Derelict boat makes landfall north of Coos Bay, March 23

A chunk of boat spotted by the US Coast Guard March 16 (http://1.usa.gov/1ZoCxWO) has landed north of Coos Bay near Horsfall. Overnight winds and currents pushed the boat north of its predicted landing spot between Bandon and Cape Arago, Tuesday morning, March 22. The debris is smaller — less than 20′ long — than originally estimated. An Oregon Parks and Recreation Department crew is working now to move it up the beach, out of reach of the incoming tide, where biologists will take samples. A contractor, Johnson Rock Products of Coos Bay, will remove it and take it to a landfill. Update: The forward section of a boat spotted by the US Coast Guard March 16 (http://1.usa.gov/1ZoCxWO) that landed north of Coos Bay (http://1.usa.gov/1PpGjYc) has been removed from the beach. The damaged vessel was made of fiberglass, metal, and rigid foam, and measured 16 feet long, and nine feet wide. Biologists removed samples of algae, a live Planes crab, and mollusks for study and identification, a process which will take several days. A contractor, Johnson Rock Products of Coos Bay, removed the debris and took it to a landfill for final disposal. The origin of the boat has not yet been determined, but a registration number was uncovered during recovery operations. Federal officials in the U.S. and Japan will research the number and attempt to identify a home port.