News, recent developments, and generally useful information from around the Chesapeake.
Post-Hurricane Irene Information
August 29, 2011
Navigation hazards
The
Coast Guard has received reports of shoaling at the entrance to the
Chesapeake between buoys "9" (LLNR 7075) and "10" (LLNR) 7080. No
indication of the depth, however.
Also noted in shipping channel, these buoys are reported to be off-station:
# Chesapeake Bay entrance lighted whistle buoy "CH" (LLNR 405)
# Chesapeake channel lighted bell buoy "2C" (LLNR 7035)
We'll post all navigation hazards as we receive notice.
As of this morning, all ports on the Bay have reopened to marine traffic.
Hurricane Irene Storm Alerts
August 27, 2011
Coast Guard sets Port Condition Zulu for Hampton Roads
The Coast Guard Captain of the Port was scheduled to set condition Zulu at midnight Friday for the Port of Hampton Roads due to severe weather.
The COTP is establishing a safety zone that will close the port to all vessel traffic, including vessel transits within the port. Vessel movement is not authorized without prior approval from the COTP.
The COTP anticipates remaining in condition Zulu until severe weather ceases. All mariners are advised to be extra vigilant as the port can expect sustained gale force winds greater than 39 mph during the next 36 hours. Cargo handling operations at all facilities shall be terminated during this time period.
The Coast Guard requests that the public listen to weather information available from other sources and not call the Coast Guard for weather information. For additional information on the storm, visit the National Hurricane Center Web site at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.
Maryland drops crab time limits for crabbers to prepare for storm
Effective immediately, the Department of Natural Resources will not be enforcing the times for removing crabs from commercial crab pots from Thursday, August 25, 2011 through Monday, August 29, 2011. Licensees may keep crabs removed from crab pots during this period. All other regulations pertaining to the commercial harvest of crabs remain in effect. The purpose of this action is to allow fishermen to prepare for Hurricane Irene by removing their gear from waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Coastal Bays of the Atlantic Ocean. Enforcement of times will resume at 11:59 pm Monday, August 29.
Virginia has also dropped its time constraints temporarily (see below)
August 25, 2011
11:30 a.m.
Upper Bay now under Port Condition Whiskey
The Captain of the Port of Baltimore has set the
condition to Whiskey for the northern Chesapeake Bay, including
tributaries and ports along those tributaries due to the expectation that gale force winds generated by Hurricane Irene may arrive within 72 hours.
The ports are currently open to all commercial traffic and all transfer operations may continue while Whiskey remains in effect.
Threatening winds between 39 and 54 mph from a hurricane-force storm are possible within 72 hours.
Pleasure craft are advised to seek safe harbor. Drawbridges may not be
operating if sustained winds reach 25 mph or when an evacuation is in
progress.
Port facilities are advised to review their heavy weather plans and take
all necessary precautions to adequately prepare for the expected
conditions.
August 26, 2011
11:15 a.m.
Coast Guard sets port condition X-ray for Hampton Roads
As predicted, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port has set Hurricane Condition X-ray for the Port of Hampton Roads in preparation for Hurricane Irene. Hurricane Condition X-ray is set when gale force winds are expected within 48 hours.
During the next 24 hours the Coast Guard will identify and track all vessels in port, establish contact with emergency management agencies at the local, state and federal levels, and work closely with port and industry officials to minimize damage in the event the storm impacts Hampton Roads.
Pleasure craft are advised to seek safe harbor. Drawbridges may not be operating if sustained winds reach 25 mph or when an evacuation is in progress. Mariners can view the latest port updates for Hampton Roads on the Coast Guard's Homeport site.
Port facilities are advised to review their heavy weather plans and take all necessary precautions to adequately prepare for the expected conditions.
If and when port readiness condition Yankee is set, meaning hurricane force winds are expected within 24 hours, vessel movement shall be restricted and all movements must be approved by the Captain of the Port.
10:30 a.m. August 25, 1011
Here are storm preparation updates from the lower Bay:
Time of day restrictions on the commercial harvest of crabs have been lifted for the next three days to give crabbers enough time to remove their gear from the water, a news release from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission said. Typically commercial crabbing is limited to 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Port conditions in Hampton Roads will change beginning at noon today (see update above), according to the Coast Guard. As winds rise and port conditions are accelerated, mariners will no longer be able to take shelter in port in order to keep vessel inventory at a minimum. Commercial oceangoing vessels and barges over 500 gross tons have been told to make plans to leave.
The Navy has made the decision to take its ships out of port. Fifty-five ships are either headed out to sea or steaming for safer harbors. The move was prompted by predictions of winds of at least 55 mph sustained and a storm surge of 5 to 7 feet.
August 24, 2011
Hurricane Irene Storm Alerts
Coast Guard sets port condition Whiskey for Hampton Roads
The Captain of the Port for Sector Hampton Roads has set port condition Whiskey at noon for Hampton Roads due to the expectation that gale force winds generated by Hurricane Irene may arrive within 72 hours.
The ports are currently open to all commercial traffic and all transfer operations may continue while Whiskey remains in effect.
Threatening winds between 39 and 54 mph from a hurricane-force storm are possible within 72 hours.
Pleasure craft are advised to seek safe harbor. Drawbridges may not be operating if sustained winds reach 25 mph or when an evacuation is in progress. Mariners can view the latest port updates for Hampton Roads on the Coast Guard's Homeport site.
Port facilities are advised to review their heavy weather plans and take all necessary precautions to adequately prepare for the expected conditions.
Mariners can anticipate the Coast Guard setting port readiness condition X-ray when gale force winds from Hurricane Irene are within 48 hours of landfall.
If and when port readiness condition Yankee is set, meaning hurricane force winds are expected within 24 hours, vessel movement shall be restricted and all movements must be approved by the Captain of the Port.
For information on how to prepare your boat or trailer for a hurricane, please click here.
For information on Hurricane Irene's progress and hurricane preparedness, please visit the National Hurricane Center's web page at the following link - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.
August 23, 2011
Preparing your Boat for a Hurricane
Here is a very useful document from Boat U.S. about how to secure your boat before a storm.
Coast Guard advises preparation for Hurricane Irene
The Coast Guard urges mariners and residents to begin planning and preparing for Hurricane Irene.
Tropical systems acquire a name when they reach tropical storm strength with sustained winds reaching 39 mph. They become hurricanes when winds reach 74 mph and become major hurricanes when winds increase to 111 mph.
As storms approach, the Coast Guard urges people to remember these guidelines:
# Stay informed: The public should monitor the progress and strength of the storm through newspapers, the Internet, and local television and radio stations. Boaters can monitor its progress on VHF-FM channel 16. Small craft advisories and warnings are also available on VHF-FM channel 16.
# Evacuate as necessary: Mandatory evacuation orders should be obeyed. Coast Guard personnel and other emergency responders may not be able to evacuate people in danger during a storm.
# Secure your boats and boating equipment: Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to inland marinas where they will be less likely to break free of their moorings or to be otherwise damaged. Boats that can be trailered should be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding. Those mariners who leave their boats in the water are reminded to secure life rings, life jackets and fenders.
# Be cautious of hazardous materials: If you have hazardous materials on or near the water, you are responsible for any spills that may occur. Take the necessary precautions to secure these materials prior to any foul weather.
# Stay clear of beaches: Even the best swimmers can fall victim to the strong waves and rip currents caused by storms. Swimmers are urged to stay clear of beaches until local officials say the water is safe. Rip currents and undertows can drag swimmers away from their boat or the beach and lead to death by drowning when they attempt to fight the current and become exhausted.
Mariners are reminded that drawbridges along the coast may deviate from normal operating procedures prior to a storm. They are generally authorized to remain closed up to eight hours prior to the approach of gale force winds of 32 mph or greater and whenever an evacuation is ordered. Because of the uncertainty of weather movements and related bridge closures, mariners should seek early passage through drawbridges well in advance of the arrival of gale force winds.
For more information on hurricane preparedness, please visit the National Hurricane Center's Web page at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
NRP advises preparations be made for Hurricane Irene
Here is some good storm preparedness advice from the Maryland Natural Resources Police:
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are asking mariners to make plans to safe-guard their vessels from Hurricane Irene. The recent activity in the Atlantic Ocean should cause boaters to make plans to safe guard their property and lives.
Planning is the key to minimize injury and loss of life. Boaters should make plans well in advance of the storm so that definite docking, mooring or hauling out of the vessel arrangements can be performed quickly and without delay.
When deciding on storm preparation plans, mariners need to consider size, type of vessel, and location. Current locations may not offer protection from high winds or tides. Boaters should consider the following when making arrangement for their vessels:
# Removing valuable equipment from your vessel to protect it from damage.
# Consider removing your vessel from the water to reduce damage from storm surge.
# Vessels on land should be properly stored or tied down to prevent being damage by winds. Small open vessels can be filled with water to lessen the effect of the wind.
