The now-crumbling S.S. Pasley ship, seen here from the Yaquina Bay, was the base of Newport's cargo dock for several decades.
More than 50 years ago, dock builders in Newport sank two concrete Navy ships in Yaquina Bay, and built docks on top of them. Port of Newport officials long planned to reestablish the port’s cargo operations on the back of those sunken 350-foot ships. But one of the ships won’t hold up. Now, the S.S. Pasley will be removed and a traditional dock will be built in its place.
Newport is changing quickly, said Don Mann, general manager of the Port of Newport. “The international terminal project is an important piece of the area’s future. This will get us back on track with more opportunities for the port,” he said. Newport hasn’t exported cargo for years, but Mann sees the new terminal serving log and lumber exporters and potentially other niche cargos, starting in 2013. Small cruise ships could even use the terminal.