There’s going to be a lot of shuffling around over the next three months, as the Port of Friday Harbor undergoes renovation. Just like when any other neighborhood is under construction, those living at the marina anticipate some degree of inconvenience.

“I expect it to be a bit chaotic,” said Fred Vossen, displaced for the time being from his berth on F-Dock. “We haven’t even seen the barges and tugs yet. There will be a disruption, but you can’t do a big construction like this without it.”

How big is the reconstruction project? All docks, floats, pilings and utilities will be removed and replaced on C, E, and F docks. Boats kept at the marina year round have been moved to the breakwater and to guest docks to make room for the construction.

The docks will be reconstructed in phases. For example, boats moved from F-dock to temporary slips will return once work on that dock is complete, then the next dock of boats will be moved so work can resume.

The last remaining docks from the marina built in 1972 will be replaced as part of the project.

“This is the biggest project we’ve done in a long time,” Port Director Marilyn O’Connor said, “and we’re excited about it.”

The final phases of the marina overhaul is part of the Port of Friday Harbor Master Plan, an undertaking that also includes replacement of the Spring Street Landing building and renovation of retaining walls, or bulkheads.

However, the reconstruction project has been in the works for 10 years and replacing the last of the circa 1972 docks is the final phase in renovating the marina infrastructure. Phase I and Phase II included replacing underwater electrical services as well as several 20-year-old shallow water docks, and additional electrical work in preparation for Phase III, which begins Monday, Sept. 29.

Bonds were issued by the port to cover the cost of replacing the docks, estimated at $4 million, and Manson Construction was selected to undertake the project following a public bid process.

According to Harbormaster Tami Hayes, there’s no industry standard for when docks should be replaced. It depends more on the performance of a structure and how well it holds together over time.

The docks under construction are 40 years old and, she said, “it’s time.”

Pilings, the tall circular posts driven into the harbor floor that hold up a dock, will arrive on barges and add to traffic in the marina. The work window is dictated by several different permits, one of which only allows pilings to be driven at certain times of the year, a wildlife protection measure.

Still, early fall is optimum for major construction because there’s far less demand for slips and for space at the marina than in the sun-splashed months of summer.

“We’re still allowing guests to come in,” Hayes said. “We’re well prepared to handle all guest traffic.”

The port does not foresee any significant delays on the horizon, and anticipates the project will be completed sometime in December.