I found this boat by accident while obsessing over finding local derelict boats on Flickr. I saw this and prayed it was still there. The only problem was finding where “there” was. Thanks to my other obsession, Google Earth, I prowled around the city of Rodeo until I found it!
The Polaris is a 69-foot tugboat that ran aground at Lone Tree Point near Rodeo in April 2013. The US Coast Guard responded to the accident; however, the owner declined any assistance. Later, the Marine Officer issued formal notice to remove the boat, but the owner did not comply. Negotiation between the original owner, subsequent owners, the district and the Coast Guard started but an agreement could not be reached.
An attempt at repairing the vessel was made, but turned out to be a failure. Finally, the vessel was cleared of its fuel and any potential dangers to the water and moved to a cove in Rodeo, CA. Contra Costa Sherriff’s Marine Patrol has moved to have the abandoned vessel removed, as it is considered a public nuisance.
*The above info was found on some meeting notes from the CA state Lands Commission http://archives.slc.ca.gov/Meeting_Summaries/2013_Documents/12-02-13/Items_and_Exhibits/C111.pdf
The Polaris can be found from two vantage points. One is in a derelict marina off Pacific Avenue. I wouldn’t say it’s abandoned, as there are quite a few creepy people living on the premises. Knowing this, I would not go alone. And again, luckily, my fiance saw someone and started talking to him about the boat we were in search of. He told us to “go on in!”. We talked through the marina finding all kinds of boats, cars and junk. Almost at the end of the walkway I saw it! Boom! Like it popped out and bit me. It was so much bigger than I had imagined.
The second, is if you go back out on to Pacific Ave, you can see a pathway leading out toward the water. Follow this and it will take you to the other side of the vessel. On this side, you have access to what used to be a docking area, though the dock is in various stages of decay and had been burned in some areas. I would not wander on to the dock. But you can walk out on the rocks and go pretty far out when the tide is low.
Please note: Along this path it is clear that there are some homeless who have taken up shelter. Just avoid those areas and I’m sure you’ll be fine.
I do not know the current status of the process to remove this “nuisance” but my guess is it might be sooner rather than later. Happy exploring!
A Girl Abroad 