“Party Boat” Neptune’s Palace Removed from South San Diego Bay [UPDATE]

“Party Boat” Neptune’s Palace Removed from South San Diego Bay [UPDATE]

Monday, 02 June 2008
Contact: Dale Frost (619) 686-6222

An abandoned party boat, Neptune's Place, which has been stuck in shallow water off the Chula Vista bay front has finally been towed away.

Workers from Marine Group Boat Works removed the vessel and towed it to the company's boat yard during an early morning high tide on Tuesday, June 3. The 120-foot boat has been stuck in South San Diego Bay since 2003, when it blew off its moorings during a storm. Since then, the abandoned boat, considered an environmental hazard, has remained in the shallow water.

After raising the boat by adding buoyancy to the vessel, tugboats maneuvered the boat to the Marine Group Boat Works boat yard. Once at the yard, a crane was used to hoist the boat out of the water. For the next few days, any hazardous materials will be removed and the vessel will then be dismantled and trucked away for disposal.

In the 1980s, the three-story Neptune's Palace was the site of numerous parties and activities. The vessel was considered an environmental hazard because it was killing marine life and eelgrass, a protected habitat.

The Port of San Diego awarded Marine Group Boat Works a $313,000 contract to remove and dismantle the boat.