While folks are still gathering remaining blowdown wood from the Feb. 4 windstorm that ravaged North Kitsap, two neighborhood groups are trying to determine how to repair popular docks that were severely damaged.

The Indianola Dock and the pier in the Jefferson Beach Estates neighborhood both sustained heavy blows from the storm, to a point where portions of both structures have been closed for safety reasons.

Indianola Dock’s stringers, which support the deck and the railing posts, received serious damage but the decking remained intact, said Port of Indianola Commissioner John Jacobsen.

The port has had a structural engineer assess the dock and prepare drawings for repair work, he said.

“We’re trying to do this as fast as we can and the county has to review them and I think they may expedite them since it’s an emergency project,” Jacobsen said.

The dock has undergone several renovations the past few years; the stairs were replaced in 2005 and part of the structure was repaired in 2004.

“Fortunately, the part that was repaired in ‘04 did well,” Jacobsen said. “That’s why we were able to open the dock almost half way. We’re glad we put that in because that helped. Otherwise, we probably would have had more damage.”

While the decking of the Indianola Dock escaped serious harm, further north, Jefferson Beach Estates Board of Directors president Loren Benson is dealing with the fact that a 60-foot section of the estate’s pier was torn away during the storm. In addition, a large amount of debris and wood washed into the parking lot just behind the bulkhead and the boat ramp was destroyed.

To make matters worse, he just found out the association’s insurance doesn’t include water damage to the dock.

Estimates to repair the dock are running between $50,000-$60,000, with repairs to the parking lot running between $3,000-$5,000, Benson said.

“The boat ramp is history,” he said. “Whenever it was made, it was probably made to go out to a 2-foot minus tide. It is gone now.”

Prior to the storm, the board of directors had been trying to get approval from the homeowners to sell a piece of property. If board gets the OK and the property sells, it could provide enough funding to pay for repairs, Benson said. He’s also concerned that if it is not repaired soon, the association will lose its permits for the structure from public agencies, such as the county and the state. Regardless, he wants to get it done soon.

“I would like to get it back for summer but it’s starting to look like that’s not going to happen this year,” he said.

The dock is popular from July through September, when practically every evening, there are anywhere from 20-50 people fishing there, he said. Benson, who lives on the property above the dock and witnessed how the storm tore up the pier, also enjoyed frequenting the facility.

“When I saw that span between the two pilings go, it just kind of left a lump in my throat,” he said. “I enjoy fishing down there all summer.”