# Vessels that remain in the water should be moored in safe areas or berths.
# Lines should be doubled and high on pilings. Remember storm surges can cause tides over the pilings.
# Install fenders to protect vessel from pilings, piers or other vessels.
# Ensure that bilge pumps work properly and that the batteries that run them are fully charged.
# Seal all openings to make the vessel watertight.
# Collect all documents, including insurance policies. Take photographs of vessel and equipment for insurance
# Do not stay aboard vessels during storms.
NRP reminds boaters that advance planning can save property and lives. These actions should take place at least 48-72 hours before the event to accommodate unforeseen problems. During the storm, occupants should be off the water and in safe shelters. Remember, storm conditions could exist that delay or prevent response from emergency personnel.
On August 19, in the District Court of Maryland for Worcester County, Vernon Edward Bailey Jr., 42, of Salisbury, and Ellis M. Barton, 40, of Westover, were found guilty of possessing undersize male hardcrabs. Bailey was found guilty of 2 counts and Barton of one count. Each man was ordered to pay $1,000 fine for each count. The Maryland Natural Resources Police stopped Bailey and Barton on June 11 in Marshall Creek off of Chincoteague Bay with 1,211 undersize male hardcrabs.
Personal watercraft accident on Port Tobacco River
On August 20, at 2:48 p.m., NRP responded to investigate a personal watercraft accident that occurred in the Port Tobacco River. The investigation revealed that Norman Linwood Vassar Jr., of Waldorf, Md., was operating the vessel when he struck a wave and lost control of the vessel. Vassar was thrown from the vessel and then struck by it. He was flown to Prince Georges Hospital and treated for chest injuries.
August 21, 2011
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard Station Annapolis assists boat taking on water near Chesapeake Bay Bridge
A rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Annapolis assisted three people north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge after their 23-foot boat began taking on water Saturday afternoon, August 20.
The boaters contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 12:50 p.m. reporting that they were taking on water, but were able to keep up with the flooding at the time.
Two 25-foot Response Boat—Small crews from Station Annapolis, Maryland Natural Resources Police and Anne Arundel Fire Department launched to assist.
The RB-S crews transferred three members and a dewatering pump onto the sinking boat to assist in dewatering while the other RB-S crew began towing the boat to Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis.
There were no reports of injury.
Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City crew rescues two near Oregon Inlet, NC
The Coast Guard rescued two people after the 43-foot recreational boat they were aboard sank 45 miles east of Oregon Inlet, N.C., Saturday.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a call at 1 p.m. from a crewmember aboard the Reel Escape, from Glen Allen, Va., stating that they were taking on water and were in need of assistance.
The boater's call dropped, but watchstanders began receiving an emergency position indicating radio beacon transmission near the reported location.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., arrived on the scene and hoisted the two people aboard the helicopter.
"The Coast Guard wants to stress to all mariners both recreational and commercial that having a properly registered EPIRB aboard saves lives as happened with the Reel Escape," said Geoffrey Pagels, a watchstander with the Coast Guard's 5th District Command Center.
The boaters were transported to Air Station Elizabeth City. The crew aboard the Reel Escape was travelling from Cape Hatteras, N.C., to Rudy Inlet, Va., when they began to take on water.
August 18, 2011
Police Blotter
Two boating accidents; one fatal, one serious
The Natural Resources police are investigating two boating accidents that occurred Thursday, August 18.
The first boating accident occurred at 1:20 p.m. on the Marshyhope Creek, near Federalsburg, Md. NRP's investigation revealed that John Miller, 63, of Bridgeville, Delaware, was fishing by himself on a 16-foot vessel. Miller was thrown overboard when the vessel surged forward after he started his outboard engine with the motor in gear and the throttle wide open. Miller was struck two or three times by the boat and motor as the vessel circled around him. Eventually, Miller was able to swim out of the path of the circling vessel and was retrieved by a Good Samaritan vessel.
Miller was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical center with propeller injuries to his head, neck and arms.
The second boating accident occurred at 3:41 p.m. in the Chesapeake Bay just south of the fishing pier at North Beach Calvert County. NRP's investigation revealed that William Thomas Cole, 42, of North Beach, Maryland, was operating a 10-foot personal watercraft (PWC). Witnesses stated that Cole was jumping waves with the vessel when he was knocked off his vessel by the waves. Cole yelled for assistance and then was covered by breaking waves. Coles was then observed unconscious on the water. The sea condition at the time of the accident was 2 to 3 foot waves and winds estimated at 15 to 20 knots.
Cole was picked up North Beach Volunteer fire Company and transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Cole was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. Cole's body is transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy. NRP's Special Operations Division is continuing the investigation into the accident.
August 18, 2011
Bay News
Update: Coast Guard suspends its response to Anacostia River material
The Coast Guard on Monday, August 22, suspended its response to the Anacostia River, based on initial lab results that conclude the reported spill is not petroleum-based or hazardous material.
"We believe, based on the initial lab results as well as expert analysis of the results, that it is not a threat to public safety or the environment," said Lt. Cmdr. Randall Brown, the chief of the response department at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore.
Agencies continue response to unknown substance in Anacostia River
An overflight by a U.S. Park Police aircrew and a District Department of the Environment (DDOE) official along the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., traced an unknown substance in the river on Wednesday.
Members from the Coast Guard, the DDOE, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Environmental Protection Agency, the District of Columbia Fire Department and the U.S. Park Service have been working together to identify the unknown substance and its source.
Investigators will use the results of the overflight to attempt to locate the potential source of the substance.
Water samples have been taken from several areas along the river and sent to separate laboratories for testing to identify what the substance is.
"We are working to minimize the impact on the environment," said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Randall Brown, the chief of the response department at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. "There have been no reports of negative impact on the environment or wildlife at this time."
The spill was first reported Monday evening and initially thought to be an oil spill. Testing however determined that it was not oil, nor even likely petroleum-based. The material is not coating plants or wildlife and is traveling just below the surface. Booms have been put out in a number of locations across the river to try to capture the substance, which is worst in a two-mile stretch between the 11th Street bridge and New York Avenue in Washington, D.C.
August 17, 2011
Search & Rescue
Update: Body of missing boater recovered
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) recovered the body of missing boater from Tenthouse Creek on August 17, at 7:30 a.m. The boater was identified as Dean Dixon, 52, of Harwood, Md.
Dixon's body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy. NRP Special Operations Unit is conducting the investigation into the incident.
August 16, 2011
Search & Rescue
Search for missing boater
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) were searching for a missing boater in Penthouse Creek, in the area of the 4700 block of Bayfield Road, Galesville, Md.
On August 16, at 3 p.m., NRP received a call that an unoccupied vessel had been found on shore. NRP's investigation revealed that Dean Dixon, 52, of Harwood, Md., was crabbing from his vessel and had spoken to his family by cell phone at approximately 11 a.m. that morning. Dixon has not been heard or seen since that time.
NRP, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, and Anne Arundel County Aviation were searching for Dixon by vessel, air and with the help of divers. The search teams are employing side scan sonar to aid the search for Dixon.
The NRP Special Operations Unit is conducting the investigation into the incident.
August 16, 2011
Channel 9
Mill Creek Residents Learn Hard Lesson about Abandoned Boats
AN ABANDONED 45-FOOT BOAT MADE itself at home on the bottom of Mill Creek in Solomons, Md., this summer, taking on water July 8, and striking bottom the next morning. Unfortunately, this was not an unheard of occurrence on Mill Creek, which hosts several abandoned boats.
"Everybody knew it was going down; it was just a matter of when," said Tom Kody, whose waterfront home is near the sunken boat. Those living and working on the creek had noticed that the boat was vacant at anchor for weeks. The owner of the boat allegedly abandoned it to avoid the costs of storage and upkeep.
Sonney Forrest, a charter boat captain who lives and runs his business on Mill Creek, noticed that the boat was listing to starboard on July 8 and called the U.S. Coast Guard's Baltimore Sector to report it. On Saturday, he called the Coast Guard again, only to be told that they could do nothing about it unless it began leaking oil or impeded navigable waters. Forrest and Kody then called the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, who said they could not act until the boat had been there for 30 days.
When Forrest contacted the county government later that weekend, the local fire department responded by placing a sock around the area to contain any leakage. However by that time, material from the boat had already released onto the water and formed a 100-yard-wide sheen on •the water.
"It's amazing to me that in this day and age something like this can happen," Kody said. "After 30 days, all the environmental damage will be done."
-- Lizzy McLellan
August 16, 2011
Channel 9
Queen of the Show
HE WASN'T EXACTLY DUMPSTER DIVING, but when Chris Troy caught wind of an old Matthews double-cabin cruiser that was headed for a North Carolina scrap pile, he smelled an opportunity and jumped on it. He and his two brothers, Phil and Mike Troy of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Richfield, Conn., respectively, were hard on the trail of a project boat, and this one sounded almost too good to be true: 40 feet of solid mahogany and white burr oak, built in 1941 by the Matthews Company in Port Clinton, Ohio. This was back in 1993, and the Charlotte, N.C. lawyer convinced his brothers to chip in a third each to rescue the boat and haul her up to their family place on the Little Wicomico River.
