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Morro Bay Harbor LogsFor the Month of October, 2009During the month of October, 2009, in addition to their normal course of duties the Morro Bay Harbor Patrol responded to 116 calls for service, including 20 true emergencies. Patrol personnel engaged in 26 enforcement actions and 73 maintenance actions. Highlights include: Thursday, October 1·Transported four adults from the tip of the sandspit to shore, apparently they had taken a walk from Los Osos and were unaware that they would run out of land. Friday, October 2·Emergency response to a report of a small skiff dead-in-the-water near the jetty rocks. Arriving on scene, no such vessel was located in or out of the harbor fitting the description. Saturday, October 3·Participated in a CHP helicopter water rescue training drill with Morro Bay Fire on the bay as part of the Harborfest activities. Monday, October 5·Assisted the sailing vessel Native Dancer lightly aground in the bay in the anchorage area. She was towed free and back to her mooring. ·With MBPD assistance, mediated a civil dispute over a sale gone bad over the sailing vessel Hard Rock. The two parties were counseled, advised, and left to sort the civil matter to themselves. Wednesday, October 7·Removed the snowy plover fencing from the City’s portion of the sandspit with the assistance of State Parks personnel. Thursday, October 8·Assisted the Marine Mammal Center capture a sick sea lion on the beach off of the high school. ·Removed the beach lifeguard towers from the beach for winter storage. Monday, October 12·Towed the sailing vessel Further at the north T-Pier to make better room for arriving fishing vessels. ·Emergency response to a call from the fishing vessel Diane Susan attempting to get under the hoist at the south T-Pier. She was being set-off the pier and toward other boats by the tide and wind, but managed to make way back to the pier without assistance. ·Courtesy tow of the sailing vessel Miss Laura from Tidelands dock to the Yacht Club. ·Assisted personnel from Pacific Wildlife Care take and release a common murre offshore. Later assisted them capture an cormorant with a broken wing in the water near Target Rock. Tuesday, October 13·Conducted numerous storm-related emergency calls including: ·Resecured the commercial passenger fishing vessel Pacific Queen at Virg’s bait dock as she had pulled a dock cleat securing the boat and was threatening to break free. ·Retrieved an adrift and swamped skiff from the sailing vessel Sea Ya. ·To try and keep two moored vessels from colliding with each other, put a drogue on the motor vessel Booya and shortened-up the mooring ties on the other vessel Dog Patch. ·Assisted the owner of the sailing vessel Sweet Pea secure his now-sunk skiff alongside his vessel. ·Shortened the mooring lines of a small sailing vessel that was colliding with the nearby moored vessel Katabatik. ·Resecured the commercial passenger fishing vessel Rita G at her dock, as she had also torn out a dock cleat. ·Shortened up the mooring lines of the vessels Ichiban and Pasa Tiempo on Yacht Club moorings as they too were colliding. ·Resecured a Boston Whaler motorboat at the north T-Pier that had partially broken free. Wednesday, October 14 ·Picked-up after yesterday’s storm including resecuring of several vessels at the City’s piers and docks, dewatered numerous swamped and/or sunk skiffs, assisting in retrieved items gone missing from boats in the storm winds, and removing various items of flotsam and jetsam from bay waters. Thursday, October 15·Advised the operators of a 17-foot runabout heading toward the harbor entrance of the hazardous entrance conditions. After the talk they decided to stay in the bay. ·Retrieved some adrift oyster aquaculture bags seen floating in the bay and returned them to their owner. Friday, October 16·Responded to a report of an altercation between two boaters on Tidelands dock. Upon arrival two boat owners were duking it out over the ownership of a small rowing skiff. In the end one of them was taken to jail. Saturday, October 17·Emergency response to the sailing vessel Red Witch that lost control while trying to tie to another vessel at the north T-Pier. With assistance she was brought back under control, and directed to a day-use dock until the tide slackens. ·While on routine patrol, spotted a small motor vessel stuck in the mud opposite the A-2 mooring area. The operators were coached into navigable water and counseled. ·Removed a bunch of thin plastic netting from under the south T-Pier that was apparently being used as some sort of cockamamey pigeon barrier. Monday, October 19·Urgent response to a report