ST. JOSEPH — It’s been high on Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey’s wish list for a while, and it looks like that wish might finally come true.

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners Thursday approved a resolution allowing the sheriff’s department to submit requests for proposals (RFPs) for a new patrol boat for the New Buffalo harbor.

Bailey is proposing that the county sell the two boats that patrol the New Buffalo and St. Joseph harbors.

“They are not seaworthy, so we took them off the water,” Bailey told commissioners. “They served us well but it’s time to put them to bed.”

The two 1993 Boston Whalers have outlived the typical 10-year life cycle of patrol boats, according to Bailey.

The type of new boat Bailey is eyeing is estimated to cost $184,000. The county can contribute $80,000 toward the purchase, according to County Administrator Bill Wolf.

Wolf admitted he was initially hesitant for the county to invest in a new boat, but the sheriff has been able to procure a $27,000 donation from Whirlpool and $35,000 from the revenue sharing board. He is also working on a possible $26,000 donation from the D.C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant.

The county’s $80,000 contribution would come from the fund balance of the public safety millage, Wolf said.