Now, after nearly twenty years, the Carina is a head turner anywhere she goes. "Working on the Carina has kept us in touch as a family," Mike says, "given three aging brothers something to work on together." More than that, it has pulled them even closer into the maritime community of Reedville, Va., where three generations of Cockrells from the Cockrell Marine Railway, legendary in its own right, have chipped in to lend a hand or offer advice as needed.
"There was one time when we were puzzling over how to replace a curved white oak toe rail," Mike says. "Old Dandridge Cockrell [senior Cockrell and founder of the railway, now deceased] was rocking in his chair by the potbelly stove, and we said to ourselves, 'I bet he can tell us what to do.' When we asked him about it he laughed and said, 'I've been watching you. Wondered when you'd come around to asking.' He told us what to do all right, and plenty of other stuff besides. We've learned more about boats and the Bay just by listening to Dandridge."
The Carina is just one example of the meticulously restored vessels that will be on display during the 8th annual Antique & Classic Boat Gathering at the Reedville Fishermen's Museum on Saturday, September 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The boat parade on Cockrells Creek begins at 3 p.m. For more information, go to the museum's website at www.rfmuseum.org or call 804-453-6529.
--Jane Meneely
August 16, 2011
Channel 9
Red Carpet for a Manatee
ON THE OTHER, FRIENDLIER END OF THE welcome wagon, the return of Chessie the manatee this summer was greeted with front page stories and nostalgic editorials. Chessie was first spotted around Kent Narrows way back in 1994. At that time, there was concern that the warm-water native wouldn't be able to survive the Chesapeake's cooling fall water temperatures. So Chessie was repatriated to Florida by the Coast Guard. A few years later, however, Chessie bypassed the Bay in favor of chilly Rhode Island, and in 2001 vacationed on the Sassafras River in the northern Bay. Now the peripatetic manatee is back, spotted off Calvert County shores in July. Although he lost his tracker device years ago, Chessie was identified from photos. It's estimated that Chessie is 20 years old, which is about twice the life expectancy for a wild manatee.
August 16, 2011
Channel 9
John Smith's National Water Trail
SPEAKING OF BOTH PERIPATETIC (SEE Chessie the manatee) and John Smith (see Point Comfort), if we put the two together we get the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which is a mouthful anyway you look at it. It's also a trail that spans the Chesapeake and many of its tributaries. That's a lot of territory. So where do you begin a visit? Enter another John, this one Chesapeake naturalist, fishing expert and CBM contributing editor John Page Williams, who--with ample help from some spiffy web designers--has put together a snappy and eminently useful boater's guide to the trail. This hundred-some page guide, available only as a downloadable .pdf file, contains live links to charts for each access point to the trail, information on what you'll find when you get there, suggested itineraries, history, natural history and practical information about the tides, currents and other considerations. The guide also explains which kinds of boats will work best for each section. You'll find the guide at www.smithtrail.net.
The Coast Guard is seeking the public's help to identify individuals responsible for possible false distress calls in the Newburg, Md., area.
Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders received a mayday call reporting a 25-foot pleasure craft with three people aboard taking on water in the lower Potomac River near Morgantown Point July 18. The caller stated there was only one life jacket aboard, and they may have to abandon the vessel.
The watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a 25-foot Response Boat — Small crew from Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes, Md., and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., along with a Maryland State Police helicopter, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Charles County Fire Department, Charles County Sheriff and Virginia Marine Police.
Agencies arrived to the reported scene of distress and found no vessels in the area or any signs of distress. The Dolphin helicopter crew logged approximately nine hours of flight time, and the RB-S crew was underway for approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes in response to the distress call.
False distress calls limit the Coast Guard's ability to respond to actual emergencies. They also unnecessarily endanger the lives of responders and waste thousands of tax payer dollars annually.
Making a false distress call is a felony punishable by law. The maximum penalty for making a false distress call is five to 10 years in prison, a $5,000 civil fine, a $250,000 criminal fine and reimbursement to the Coast Guard.
Assistance in identifying individuals such as this have resulted in convictions in the past, as in May 2011, a Norfolk, Va., federal jury convicted Larry L. Deffenbaugh, 59, formerly of Virginia Beach, Va., of conspiracy and communicating a false distress signal to the Coast Guard.
Anyone with information regarding the distress calls are asked to contact the Coast Guard at 410-576-2630.
August 2, 2011
Police Blotter
Two boating accidents on South River under investigation
Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) officers are investigating two boating accidents on the Chesapeake Bay in the South River area.
On July 30, at 5:30 p.m. NRP received a call concerning an overturned vessel in the South River near Annapolis. The occupants of the vessel were picked up by a passerby and taken to Thomas Point Lighthouse Coast Guard Station, where one victim was flown and one victim was transported by ambulance to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Unit in Baltimore. NRP is still investigating the cause of the accident. There was no update on the condition of either victim.
In the second incident, NRP officers responded to a boating accident in the South River near Harness Creek at 12:10 a.m. on Sunday, July 31, after a sailboat and a powerboat had collided in the middle of the river.
Three victims were transported to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Unit in Baltimore. Two victims were flown by MSP Medivac and one victim was transported by ambulance.
NRP officers are still investigating this accident. There was no update on the condition of the victims.
Body recovered in Stony Creek
At about 5:15 p.m. on July 30, Charles Ryder, 48, of Glen Burnie, Md., jumped from a moving Sea Ray vessel into Stony Creek off the Patapsco River, but did not surface.
The Maryland Natural Resource Police, Anne Arundel Fire and Rescue, the Coast Guard, Maryland State Police Aviation, and the Baltimore City fire boat were notified and searched for Ryder until nightfall. The search resumed on the following morning, with NRP and Anne Arundel units conducting the search with side scan sonar and divers.
Ryder's body was recovered at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 31.
July 26, 2011
Search & Rescue
July 26, 2011
Search & Rescue
Update:Coast Guard, local agencies end search; missing man near Rappahannock River had returned home safely
Coast Guard, state and local agencies ended their search for a 24-year-old in the vicinity of the Rappahannock River near Sharps, Va., who went missing Monday evening, July 25.
Missing was Richard Davis. Davis had becomes separated from his vessel and returned home safely at approximately 3:30 a.m.
A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C. MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, personnel from the Virginia Marine Police, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries as well as Richmond County emergency medical services and good Samaritans were involved in the search.
Coast Guard, local agencies, searching for missing man near Rappahannock River
Coast Guard, state and local agencies were searching for a 24-year-old man in the vicinity of the Rappahannock River near Sharps, Va., Tuesday, July 26. Missing is Richard Davis.
Davis's boat was found abandoned on the shore with all its life jackets inside. Davis is a white male with blond hair, 5 feet 10 inches tall and approximately 150 lbs. He was reported to be last seen wearing a T-shirt and cutoff shorts.
A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., MH-60 rescue helicopter crew, good Samaritans, and personnel from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and Richmond County emergency medical services are currently on scene involved in the search.
Searchers are requesting that anyone with information on the whereabouts of Davis call the Coast Guard at 757-638-6641.
July 25, 2011
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard suspends search for missing man in Sassafras River
Coast Guard crews on Sunday evening, July 24, suspended the search for a 34-year-old male, who went missing in the Sassafras River between Ordinary Point and Kentmore Park.
Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders were notified by the Maryland Natural Resources Police at 9:45 p.m., Saturday of the missing man.
The man was reported to be on an 8-10 foot vessel, wearing blue swimming trunks, no shirt, and no life jacket. A good Samaritan reported finding the vessel adrift and unmanned.
A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station Stillpond, a Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., HH-65 rescue helicopter crew, aircraft crews from the Coast Guard Auxilliary and Civil Air Patrol, a Maryland State Police helicopter crew along with personnel and a dive team from Maryland NRP were on scene searching for the man.
The Coast Guard searched 43 square miles in approximately 11 hours for the man.
July 20, 2011
Channel 9
Boat Ramp App
Smart-phone apps nowadays are like stones in a New England field after a rain, they just keep popping up. And sometimes it's tough to tell the diamonds from the duds until you've used them for a while. Here's one that looks pretty good so far, and it has the added benefit of being free: the Boat Ramp app from the Let's Go Fishing folks. You can search for ramps by your current location or a specific area. You can also limit the distance and number of results. The app will then produce the list--closest boat ramp first--and give you basic information like lat and long, and map it for you. This is great for trailer boaters, of course, but also for boaters with pets, since public ramps make easy dinghy stops for Spots in need. Search for "Boat Ramps" at the app store. The only problem we've found is how to get back to the app from the map.
July 20, 2011
Channel 9
Smart Buoys App
Buoy, this is a great way to see what's actually happening out on the Bay before you even leave the dock! All season long, the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoys are busy collecting real-time data of all kinds while they bob back in forth in their assigned spots. The beauty is that boaters can see that information instantly on their computers or phones. The information has been available for a couple of years on the Interpretive Buoy System website, but this has been redesigned to make accessing the information easier, and there is now a free downloadable app developed with Chesapeake Conservancy. The website is www.buoybay.noaa.gov or search "Smart Buoys" on your smart device's app store. Oh, yes, you can still just pick up the phone and get the information at 877-286-9229.
