Ballard residents who haven't been able to walk to the end of the public pier at 24th Avenue Northwest since 2020 now have a court-ordered deadline for getting their waterfront back: Thursday, July 30.

King County Superior Court Judge Melinda Young ruled Tuesday, July 7, that the Motor Vessel Albert — a rusty, graffiti-covered, 112-foot former Icelandic Coast Guard gunboat — is unlawfully moored on city property and constitutes a public nuisance. The ruling orders owner Fred Kelly Jr., a Colorado resident, to remove the vessel by July 30 or face city enforcement.

If Kelly misses the deadline, City Attorney Erika Evans has authority to remove, store, sell, or demolish the boat at his expense.

"After years of delay by the boat's owner, justice has finally been served," Evans said in a statement. "This judgment sends a clear message: if you violate the law and prevent the people of our city from enjoying their public spaces, we will hold you accountable."

What Kelly owes

The judgment levies $185,500 in civil penalties, the result of more than two years of daily $250 fines. Kelly also owes roughly $1,215 in legal costs. A separate $500-per-day fine began accruing June 1, 2026, and will continue until the boat is gone. As of July 10, that adds roughly $20,000 to his tab.

How the Albert got here

The vessel arrived at the 24th Avenue Northwest pier in 2019. Built in 1956, it served in Iceland's Coast Guard during the Cod Wars, later participated in scientific survey expeditions, and aided in the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup. Ballard resident Chris Mills, who has researched the vessel's history, told the Seattle Times the boat was briefly flagged by the U.S. Coast Guard in the 1980s as a suspected drug-running vessel.

By 2020, the Albert had effectively blocked public access to the pier's end.

Kelly's attorney, Isaak Hurst, said the Albert was originally placed at an Alaskan shipyard for restoration but was towed to Seattle by that shipyard to make room for other vessels.

The city first told Kelly to remove the boat by the end of October 2023. He missed that deadline, requested an extension, then missed a January 2024 deadline. SDOT referred the matter to the city attorney's office in April 2024, and the city filed suit in King County Superior Court in June 2024. A city attorney's office spokesperson attributed part of the delay to pandemic-related slowdowns.

In 2023, the Albert began sinking, requiring an emergency intervention by SDOT and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Will it actually move?

Hurst said Kelly is working with Seattle-based marine contractor Global Diving & Salvage to repair and relocate the ship, but called the process difficult. The city's derelict-vessel designation means no public or private shipyard will accept the Albert, according to Hurst. Kelly spent more than a year trying to get the boat into the Washington Department of Natural Resources' Derelict Vessel Removal Program without success.

DNR spokesperson Joe Smillie confirmed the Albert is on the department's list of vessels of concern but said it would not qualify for the removal program unless the city "assigned" the vessel to DNR.

SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson said the department is "cautiously optimistic" the boat will be moved by July 30 but is coordinating a contingency plan with DNR if it is not.

District 6 Councilmember Dan Strauss, who represents Ballard, said in June that the city's lawsuit win should lead to the pier reopening after years of blocked access, according to My Ballard.

What's next

The July 30 deadline is three weeks away. If Kelly fails to act, the city attorney's office can begin removal proceedings at his expense. Residents can check the status of the pier at seattle.gov/transportation.