On February 16, 2024, a vessel hit the Eastside Boat Ramp and removed one pile, potentially compromised the remaining two piles, and damaged all of the floats. For safety purposes City staff removed the floats and unfortunately had to close the boat ramp. Because this is considered a maritime accident, there are Coast Guard and federal investigations pending, not to mention insurance investigations. Furthermore, underwater inspections are required which further complicates and delays this investigation process. The City is aware of how important and widely used this boat ramp facility is to Coos Bay’s sport anglers and the tourists who come from far and wide to fish the local bay and rivers. 

What does this all mean? The short answer is the City has no forecast as to when the floats will be reinstalled. Funding for the City’s boat ramps comes from recreational boaters. OSMB funded the installation and construction of new floats at Eastside just one year ago with the intent of the floats having a 20-year life expectancy. Staff are working with OSMB to investigate funding opportunities for both design and construction. There will be more to follow up on this issue as coordination with OSMB progresses. However, it is very likely the boat ramps will not be in place for the 2024 salmon season. 

The exhibit below identifies the other boat ramp facilities in the area that may be of use to anglers, in the interim, until the Eastside Boat Ramp is opened back up. It is recommended that if you are not familiar with a boat ramp, you visit the site prior to launching your boat to ensure it can accommodate your needs. 

*Reopening for the Empire Boat Launch is planned for the end of April.