July 20, 2011
Channel 9
Gov Cup Adds Class
As we mentioned last winter, [see Channel 9, February 2011] the Governor's Cup, the Bay's oldest overnight race, has been getting a little creaky lately, attracting fewer boats and costing sponsoring St. Mary's College of Maryland more money than it presently cares to spend. To combat those issues, a race planning committee has come up with some changes.
Chief among these are the addition of a more informal cruising class and a 3 p.m. starting time for slower boat classes, to ensure that they make it down to the finish in time for the party. In the past, dying morning winds have left many boats becalmed near the mouth of the St. Marys River. Faster boats will continue to start at 6 p.m. At St. Mary's, there will be more bands, more food vendors and more family events. The Annapolis to St. Mary's race starts on Friday, August 5. For registration information, see www.smcm.edu/govcup.
July 19, 2011
Police Blotter
Man charged with crabbing on suspended license . . . again
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) has charged Joseph B. Janda Jr., 25, of Wittman, Md., with crabbing on a suspended license, possession of paraphernalia and possession of suspected heroin. On July 15 at 12:30 p.m., officers observed Janda using drugs and crabbing from a 20-foot homemade boat in Harris Creek.
This is the second time NRP has caught and charged Janda since his tidal fish license was suspended for five years January 13, 2010. Janda was also charged with possessing undersized crabs on June 19. Janda's vessel has been seized pending a trial.
Crabbing charges made against Rock Hall man
NRP has charged Travis Lee Cannan, 30, of Rock Hall with crabbing without a commercial license, tidal fish license not available for inspection, failing to display crabbing day off, failing to display tidal fish license on his vessel and possession of undersize crabs. On July 13, officers seized four bushels of hard crabs from Cannan's boat in the Chester River in the area of Durbins Creek. A trial has been set for 1:15 p.m. on August 23 in the District Court of Maryland for Kent County.
July 18, 2011
Search & Rescue
Tug boat and fishing boat collide in James River near Hopewell, Va.
The tug boat Lisa Moran and a 24-foot recreational fishing boat collided while in the James River near Hopewell, Va., at 3 a.m., Thursday, July 14.
The two men aboard the fishing vessel were ejected as a result of the collision. The crew aboard the tug successfully recovered both men, neither were injured.
Members of the Henrico County Police and Fire departments responded to the scene. Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads received a call from a member of the Henrico County Police reporting the incident.
Coast Guard inspections and investigations personnel have responded to investigate. There have been no reports of pollution.
July 15, 2011
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard, VMRC respond to boat collision near Deltaville, Va.
A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven, Va., responded to a report of a collision near Deltaville, Va., Thursday, July 14.
Crewmembers from station Milford Haven received a call at approximately 10:30 p.m., from a good Samaritan who heard the collision from land between a 46-foot motor yacht and 47-foot sail boat in the Piankatank River.
A 25-foot Response Boat - Small boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven and members of the Virginia Marine Police responded to the scene. Members of both agencies conducted a joint boarding of the boats.
There have been no reports of injuries or pollution, but there was a report of damage to the vessels.
Virginia Marine Police took the operator of the motor yacht into custody and is investigating the incident.
July 13, 2011
Bay News
This alert was just issued by BoatU.S. on possibly interference to GPS frequencies from a broadband wireless provider:
Boaters Stand to Lose Critical GPS Navigational Aid Voice Your Opinion: Comment Period Closes July 30
As a result of a proposal by a private company to use radio frequency bandwidth right next to the existing GPS radio bandwidth, the future reliability of the GPS system across the United States is now in question. The nation's largest recreational boaters group, BoatUS, says boaters could have a hard time avoiding treacherous shoals or simply finding their way home if GPS signals are interfered with, and is urging boaters to speak out during a 30-day comment period.
"This is a remarkably short comment period for an issue that has such dire consequences for America's boaters and every other GPS user in the country," said BoatUS Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich.
At issue is an unusual conditional waiver granted in January by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to a broadband wireless communications provider, LightSquared, to permit the dramatic expansion of land-based use of mobile satellite spectrum. This spectrum, or frequency bandwidth, is directly adjacent to the frequencies used for Global Positioning System (GPS) communications.
The company has proposed to build 40,000 ground stations. LightSquared's high-powered ground-based transmissions from these stations have shown to cause interference in hundreds of millions of GPS receivers across a wide range of uses, including aviation, marine, emergency response and industrial users such as delivery and trucking companies. A new report requested by the FCC says, "all phases of the LightSquared deployment plan will result in widespread harmful interference to GPS signals and service and that mitigation is not possible."
Recreational boaters lost their only other viable navigation system, LORAN, when the Department of Homeland Security shut the system down last year. At that time the US Coast Guard urged mariners to shift to GPS-based navigation systems. Boaters rely on GPS-enabled chart-plotters to steer clear of navigation hazards, keep them in the safety of deep-water channels, or even get them home when storms shut down visibility. "They are a critical piece of safety gear," said Podlich. "What will boaters do if they are unreliable, and how will the US Coast Guard's new emergency search and rescue system that stands watch over 36,985 miles of coastline, Rescue 21, remain effective, since it relies on GPS?"
Boaters and other GPS users are urged to speak up now by going to www.BoatUS.com/gov to send their comments to the FCC and their members of Congress.
BoatUS is a member of the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which works to resolve this serious threat to the GPS system.
July 7, 2011
Search & Rescue
Update: Body of missing man recovered from Magothy River
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) recovered the body of James Robert Kane, 25 of Pasadena, Md. at 7:23 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6, from the Magothy River near Dobbins Island.
Kane had been the object of search since he went missing on July 4 after a boating accident. Kane and a passenger were ejected into the water after steering their 17-foot boat too sharply to the left. The passenger was picked-up uninjured by another vessel.
Kane's body was recovered by officers during the search and was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy.
July 4, 2011
Search & Rescue
Man dies in Magothy River boating accident, NRP reports
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred on July 4 at 4:30 p.m. on the Magothy River near Dobbins Island.
NRP units responded to the area after receiving a report of a missing person who had been thrown from a vessel. Preliminary investigation by NRP revealed that James Robert Kane, 25, of Pasadena, Md., and a friend were thrown from a 17-foot Carolina Skiff after the vessel suddenly turned sharply. The friend was picked up by another vessel but Kane could not be located.
NRP Officers, Anne Arundel County Fire Boat, and Coast search the area until sunset for Kane. NRP's Underwater Operation Unit used divers and side scan sonar to search for the victim. Aviation units from the Maryland State Police and the Coast Guard search the area by air. The search for Kane will resume tomorrow.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police Special Operations Division is investigating the 13th fatal boating accident of the yea
July 4, 2011
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard rescues man forced to abandon ship during boat fire
A fire forced a boat owner to abandon his 41-foot vessel, Resolute, and jump overboard into the water 16 miles east of Fisherman Island, on Sunday July 3.
The boater contacted the Coast Guard at 5:07 p.m. via VHF-FM channel 16, before abandoning his boat, and kept in constant communications while in the water with a hand-held radio. Sector Hampton Roads launched an HH-60 helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City and a 25-foot Response Boat - Small crew from Station Cape Charles. Station Cape Charles crew arrived on the scene and pulled the man from the water.
A Virginia Beach fire boat took the man back to shore, and salvage operations are pending.
June 29, 2011
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard rescues 3 near Ocean City, Md.
The Coast Guard rescued two adults and one child after their 22-foot recreational boat began taking on water 60 miles east of Ocean City Tuesday, June 28.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received a call at 8:26 a.m. from a crewmember aboard the Real Deal, homeported in Ocean City, reporting they were taking on water and sinking.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., arrived on the scene and hoisted the three people aboard the helicopter.
The people were transported to Ocean City Airport in Ocean City and transferred to awaiting emergency medical personnel.
June 27, 2011
Statement from Severn Sailing Association
Here is the statement issued by the Commodore of the Severn Sailing Association, following the tragic death of junior sailor Olivia Constants in a sailing accident on Thursday afternoon, June 23, when her Club 420 capsized in the Severn River off the Naval Academy.
Severn Sailing Association, 26 June 2011
The last several days have been notably some of the most challenging of my life. As the Commodore of Severn Sailing Association, I am faced with great responsibilities relating to the loss of a fellow sailor. Even more difficult for me, as a father of three children, are the haunting emotions and sympathy I feel for the grieving family of Olivia Constants, a young sailor on our junior race team who lost her life in a sailing accident last Thursday.
I can only reflect on this tragedy with disbelief. Surely we all often think of the dangers of the sea as we venture from the dock. Seldom, though, do we hear of a life-threatening event occurring in our local sailing community. In general, accidents of this magnitude are rare and this one involved experienced sailors and competent instructors. However, the rarity of such an accident is no comfort to me or any other parent.
My understanding thus far is that the 420 capsized to windward while sailing downwind, and then rolled into a "turtled" position (mast pointing downward). The coach immediately approached the boat, radioed for additional assistance, and worked diligently to dislodge Olivia, who at that moment appeared to be unconscious. Concurrently, another instructor phoned 911. Once she was retrieved from the water, coaches immediately performed CPR and proceeded to the Naval Academy's seawall,which was the nearest point of land,to meet the emergency response team. Unfortunately, Olivia could not be resuscitated.
