Steilacoom Marina

The Steilacoom Marina at Saltar's Point was a popular, bustling place for Puget Sound boaters until a tragic day in 1987 when a 13 year-old kid murdered the owner during a robbery. The boy was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. He is still there. The once busy Marina closed down. It remained empty, quietly rotting away for the next twenty years, sadly reminding beach visitors of mankind's imperfection.

Even in its decrepit state, it was a place of serene beauty. Seals swam amongst the pilings while boys skipped rocks and girls plucked berries from the wild bushes that pervaded the structure. On a warm summer evening it was pleasant to sit beneath the deck and watch the sun set over nearby Ketron Island, the waves calmly lapping onto shore, the smell of grilling meat heavy on the salty air.

Saltar's Point became a popular destination for divers - there are at least six wrecks off shore. In the deep water in front of the marina lies an old Chris Craft from bygone days. At the very south end of the marina, there is a wood hulled tug lying next to a newer fiberglass pleasure boat. The tug still has its engine in place and is a very interesting wreck to explore.

I was walking my dog down at the beach one evening several months ago, thinking that it was a very pleasant place and how nice it was to get away from the crushing closeness of the city, not knowing that it would be a long time before I would get to walk there again. The Marina's long sad story had one more heart wrenching twist. About four in the morning fire crews were alerted that the Marina was ablaze. That building went up in flames like a Christmas tree in a July bonfire. Check out the report.

Blaze destroys Steilacoom Marina | KOMO News - Breaking News, Sports, Traffic and Weather - Seattle, Washington | News

There is a backstory to this that I shouldn't get into, short of mentioning that this was an act of arson. What would compel someone to do this?

Now the Marina owner is saying she wants to reopen. I wish her the best of luck. She sure has her work cut out for her.