enlarge Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

The city of Portland’s new fireboat sits on jack stands Monday at Gowen Marine on Commercial Street as firefighters remove some safety gear to be used temporarily on the old fireboat. The damaged propeller and shaft hang from the left side of the stern.

and went home.

LaMontagne said the last time the city's fireboat suffered damage from hitting bottom was about 15 years ago.

He said crews will eventually retrace the precise course of the fireboat, as much as possible, to locate any navigational hazards.

"We want to find out what it was" that the boat hit, he said.

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at: dhench@pressherald.com