At this point the exact cause of Olivia's drowning is unknown and under investigation by Maryland DNR.
Conditions at the time were excellent for training, and both sailors have sailed, and capsized, in much rougher conditions. Both Olivia, her skipper, and all coaches were wearing their PFDs, in accordance with our Junior Program Rules.
The Severn Sailing Association's junior sailing program has a history of over 50 years of producing world-class sailors, from local champions to Olympic sailors; with thousands of students having safely completed the program. The current junior program, consistent with our past programs, is committed to making sailing accessible to the public and to help those wanting to pursue higher levels in the sport. Our sailing program director and his coaches have a passion to teach, and hold safety as a top priority.
As a result of this incident we are reviewing and critiquing our safety procedures and equipment. As with any incident such as this, a greater light is shown on safety and with this focus good safety measures can be made even better. As this incident has had far reaching impact within the greater junior sailing community, we have reached out to other junior programs to both tell them our current safety thinking and to glean any additional information they may have to contribute.
We intend to have an independent, expert, organization perform a safety review of our junior program equipment and procedures and will share our findings with the greater sailing community.
I have been in contact with the Constants family and they are very appreciative of the outpouring of support and love expressed for Olivia. I am grateful for the outpouring of support from the community. There has been a clear message encouraging the club to continue with the current program and its positive contributions to youth instruction and the promotion of sailing. We appreciate your support of our program, and particularly to our staff.
Olivia will be greatly missed by everyone. Our thoughts and prayers remain with her family. For any further information or questions, contact me at 410-279-2525 or [email protected]
Hal Whitacre, Commodore, Severn Sailing Association
June 26, 2011
Police Blotter
Man Dies in Boating Accident
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are investigating a fatal boating accident involving a 45 year-old man from Westminster, Md.
Officers were dispatched to the Chesapeake Isles Community along the Elk River on June 25 to investigate a capsized vessel and persons in distress. The vessel had taken on water before capsizing in a mooring area near the private community. The operator and three passengers were pulled from the water by witnesses. The witnesses found the operator unconscious and administered CPR until the arrival of EMS. The victim was transported to Union Hospital in Elkton, where he was pronounced dead.
The three passengers were uninjured during the mishap. The victim's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Saturday's incident is the 11th fatality in Maryland waters this year.
June 26, 2011
Search & Rescue
Multiple agencies search for missing man in Bush River, Md.
Coast Guard, state and local agencies were searching for a 55-year-old male in the Bush River in the vicinity of Aberdeen, Md., Saturday, June 25.
Hartford County 911 dispatch called Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 6:24 p.m. reporting that the man had fallen overboard from a pontoon boat while crabbing and had not resurfaced.
A rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Stillpond, a Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., HH-65 rescue helicopter crew, a Baltimore County Police helicopter crew along with personnel from Maryland Natural Resources Police and Aberdeen Proving Grounds Police Department were on the scene to search for the man.
Coast Guard suspends search for missing teen in Rappahannock River
The Coast Guard suspended its search at 6:53 p.m. Saturday for a missing 14-year-old Boy Scout who had fallen into the river from a sandbar in the vicinity of Suggetts Point, Va.
Crews from the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and local response agencies searched approximately 17 miles for more than six hours. Involved in the search were personnel from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven, Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Fish and Game, Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Richmond County Fire Rescue, Richmond County Sheriff Department, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Mattaponi Volunteer Dive Team.
Richmond County Emergency Services and Virginia State dive team was to continue operations Sunday morning.
June 25, 2011
Police Blotter/Search & Rescue
Fatal boating accident in Chesapeake City
The Maryland Natural Resources Police are investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred on June 24 at 8:25 p.m. at the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, Chesapeake City.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Robert Vernon Baron, 27, of Bear, Delaware, fell into the water after jumping from a docking vessel onto a pier. Two people from the vessel jumped into the water and could not locate Baron.
Baron's body was recovered at 10:15 p.m. by the Susquehanna Hose Company Divers. Baron's body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police Special Operations Division is continuing the investigation into the accident. Baron is Maryland's tenth boating fatality of the year.
June 23, 2011
Police Blotter
Clamming violations
On June 17,at 8:40 a.m., Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) officers observed Edward Bruce Lowery Jr., 45, from Tilghman on the commercial vessel Miss Marley II operating a hydraulic clam dredge in the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) protection zone in Cooks Point Cove, Choptank River near Twin Point Cove Road. The operation of a hydraulic clam dredge is prohibited in SAV areas, which are set aside for the restoration of submerged aquatic plants.
A trial date has been set for September 14 at 1:30 pm in the District Court of Maryland for Dorchester County.
Possession of undersize crabs
The NRP charged Vernon Edward Smith Jr., 41, of Salisbury, Md., and Ellis Matthew Barton, 39, of Westover, Md., with 13 counts of possessing undersize crabs. On June 11, officers boarded a commercial fishing boat in Marshall Creek off of Chincoteague Bay, and found Smith and Barton with 1,211 undersize crabs in 13 bushels of crabs.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of $1,000 for each count. A trial date has been set for August 12, 2011 in the District Court of Maryland in Snow Hill.
June 20, 2011
Police Blotter
Boater discovers remains near Bay Bridge
On June 19, at 11:42 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) was notified that a boater had discovered human remains in the Chesapeake Bay south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Anne Arundel County.
Units from the NRP and the Coast Guard responded to the scene. The Coast Guard located the remains and turned them over to NRP. The remains have been sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy. Due to decomposition of the body, the age, gender or race of the victim could not be identified. NRP's Special Operations Division is investigating the incident.
June 14, 2011
Bay News
Oyster Thieves in the Night?
It now appears that one of the major reasons oyster numbers remain low, despite $50 million dollars spent annually in restoration efforts, may be that the young oysters are being illegally harvested. And not just a few of them. Some Bay biologists believe that up to 80 percent of the oysters on managed reserves and sanctuaries are being poached. Donald Meritt is one of them. Meritt, the oyster hatchery director at Horn Point Laboratory near Cambridge, Md., says he bases his 80-percent estimate on the appearance of the oyster beds, which are checked frequently. Larry Simns, however, says the number is much lower. Simns, president of the Maryland Watermen's Association, agrees that oysters are being illegally harvested, but puts the number at closer to one-third. Ken Paynter of the University of Maryland's Paynter Labs also puts the number at about one-third. Whether it's a loss of one-third or three-fourths, it's a significant loss the restoration effort. And to the health of the Bay, since older oysters can filter many times more water than young ones.
Why the problem? Many point to the dramatic reduction in the staff of the Natural Resources Police since 1990 (down by more than 50 percent). Others say that the fines for getting caught are too low. The Maryland legislature this year moved to raise fines, but not to increase funding for NRP personnel.
June 14, 2011
Bay News
The Patter of Tiny Sturgeon Feet?
There was cause for rejoicing on the James River after watermen near Newport News recently netted a 7-foot, 200-pound female sturgeon that was full of eggs and nearly ready to spawn. This was the first time in decades that a sturgeon ready to spawn had been found in the river. Ironically, the watermen who caught the sturgeon were taking part in a study of ways to keep sturgeon out of fishing nets. The mother-to-be was quickly equipped with a transmitter and returned to the water. Scientists hope they'll be able to determine where she goes to spawn. The James, like many of the Bay's tributaries, were once full of sturgeon, and scientists and federal and private groups are working to bring the big fish back.
June 13, 2011
Search & Rescue
Two kayakers rescued from James River
A Coast Guard boat crew rescued two kayakers from the water near Riverside Beach in Newport News, Monday evening, June 13.
One kayaker had called 911 after their kayak had overturned. Newport News dispatch called Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders, who launched a 25-foot Response Boat-Small from Station Portsmouth. The rescue boat crew located the two kayakers. Both were safe, and neither had any health concerns.
Both kayakers and their kayaks have been safely transferred to a Newport News fire boat that was also dispatched for the rescue.
Also responding were the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and Isle of Wight County rescue boats.
June 13, 2011
Search & Rescue
Capsized boat claims one life, five rescued near Ocean City, Md.
One boater died and five were rescued by the Coast Guard in the vicinity of Ocean City Inlet after their boat capsized Saturday morning, June 11.
A good Samaritan contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at 9 a.m. and reported that an 18-foot pleasure boat had capsized at the mouth of the inlet and that the people went in the water. Two rescue boat crews from Station Ocean City responded and recovered all six people.
One of those recovered was unconscious and unresponsive. The crew performed CPR until they transferred him to emergency medical services personnel waiting at Station Ocean City. He was taken to Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, Md., where he was pronounced dead.
Rescue crews also responded from the Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater, Maryland State Police and Maryland Natural Resources Police.
Maryland State Police are investigating the cause of the incident.
June 10, 2011
Search & Rescue
Update: Coast Guard suspends search for missing man near Annapolis
The Coast Guard suspended its search for James Schmidt at 6:50 a.m. Thursday. Schmidt was reported missing in the waters of the Chester River at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after he jumped in to rescue his nephew, who was swept away by the current. The nephew was rescued by a Maryland Natural Resources Police officer who responded to the emergency call from Schmidt's father, who remained on the boat.
