NORWICH — One man’s mission to establish a shipyard on the Thames River has been dealt another setback thanks to the Nor’easter in March, even before city officials weigh in.

Tucker Gilbert, who had been talking with David Waddington since at least November about establishing shipyard on the former industrial land along the Thames, since Waddington owns the land and there is no other active business there.

Gilbert, who owns the the boatbuilding company, Yachtyboat LLC., had been living at the Marina at American Wharf for the past year.

Gilbert had asked the Harbor at American Wharf if he could work out of one of the Wharf’s buildings, after he had done some jobs there. He was told no, but then he was given a houseboat, which he converted to a workshop, which he had docked at the Harbor at American Wharf. On a weekend night this winter, Gilbert was told to leave due to the noise he was making, he said.

Gilbert moved his workshop to Waddington’s property, and started doing work out of the abandoned buildings on the property, eventually, moving the houseboat with his belongings over to the property.

On March 14, the houseboat became partially sunk due to a Nor’easter. There was not an immediate response from emergency services and then Gilbert was able to right the houseboat a few days later, but it got stuck in a way that needed a crane to move it.

The Harbormaster, Richard Thayer, has the power to address what was needed, but said Gilbert’s boat insurance company was slow to settle Gilbert’s claim and cover the $9,000 needed to remove the boat. As a result, the removal process was delayed, Braddock said.

Removal of boat causes gas spill, boat to crumble

On Thursday, April 6, a crane came to the site, but it wasn’t strong enough to get the boat onto land so it could be inspected for damage, so an excavator crane was called in. The boat was about to be placed on land, but a line broke, and the boat needed to be dragged onto land. After this, it was too damaged to be fixable, Gilbert said.

While the boat was being removed from the river, the Norwich Fire Department responded to the scene at 8 New Wharf Road because nearby residents reported the smell of gas fumes. While it was being moved, the boat crumbled and the fuel tank ruptured, spilling 25 to 75 gallons of gas along the shore, into the river, and on an adjacent property.

“That was all my tools, that was my personal boat,” Gilbert said. “If your house burnt down, that’s basically the same thing.”

An environmental contractor was brought in to skim the water of fuel, collect water samples, and remove contaminated soil, and the property stabilization and remediation will be ongoing. The boat has also been removed, according to a Norwich Fire Department press release.

On Friday morning, Gilbert said he was told by KROPP Environmental Contractors that the cleanup was finished.

Harbor Commission concerns

H. Tucker Braddock, the chair of the Norwich Harbor Commission, is unsure if the workshop boat would be allowed in the estuary, since much of Gilbert’s work concerns fiberglass.

“He cannot be dealing with flammables in the estuary,” he said.

“It’s not the right place to tie off,” Braddock said.

Why Norwich needs a shipyard

If Norwich had a shipyard, Gilbert’s boat and other boats that have sunk in the recent past, including the Lucky Lady, would still be here. Other shipyards on the river may be too far away for damaged boats to reach from Norwich, he said.

Gilbert also believes if Norwich had an active shipyard, the city would be more prosperous. This would range from people getting boats serviced in town, to having attractive options for fishing charters, and bringing wealthy boat owners into the city and area, he said.

“You know where big whales go when they want to go to the casino? They park their boat in Stonington, they park their boat in Mystic, and take a limousine to go to the casino,” he said. “We get none of that business.”