GULF SHORES, Ala. – Local officials expect to take a big step Tuesday toward raising money to sink a ship.

In a work session last week, the Baldwin County Commission voiced support a move to give $200,000 in the effort to turn the 271-foot Yokamu into a diving and fishing reef.

It was thought Tuesday the commission would vote on whether or not to give money to the effort, but the panel instead issued a letter of support for the project. The commission will again discuss the possibility of $200,000 for the project at Tuesday's work session.

The ship is owned by Walter Marine in Orange Beach and caused quite a stir when it was towed up the Intracoastal Waterway to berth at Walter just west of the Foley Beach Express Bridge.

“The sinking of the ship’s going to cost $500,000,” owner David Walter said.  “The state has put up $100,000 and the County Commission has put $200,000. They’ve agreed to do that in theory. And they go to the regular session and they’ll vote on it. But they all agreed to $200,000 so now we’re at $300,000.”

Vince Lucido of Krebs Engineering and a member of the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce board and is chairman of a committee working to keep the ship in state waters. He’ll speak on the effort at the chamber’s first Friday forum this week.

“We’re trying to get money from the city, a couple of cities,” Lucido said. “We’re trying to see if there’s money left from BP.  We’re going to look at every avenue that we’ve got. We’ve had a lot of interest.

"The positive economic impact of a local diving attraction such as this will place the Alabama Gulf Coast as a ‘must see’ diving destination.”

Walter has said all along he believed the funds would eventually be found to keep the ship in Alabama waters.

“I think they’re going to pull it off,” Walter said in July. “Everybody was enthusiastic about it and said that would be something that they wanted for this community and they felt it would be an asset. It was pretty overwhelming.”

He bought the ship and had it cleaned with hopes of selling it to someone to sink as an offshore reef. He also believes the rest of the $200,000 will be raised.

“They’ve got some people that are interested in promoting it as well and they haven’t even gone to the three cities on the coast yet to ask them,” he said. “It is going to happen, we just don’t know when. We’re pretty close to getting it done I’d say. We’re close enough now to where it’s going to continue on and happen.”