A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Annapolis, two MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., along with personnel from the Maryland Natural Resources Police, Kent County and Queen Ann's fire departments, Maryland State Police were on scene conducting the search for Schmidt.
June 9, 2011
Search & Rescue
Officer rescues child in Chester River; child's uncle still missing
On Wednesday, June 8, at 4:10 pm, Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) Corporal Chris Pavon rescued 7-year-old Aiden Smith after he was swept away from his vessel by the currrent in the Chester River near Chestertown.
Smith was with his uncle, James Joseph Schmidt, 47, and his grandfather, Charles Blevins, 64, both of Millington, who were fishing from a boat on the Chester River near Buckingham landing when the incident occurred.
According to the NRP, Aiden went into the water to cool off from the hot sun and was holding onto the swim platform of the vessel when the current of the Chester River swept him away from the vessel. James Schmidt jumped into the water to retrieve Smith and was also swept away by the current. Charles Blevins immediately dialed 911 to call for assistance.
Corporal Pavon heard the distress call and responded in the NRP patrol boat located in Chestertown. Pavon arrived on the scene within ten minutes of hearing the call. He quickly located Aiden, who was having trouble keeping his head above water, about three-quarters of a mile down river from the vessel. Pavon took Aiden to shore where he was transported to Chester River hospital as a precaution.
NRP, Coast Guard, and fire companies from Chestertown, Kennedyville, Crumpton and Kent County continued until sunset to search for Schmidt. The search resumed at first light Thursday morning. The search consisted of surface searches by vessel and air, NRP K-9 search, and divers from the fire companies.
NRP's Special Operations division is continuing the investigation.
June 8, 2011
Bay News
Mostly sunny with periods of snowy grouper
Roger Burnley of Virginia Beach, Virginia has established a new state record for snowy grouper with a 70-pound, 7-ounce fish caught May 22. The record fish was weighed and certified on a digital scale at the office of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, located in Newport News. The digital scale registered 70.48 pounds, but the weight was converted and listed as 70 pounds and 7-ounces as the state record.
The record-setting grouper bested the existing state record, set by Jere Humphrey of Norfolk on August 17, 2008, by nearly 2-1/2 pounds. Burnley is filing an application with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) for acceptance of his catch as the IGFA All-Tackle Record for snowy grouper. Humphrey's 68-pound snowy grouper currently holds the IGFA All-Tackle Record.
Burnley caught his grouper "deep-dropping" near the Norfolk Canyon in 98 fathoms of water while fishing aboard the private boat Healthy Grin, skippered by Ken Neill, III, of Seaford. The fish had a length of 48 inches and a girth of 37 inches. The record fish was caught on a Shimano Trevala rod, mated with a Daiwa Saltist LD40 reel and spooled with 70-pound test Daiwa Saltiga Boat braided line. The record-setting grouper hit a custom made two hook bottom rig baited with squid and cut fish.
Snowy grouper was added to the list of species eligible for state record recognition by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament Committee at their fall meeting in 2006 and carried an initial qualifying weight of 38 pounds. Roger Burnley of Virginia Beach registered Virginia's first qualifying snowy grouper, at 49 pounds, 9 ounces, on April 29, 2007. Burnley's record was eclipsed within days, on June 10, 2007, by Bob Manus of Ark, Virginia, with a 65-pound, 8-ounce grouper. Manus' record status held until Chris Boyce of Hampton caught a 66-pounder later that year December 2007. Boyce's record grouper lasted for 8 months before Humphrey landed his 68-pounder. The last three fish were later certified as IGFA All-Tackle Records for snowy grouper. The four prior record snowy grouper were caught in the general vicinity of the Norfolk Canyon "deep-dropping" in over 50 fathoms of water and using either whole or cut fish for bait. Additionally, five of the six state record grouper were caught aboard the Healthy Grin skippered by Ken Neill.
June 8 2011
Police Blotter
Maryland NRP charge two with rockfish catch violations
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged two commercial fisherman with rockfish violations during the commercial hook-and-line and pound-net season. The pound-net season opened June 1, and the commercial hook-and-line season opened June 7.
On June 7, at 7 a.m., NRP charged Dolan Lee Hurley, 67, of Cambridge, Md., with failure to tag rockfish within 200 yards of his pound net. While patrolling the area of Cooks Point in the Choptank River, officers boarded a commercial fishing vessel that was stopped more than 1,000 yards from the pound net, and located 500 pounds of untagged rockfish.
On June 7, at 7:45 a.m., NRP charged Robert Hodge Newberry, 52, of Crumpton, Md., with possessing undersize rockfish, fishing for rockfish without a commercial hook-and-line allocation card and possessing untagged commercially caught rockfish. While patrolling the area of the Chesapeake Bay near Sharps Island, officers boarded the commercial fishing vessel Open Ticket and located 13 untagged rockfish and two undersize rockfish.
Both men are scheduled for trial August 17 in the District Court of Maryland for Dorchester County.
June 8, 2011
Search & Rescue
One dead and one injured in boat collision near Naval Station Norfolk
A Coast Guard crew from Station Portsmouth, a good Samaritan and local agencies responded to a boat collision that resulted in a death and injury near Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on Tuesday, June 7.
At 1 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads received a report of the collision between a 15-foot pleasure boat with two people aboard and the 40-foot fishing vessel Just One More.
The 15-foot boat capsized, trapping one person underneath. A good Samaritan aboard the fishing vessel jumped into the water and pulled the trapped person from below.
The injured boater was taken aboard a Norfolk Police Department boat, where crews performed CPR en route to emergency medical services. A crewmember from Coast Guard Station Portsmouth went aboard the Norfolk Police Department boat to assist with CPR. The boater, however, did not survive.
The second boater who had been aboard the pleasure boat was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
Crews from Station Portsmouth, Virginia Marine Police, Norfolk Police Department and a naval security boat responded.
The Virginia Marine Police is investigating the cause of the accident.
June 6, 2011
Search & Rescue
UPDATES:
Maryland NRP recovers body of missing boater
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) on June 2 recovered the body of Mark Allen Harvison about a mile south of the Chesapeake Bay bridge on the shoreline in Queen Anne's County.
Harvison, age 40 from Pasadena, Md, had been the object of a continuous search since he was reported missing on Saturday, May 28, at 4 a.m. Harvison was reported to have fallen overboard near Thomas Point Light in the Chesapeake Bay.
Harvison's body was transported to the office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy. NRP's Special Operations Division is continuing the investigation into the accident.
Disabled sailing vessel back in port after Coast Guard rescue
The Coast Guard has towed the sailing vessel Lancastrian 370 miles to Cobb's Marina in Little Creek, Va., arriving Sunday, June 5. The boat's operator, David Chatburn, had called the Coast Guard 5th District command center on Wednesday, June 1, to request assistance after becoming confused about his position.
"One of the best pieces of equipment that Mr. Chatburn had onboard the sailing vessel Lancastrian was his emergency position indicating radio beacon," said Lt. Scott Farr, a command duty officer at the 5th District Command Center. "After he made his way through adverse weather and remained awake for four days without any adequate rest, he became confused and provided conflicting positions. With the help of his EPIRB, which we directed him to turn on, we knew exactly where he was."
Chatburn was traveling from Little Creek, Va., to Scotland when he encountered bad weather and was forced to turn back after his sailing vessel sustained steering damage. The Coast Guard launched an HC-130 Hercules rescue aircraft crew to maintain communication with the sailing vessel, while a good Samaritan crew aboard the merchant ship Master also kept radio communication with the Lancastrian until the Coast Guard vessel Tampa made its way to the boat.
The Tampa towed the vessel 330 miles and then was relieved by a crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Cochito off the coast of Cape Henry.
Coast Guard suspends search for missing boater
The Coast Guard and local responders suspended their search Sunday, June 5, for a man who went missing Saturday after sailing from Western Branch Diesel in Portsmouth on his way to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach.
Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders were notified at 7:30 a.m. by a caller from Old Point Comfort Marina in Hampton that a good Samaritan discovered a 28-foot sailing vessel adrift near the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel in the vicinity of Willoughby Bay.
Coast Guard crews aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., Coast Guard Cutter Ibis, and from Coast Guard Station Portsmouth were launched to search. Members of the Virginia Marine Police, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Portsmouth Fire Department, Newport News Fire Department, Norfolk Police Department, Hampton Fire Department and the Navy Sewell's Point Harbor Patrol searched for Jeff Harwood for approximately more than sixteen hours in an area of 465 miles.
Harwood had filed a float plan and intended to sail from Western Branch Diesel and arrive at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach at approximately 9 a.m. Saturday.
June 4, 2011
Search & Rescue
Successive accidents on single boat claim two lives in Rappahannock River
Coast Guard and local agencies responded Friday, June 3, to the scene of a boating accident near the entrance to the Rappahannock River where a pleasure boat struck a break wall at Windmill Point.
The operator was fatally injured in the accident, and the passenger died while rescuers attempted to save her.
At approximately 10 p.m., Middlesex County sheriff's office received a call from a boater in the vicinity of Broad Creek stating that he had struck something with his 25-foot boat and that his female passenger was injured.
