There were many seawall failures in the news recently after Hurricane Irma. To establish the current condition and remaining life of our seawall at Royal Pelican, the Condo Association and the Boat Association equally shared the cost of hiring a professional marine engineering company, Hans Wilson Engineering, to answer those questions and recommend seawall repairs and maintenance we should consider both near and long term.

The final report was recently received and discussed with RP committee representatives by Hans Wilson. A quote from the summary report finding was reassuring, “The condition of the seawalls was overall pretty good.” The seawalls in our area were originally constructed between 1968 and 1970 with an estimated 50 to 60-year life span. The major repairs we did in 2002 have extended the probable life of our walls another 25-30 years if we continue regular maintenance.

Damage identified by Hans Wilson included several feet of damaged seawall caps, improper seam repairs and, as an aside, several dock and piling integrity problems. Our next steps involve having a marine contractor evaluate a maintenance plan for us. The good news is that contemplated repair costs for the near term are manageable.

We will continue with regular updates as more information becomes available.

RP Board of Directors

RP Boating Association

June 6, 2018