The Friday Harbor Port Commission wrote off $8,800 in bad debt Jan. 13.

The amount was comprised of debt that had been held in collections for two years. Some $2,000 of that debt was from the now-defunct Island Dive. Another chunk was from unpaid slip rent for a sailboat that has been impounded.

Harbormaster Tami Hayes said it’s the largest amount of debt ever written off by the port district. Last year, the amount was zero. In 2007, the port wrote off $1,450 in bad debt; in 2006, $1,935; in 2005, $4,200.

Port Executive Director Marilyn O’Connor said the port district budgets $5,000 for bad debt. She said the port is seeing an increase in late payments.

Twenty-six businesses lease sites from the port district in the marina area; the marina has 500 slips. About 19 businesses lease sites from the port district in the airport area.