Portland nixes effort to bring former Russian submarine to waterfront

PORTLAND – The city has snubbed the sub that will be featured in the movie, “K19: The Widowmaker.”

Owners of the former Russian submarine have been looking for a berth for the vessel, but city officials announced Tuesday that they denied a request for a 60-day stay in Portland Harbor.

There is still the option of K19 Productions Inc. finding a private berth, but the company found a buyer for the sub in another community, said Jeffrey Monroe, Portland’s transportation director.

Officials at K19 Productions in California declined comment.

The 387-foot submarine, which was used in filming of the movie starring Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson, is now in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In Maine, an investor group had hoped to turn the sub into a floating museum but the proposal faced criticism.

Robert Webb, former curator of the Maine Maritime Museum, said the Julliet-class submarine was of dubious historical value because it was lengthened and reconstructed to become a movie prop.

In Portland, the city posted significant requirements including Coast Guard inspections before the vessel could be brought into the harbor. Complicating matters was a proposal to transfer ownership to Sub Maine Inc.

The city was never given enough information to evaluate whether Sub Maine Inc. had the resources to take care of the vessel, Monroe said.

“One of our concerns was that we didn’t want to see the vessel abandoned in the port of Portland,” he said.