An inspection of the Coupeville Wharf shows part of the structure has settled about 2 inches due to rotting piling caps.

“There’s a mixed bag of what needs to be replaced and what we can get by with,” said Damon Stadler, Facilities Maintenance Manager for the Port of Coupeville. “There are a number of structural problems.”

The port owns the iconic wharf in downtown Coupeville. Officials were concerned about the state of the structure and hired a consultant to complete an inspection and assessment, which hadn’t been done previously.

The study, funded with county-awarded rural development funds, shows that of the 248 piles supporting the building, 38 of them have significant damage.

Yet the overall condition of the structural piles is good, the report states.

A 13-page summary highlights the varying conditions of the pilings, rating them with percentages based on condition. Much of the damage is attributed to marine wear and tear.

Stadler said he will be meeting with an engineer to go over the report and come up with a plan of action for dealing with needed repairs.

“You can’t just jack it up in one swoop, it’s a process,” he said.

He also said the assessment didn’t inspect every single piling individually and he has found evidence of additional rotting not addressed in the report.

“I have additional pilings that I have pictures of showing damage,” he said.

One big issue, he said, is that piling caps are rotting out and causing about a 2-inch sag on one side of the building.

As a result of the settling, the wharf is having issues where the siding is pulling out from the building and some of the windows are having problems.

At a port meeting, Commissioner William Bell asked about the window issues and if they need to be replaced. Damon said that at this time, replacing the windows isn’t worth the money until the sag is addressed.

The piling caps are the biggest concern with how fast they are rotting, he said.

A copy of the 60-plus page report is available for public review at the port office.