from the Coast Guard of the fishing vessel Mary Beth attempting to tie up at the north T-Pier but getting crossed-up with a strong tidal flow. A Harbor Patrol boat was able to pull the vessel off the pier and adjacent vessel, but not before a window on the Mary Beth was broken in the mishap. Tuesday, October 20·Assisted Army Corps of Engineers personnel with a ride to the sandspit and back for their periodic surveys of the jetties. ·Emergency response to the dock at Associated Pacific for a reported fall victim on the motor vessel Pacific Grace. A person had apparently fallen into the open hatch to the engine room from above, and was transported to the hospital for further treatment. Thursday, October 22·Received a report deemed credible of a shark sighting off of the High School area. The appropriate postings and notifications were made. ·Received a report of a woman screaming on the north T-Pier. This sighting, however, was not confirmed. Friday, October 23·Emergency response to a report of a craft of some sort overturned in large surf at Montana de Oro State Park. The Harbor Patrol got underway in a rescue personal watercraft, while the Coast Guard took their motor lifeboats. Meanwhile, personnel back at both offices interviewed two teams of tow-in surfers that were arriving back to the harbor, and determined that one of them was the “overturned vessel” in question. They had been rolled in the surf as some do, but were quite OK. A witness on shore to their incident had assumed the worst and dialed 911. ·Received a report of two separate break-ins of fishing vessels on City facilities. MBPD Officers were called in to assist with the cases. Saturday, October 24·Noticed the wooden motor vessel Kennett II very low in the water on her mooring in the A-2 mooring area. Conducted emergency dewatering operations on her, then towed her to the Harbor Patrol docks where a 110v electric pump could be installed until the problem is fixed. The owner was notified. ·Emergency response to the sandspit for a call-in report from the emergency phone on the sandspit of a hypothermic victim of an overturned kayak in the surf. The victim was out of the surf, but apparently had been in the water for some time attempting to right his vessel without success. He and his brother had made their way to shore, but in the process of the capsizing and subsequent hike down the beach, one of the brothers had become hypothermic and needed medical assistance. He was located, transported back across the bay, and transported by ambulance to the hospital for further care. Sunday, October 25·Transported the owners of yesterday’s capsized kayaks to the sandspit and back to retrieve their belongings. ·Investigated the source of a diesel fuel leak at the north T-Pier. Upon extensive investigation above and below the water, it was determined that the derelict and now stripped fishing vessel Restless C II, destined for sinking as a dive site offshore, had sprung a small leak in a hitherto unknown fuel tank. Abatement actions were initiated. Monday, October 26·Completed removing the remaining fuel from the Restless C II. Approximately 700 gallons were discovered and removed. Preparations will begin for scrapping the vessel ashore, as opposed to taking the risk of waiting for approval to sink as the boat seems determined to sink on its own with or without approval. Tuesday, October 27·Responded to a report from State Park Rangers of a group of thirteen kayakers in the back bay, possibly overdue. After searching by land from several vantage points, they were spotted high and dry in the eastern lobe of the bay between the State Park Marina and Baywood Point. A patrol boat was dispatched to the area, but was unable to get near enough to access or hail them. A Ranger was able to get into cell phone contact with a leader of the group, who reported that they were in no immediate danger or in need of anything, and were going overland with their group back to the State Park Marina, which they eventually did. Friday, October 30·Escorted the visiting sailing vessel Enchantress into the harbor, as the operators were unsure of their way and of the reliability of their engine. After taking on water, they were escorted back out. Saturday, October 31·Headed-up the safety patrol for the inaugural Jesse King Memorial Paddle Race from Cayucos pier to Coleman Beach inside Morro Bay. Over sixty five people entered the race, and only two needed assistance and could not complete the six-mile course. Harbor Patrol, Coast Guard, Cal Fire, and North Coast Ocean Rescue agencies were all able to lend a hand by providing safety patrol vessels.
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