Faced with a possible repair bill costing tens of thousands of dollars, Port of Coupeville officials may have found a way to get the work done more cheaply.

Five wooden pilings beneath the Coupeville Wharf are failing and early estimates put replacement at $50,000. There are a total of 134 pilings holding up the causeway leading out to the wharf building.

Jim Patton, the port’s executive director, said a Marysville company, Schrader Company Sales, LLC, approached him offering an alternative that looks like it will cost only one- tenth as much as replacing the deficient pilings.

The company is proposing to wrap the damaged pilings with a fiberglass jacket and then fill the damaged area with epoxy. Patton said the company believes the work will make the piling stronger without replacing them.

It’s estimated that the process will cost only $5,000 for the repairs.

The cut-rate approach may be tempting. Port officials are dealing with financial problems that stem from continued maintenance projects at the wharf and the Greenbank Farm that have drained the port’s reserves.

Patton said he will adjust the port’s tight budget to find the money for the wharf work. He will have a proposal ready to present to the commissioners in time for their June 10 meeting.