Coast Guard Station Milford Haven was notified by Middlesex County and was en route to respond to the initial call. Before Station Milford Haven arrived, however, the boater left the scene of the reported collision and then struck the break wall at Windmill Point.
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Central Middlesex Volunteer Rescue Squad also responded to incident.
Members of Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries are investigating the cause of the incident.
June 4, 2011
Search & Rescue
Search underway for boater near Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel
Coast Guard and local responders are searching for a missing boater near the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel after his boat was found by a good Samaritan Saturday, June 4.••Missing is Jeff Harwood, described as being in his mid-50s with dark hair and beard, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 190 to 200 pounds.
Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders were notified at 7:30 a.m. by a caller form Old Point Comfort Marina in Hampton that a good Samaritan had discovered a 28-foot sailing vessel adrift near the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel in the vicinity of Willoughby Bay.••Harwood had filed a float plan and was reported to be sailing from Western Branch Diesel to Portsmouth on Friday night then arriving at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach at approximately 9 a.m. Saturday.
Coast Guard crews responded from Station Portsmouth, Air Station Elizabeth City and the Coast Guard Cutter Ibis. Crews from Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth Police Departments and the Navy Sewell's Point Harbor Patrol are also assisting with the search.
Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call Sector Hampton Roads at 757-638-6637.
June 2, 2011
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard responding to lost, disabled sailing vessel
The Coast Guard responded on Wednesday, June 1, to a call from the operator of the sailing vessel Lancastrian, approximately 340 miles east of Atlantic City, N.J.
The boat's operator called the Coast Guard 5th District command center to request assistance after becoming confused about his current position.
The owner was traveling from Little Creek, Va., to Scotland when he encountered adverse weather and was forced to turn back after his sailing vessel sustained steering damage. The Coast Guard launched an HC-130 Hercules rescue aircraft crew to maintain communication with the sailing vessel. A good Samaritan crew aboard the merchant ship Master has also been keeping radio communication with the Lancastrian.
May 31, 2011
Search & Rescue
Search on for missing boater near Annapolis
On May 28, at 4 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) responded to the area of the Chesapeake Bay between Thomas Point Light and the Severn River to search for a missing boater. Mark Allen Harvison, age 40 from Pasadena, disappeared from a vessel and it is presumed that he fell overboard.
NRP, MSP aviation, the Coast Guard and Annapolis City Fire Boat began searching for Harvison after they were notified by the operator of the vessel, Charles Martin Carlson, 3rd , age 41 from Riva, Md. Carlson said that he had last seen Harvison walking toward the stern of the vessel.
Harvison is described as a white male, 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, tan pants and fluorescent green shoes.
Currently, NRP has three patrol boats, and Coast Guard has one vessel and a helicopter engaged in the search for the victim.
NRP's Special Operations Division is investigating the incident.
May 23, 2011
Bay News
Blue Angels practice and performance in Annapolis canceled
An eerie silence will fall over Annapolis tomorrow and Wednesday. The Blue Angels practice and performance runs, which had been scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, have been canceled. Instead, the Navy's precision flight team has been sent back to Pensacola, Fla., for further training and assessment after a maneuver this weekend in Lynchburg, Va., was made at a lower-than-normal height. The performance at the Lynchburg Regional Air Show on Sunday was halted and the team sent back to Pensacola. Ordinarily the Blue Angels practice over the Severn River in Annapolis on Tuesday and perform at the U.S. Naval Academy's graduation ceremonies on Wednesday.
The Blue Angels will not perform at next year's graduation either because of a scheduling conflict.
May 23, 2011
Police Blotter
Man dies in fall from boat as it leaves dock
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) Special Operations Division is investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, May 20, at the Tidewater Marina on the Susquehanna River in Havre De Grace.
A preliminary investigation found that a 44-foot sailboat was leaving the dock area of the marina when one of its passengers, an 81-year-old man, fell into the water. The man was not wearing a life jacket.
After being pulled back onto the boat and brought to shore, the man was transported to Harford Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death is yet to be determined, and the victim's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
May 17, 2011
Search & Rescue
Update 2:One dead and one missing in late-night sailboat accident on the James River
This is what we know about the tragic accident that took the life of 23-year-old Tyler Lorenzi on Friday, May 13, in the James River.
At about 11 p.m. the preceding evening, Lorenzi and nine others left a party they had been attending to take a late-night sail aboard a 22-foot sailboat. About half-an-hour later, the boat capsized near Old Ghost Point, north of Smithfield, Va., dumping the six men and four women, all in their 20s, into the water. None of them was wearing a life jacket.
According to a spokesman John Bull of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), five of the people decided to swim the two- to three miles to shore; they came ashore at Aberdeen Farms in Smithfield at about 4 a.m. They awakened a nearby resident, who called 911. The others apparently stayed near the boat, clinging to items that had broken free, like an inflatable fender and a gas can.
Meanwhile, at about 3:30 a.m., the tug Robert Burton, which was traveling down the James, hit the unlit capsized boat and alerted the Coast Guard. It happened that a number of different rescue agencies were already in the area to conduct maritime response exercises, so they were reach the scene quickly to begin the search for survivors. Rescuers were able to four out of the water, but were unable to locate the fifth. The search for him continued throughout the night and next day before it was called off.
Lorenzi, one of those pulled from the water, died Friday afternoon at Riverside Regional Hospital. Lorenzi, who had been on the sailing team at Northwestern University, was an associate research engineer at the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) in Hampton, and worked at NASA Langley. Six of those onboard were graduate students at NIA.
The boat was towed to a nearby marina and impounded for the investigation. Conditions that evening were described as good, with a light breeze and seas less than a foot.
May 16, 2011
Bay News
Enter a Snakehead to Win!
But enough of this, let's get on to something really interesting: snakeheads! Yes, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a contest for you. Catch one of these illegal aliens of the Potomac with hook and line, then kill it (you have to kill it, in fact, because it's against the law to be in possession of a live snakehead), then snap a photo of it next to a tape measure and post the photo on the DNR's Angler's Log. You will automatically be entered in the Kill a Snakehead Contest (we just made up that title . . . it may not have an actual name) and be eligible to win valuable prizes (really), like a $200 rod and tackle package or a free fishing license.
"We do not want snakeheads in our waters," said DNR Inland Fisheries Director Don Cosden in announcing the contest. "This initiative is a way to remind anglers that it is important to catch and kill this destructive species of fish."
Tiffany Randolph Cockrell, founder of Tiffany Yachts in Burgess, Va., died Friday, May 13, at his Virginia home. He was 89.
Much of his youth was spent harvesting seafood from the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Here he developed his love of boats and the water. Early in life, he and his father, Otis C.W. Cockrell, built Chesapeake Bay deadrise workboats.
Cockrell served in the Navy from 1942 to 1945, becoming a chief carpenter's mate and learning boat repair and the design of planing hulls. Recalled during the Korean conflict, he was an instructor at the Damage Control School in Philadelphia. He completed his military service in the Coast Guard Reserve.
After he returned from World War II, Cockrell began building pleasure boats, using the knowledge he gained during his Navy career. In the ensuing years, he and his company built more than 150 yachts, many of which are still used and loved today. While Cockrell loved to work in wood, he kept pace with technology and modern methods. In later years, hel was joined in his business by his children and grandchildren.
Last year, a fire destroyed the main shop he had spent a lifetime building, but fortunately he lived to see a new modern facility completed.
He was a member of Fairfields United Methodist Church of Burgess and mentored many youngsters in boat repair and construction.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Lee Jones Cockrell; a son, T. Randolph Cockrell Jr., and his wife, Hoppie; a daughter, Rebecca C. Jones, and her husband, Rex; a son, Odis B. Cockrell, and his wife, Ruthie; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held Sunday.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the RGH Cancer Center Swift-Walker Fund, 101 Harris Drive, Kilmarnock, Va. 22482 or Fairfields Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 656, Burgess, Va. 22432.
May 14, 2011
Search & Rescue
Update: Coast Guard suspends search for missing boater near Smithfield, Virginia
The Coast Guard and local rescue agencies have suspended its search for a man missing in the capsize of a sailboat in the James River after searching about 25 square miles over a 14-hour period.
The operator of the tug Robert Burton early Friday morning had reported to Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders that the tug had collided with what appeared to be an abandoned unlit sailboat in the James River Channel approximately six miles north of the James River Bridge.
Subsequently, the Coast Guard responded to a 911 call from one of the people who swam to shore after the 22-foot sailboat capsized. The person stated that some of the passengers swam ashore, their sailboat was adrift and several members remained unaccounted for.
The cause of the incident is under investigation by Virginia Marine Police.
May 13, 2011
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard, local agencies search for missing boater near Smithfield, Virginia
Coast Guard and local rescue responders are searching for a missing male who entered the water after the sailboat he was on capsized with nine others aboard at approximately midnight Thursday, May 12, in the James River near Smithfield, Va. Five of the boaters swam ashore, and four were rescued by responders at the scene.
