There are opinions, and then there are facts. And personally, I wouldn't drop a pick in that mess. Roll the dice enough and one is bound to hook one of the hundreds of pieces of junk tossed down for use as an illegal
mooring sooner or later. Latest news from the city:
Since January 2016, the Sausalito Police have been working on a plan to address
safety and quality of life issues on the Sausalito waterways. A recent
survey revealed that sixty-three vessels are currently anchored in Sausalito waters, a significant increase over past years. With the increase in the number of boats, the Sausalito Police have also seen an increase in crime and environmental and navigational hazards.
In order to address these negative issues, the Sausalito Police Department is implementing a plan to reduce the number of vessels anchored in Sausalito waters. This plan consists of five phases:
Phase 1:
Research and Fact Finding
During this phase, the Sausalito Police Department is researching City ordinances, special statutes and state and federal laws regarding vessels at anchor. The goal of this fact finding is to determine which laws are applicable to meet the needs of the City.
Phase 2: Public Education and Outreach
Outreach efforts are already underway, with a January presentation to City Council and a waterfront community meeting in March. As the plan progresses, the Sausalito Police Department will keep the public informed of its actions. An effort will also be made to educate the public about applicable maritime laws. Outreach will include flyers, another public meeting and articles in the Currents.
Phase 3: Enforcement
After the public education and outreach phase, the Sausalito Police Department will begin the enforcement phase of the plan. This will include issuing citations to vessels and vessel owners for violations such as expired
registration, excessive or unsafe debris on
deck, and other violations of applicable codes and ordinances.
Phase 4: Abating
Marine Debris Vessels
In addition to issuing citations, the Sausalito Police Department will actively abate vessels that meet the criteria of
marine debris. "Marine debris" is defined as a vessel or part of a vessel, including a derelict, wreck, hulk, or part of any ship or other watercraft or dilapidated vessel that is not
seaworthy and not reasonably fit or capable of being made fit to be used as means of transportation by
water. The term "vessel" includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation by
water. Per section 551 of the
California Harbors and
Navigation Code, marine debris that is floating, sunk, partially sunk, or beached in or on a public waterway can be removed and destroyed.
Phase 5: Abating Unregistered/Undocumented and Unoccupied Vessels
Once the vessels that meet the definition of marine debris are removed, the Sausalito Police Department will begin to abate those vessels which are unoccupied and not currently registered or federally documented. Section 523 of the California Harbors and
Navigation Code allows law enforcement to remove a vessel from the public waterways if the vessel's
registration has been expired for a year or more. If an abated vessel is not properly registered or federally documented after a period of thirty days, it can be disposed of or
sold.
If you have any questions, please contact Lieutenant Bill Fraass at (415) 289-4171 or
bfraass@ci.sausalito.ca.us