the Northwest,” he said.

The goal is to have the marina opened by March 21 for the first day of yachting season, and Slaton said there is the potential for a celebration similar to the one held each year in Seattle on that day.

By summer, the marina should be filled with boaters as the dreams of everyone involved in the project since its inception become a reality, he said.

“I think people will come once they see the state-of-the-art facilities we have here,” he said. “From a business standpoint my goal is to get as many boaters in here as possible.”

While nothing is guaranteed, Slaton said the project is continuing to move ahead on time and on budget and he looks forward to its opening.