A boat used by Bangor’s harbor master sank in the Penobscot River last week during a thunderstorm when its bilge pump failed.
The motorboat was removed from the river on Tuesday, according to Bangor City Manager Cathy Conlow.
The boat was insured, Conlow said, but she did not know on Saturday if it could be repaired, due to its age, or if it would have to be replaced.
“The harbor master uses the boat in events and when boats are anchored,” she said. “It has not been a big issue this week or year, unfortunately.”
The coronavirus pandemic has drastically reduced the amount of activity on Bangor’s waterfront this summer, limiting the need for the harbor master to use the boat. With strict limits on the size of outdoor gatherings, many summer events, including the Waterfront Concerts series, have been canceled or delayed.
For now, Conlow said, the harbor master can use a secondary fire boat maintained by the Bangor Fire Department named Marine 2.
Information about the cost of a new boat for the harbor master wasn’t available over the weekend.