The operator of the tug Robert Burton reported to Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders at 3:43 a.m. that they had collided with what appeared to be an abandoned, unlit sailboat in the James River Channel approximately six miles north of the James River Bridge. Subsequently, the Coast Guard responded to a 911 call from one of the people who swam to shore after the 22-foot sailboat capsized. The person stated that some of the passengers swam ashore, that their sailboat was adrift and that several members remained unaccounted for.
Crews responded with the Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater, the CGC Chock, a 25-foot Response Boat-Small and a 41-foot Utility Boat from Station Portsmouth, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City, as well as crews from local agencies, including Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Newport News Fire and Police Departments, Isle of Wight Department of Emergency Response, Suffolk Police Department, Hampton Fire Department, Norfolk Police and Fire Departments, Smithfield Police Department, Virginia Beach Fire Department and the Chesapeake Police Department.
"The Coast Guard recently conducted a joint agency Search and Rescue Forum in March to inform and educate response agencies on what to expect when involved in search and rescue missions with Coast Guard boats and helicopters," said Lt. j.g. Kristen Jaekel of Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. "The success of the forum resulted in flawless communications to rapidly direct the boats to the people in the water ultimately leading to their rescue."
The boaters were taken to the Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, Va.
The cause of the incident is under investigation by Virginia Marine Police.
May 5, 2011
Police Blotter
NRP completes recovery of illegal gill net
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) located 1,400 yards of illegal anchored gill net containing more than 3 tons of dead rockfish.
On May 1, NRP responded to the Chesapeake Bay near buoy 82, west of Tilghman Island for a report of an illegal anchored gill net. Officers located the net but were unable to retrieve it due to the weight of the dead fish. On May 2, the S. V. Sandusky, the DNR ice breaker/buoy tender, was dispatched to retrieve the net. Sea and wind conditions prevented the crew from pulling in the net.
On May 3, with much improved sea conditions, the crew of the Sandusky and NRP officers were able to retrieve 1400 yards of anchored gill net which contained approximately 450 striped bass weighing 6,750 pounds.
Nearly all of the fish were dead and had to taken to the landfill. The net appeared to have been out since January and February due to the condition of the net and fish.
NRP is encouraging anyone with information on this incident, please call the Natural Resources Police Communication Center at 800-628-9944.
Charges result in fight over cell phone on sailboat
NRP arrested and charged George Lee Vansickle, 42, of Solomon's Island with second degree assault, operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol and operating a vessel while impaired by a combination of alcohol and drugs. Ashley Lynn Denningham, 28, of Solomon's Island was also arrested on a failure to appear warrant.
On May 3, at 4:30 p.m., NRP had responded to the report of an assault occurring on a sailboat in the Chesapeake Bay near Drum Point in Calvert County. The officers located the 29-foot sailboat and an investigation revealed that the owner/operator of the sailboat, Vansickle, had assaulted and grabbed the throat of Denningham during an argument over a cell phone.
Both subjects were transported to the Prince Frederick Detention to await appearance before a court commissioner.
Body of Wicomico County boater found
On May 3, NRP recovered the body of a boater who went missing on April 29 after his aground sailboat was found unoccupied.
Edwin Thomas Smullen, 59 of Tyaskin, Md., was found in the Nanticoke River near the location where his sailboat was found. Smullen had been the object of an intense search by land, water and air that was conducted by NRP, Coast Guard, Maryland State Police, Westside and Allen Volunteer Fire companies. NRP's search employed side scan sonar, K-9 cadaver dogs and dragging operations.
Smullen's body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy.
Body of missing houseboater found near Swan Creek
On May 1, at approximately 3:00 p.m., NRP responded to the area of Swan Creek near Tantallon Marina after they had received a report of a deceased person in the water.
NRP's investigation revealed that George Albert Goins, 61, of Fort Washington was living on a 50 foot house boat in Swan Creek and was last seen on Friday, April 29. When friends were unable to contact Goins, they went to look for him on his house and found him unresponsive, face down in the water. Goins' body was sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy. NRP is continuing the investigation.
May 4, 2011
Bay News/Police Blotter
NRP pulls up stinking mess of illegally caught fish
Thanks to a tip from recreational fishermen, the Maryland Natural Resources on Sunday, May 1, discovered a large illegal gill net between Tilghman Island and North Beach, Md. But finding it was the easy part. The first NRP officials to respond to the tip were unable to haul the heavy and tangled net, weighted down as it was with tons of dead and rotting fish. After several hours, they gave up.
The NRP returned with a bigger hammer—one of its ice breakers, the Sandusky, complete with industrial-sized crane. Even then, fighting high winds and heavy seas, the NRP struggled to retrieve hundreds of feet of twisted net and fish. Even then, the crane was unable to haul up the stinking mess.
The net was located by the fishermen about midway across the Bay after their lines became snagged. The net was not only illegally weighted to the bottom of the Bay it was left far past the end of the rockfish gill-net season.
In the end, the crew of the ice breaker attached a large buoy to the remaining net to warn boaters and fishermen away from the spot. They plan to return in better weather to finish retrieving the net and fish.
The NRP continues its investigation, started earlier this year when a series of illegally weighted gill nets were discovered, to find the poachers.
April 29, 2011
Search & Rescue: Special notice
Coast Guard seeks information on vessel found near Orchard Beach
The Coast Guard is seeking any information regarding a pontoon vessel that was found with its engine running at a residential pier in the vicinity of Orchard Beach, Md., on Stony Creek at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, April 28.
If anyone has any information regarding persons missing in the vicinity of Orchard Beach and Stony Creek, please contact Coast Guard Sector Baltimore Command Center at 410-576-2525.
For any information regarding the vessel please contact Maryland Natural Resources Police at 800-628-9944.
April 27, 2011
Search & Rescue
Man rescued near Smith Island after boat runs aground
A Coast Guard rescue helicopter crew rescued a 70-year-old man near Smith Island after his 39-foot sailing vessel, Hornblower, ran aground Tuesday night, April 26.
Rescued was William Bayliss. Bayliss contacted watchstanders at Sector Hampton Roads at 11 p.m., requesting assistance. A rescue boat crew from Station Cape Charles was launched at 11:19 p.m., but was unable to help because of the breaking surf and shallow water.
At 11:45 p.m. a Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew launched from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C. Upon arrival, a rescue swimmer was lowered to help safety hoist Bayliss aboard the helicopter.
Bayliss did not require medical attention and was taken to Norfolk International Airport.
April 25, 2011
Search & Rescue
Four rescued near Breezy Point
Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is investigating a boating accident that occurred near Breezy Point in the Chesapeake Bay on Friday, April 22. Four people were located and transported to Calvert Memorial hospital. Three were in critical condition, one in stable condition.••At 12:15 p.m., NRP received a call from Calvert County 911 about a vessel that had capsized near marker "79A' in the Chesapeake Bay. The four known passengers of the vessel were located and brought to shore.
The vessel was reported to be between 23 and 28 feet and was not immediately located. Responders included NRP, Maryland State Police aviation and Calvert Fire Department.
The incident is still under investigation and information limited because of the critical condition of the victims.
April 22, 2011
Police Blotter
Boating accident under investigation
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is investigating a boat accident that sank a vessel and left the three passengers with minor injuries. At 7:30 p.m. April 14, NRP responded to Smith Creek off the Potomac River after a VHF radio call reported a capsized vessel.
A preliminary investigation revealed that three men were traveling 40 mph in a 16-foot vessel when it stopped suddenly. The men were thrown into the windshield and sustained lacerations to hands and arms. The vessel sank within seconds of the accident, with extensive damage to the transom, motor and aft, which detached.
Five rescued by Good Samaritan
Five men were recently rescued by a Good Samaritan and NRP after their boat capsized near Bloody Point Light in the Chesapeake Bay. At 8:10 a.m. on April 17, NRP responded to a report of a vessel sinking three miles northeast of Bloody Point Light during a storm with 25 knot winds.
The five passengers of the vessel were picked up by a Good Samaritan fishing vessel, which then began experiencing difficulty staying afloat when the waves began filling it up due to overloading. NRP was able to locate the Good Samaritan vessel and remove the five individuals. The Good Samaritan vessel was able to make it to shore under its own power.
The men, Philip Schlotzhauer Jr., 35, of Centreville; Brian Board Sr., 31, of Denton; Bernard Hajek, 21, of Federalsburg; Christopher Hajek, 20, of Federalsburg; and William Schein III, 23, were transported to the Queens Anne County boat ramp at Matapeake.
Anne Arundel Fire Department, Coast Guard, and Maryland State Police Aviation assisted in the search for the vessel.
April 19, 2011
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard rescues two near Breezy Point, Md.
A Coast Guard crew rescued two people aboard a 19-foot motorboat that was taking on water while fishing near Breezy Point, Md., on Sunday, April 17.
Rescued were Brenda Scott and Ricky White, both of North Beach, Md.
White contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore at 9:42 a.m. by marine radio, reporting that their vessel had begun taking on water while they were fishing east of Breezy Point. Rescue crews from Coast Guard Station Oxford, Maryland Natural Resources Police and Calvert County Fire Rescue launched rescue boat crews to assist.
At 10:32 a.m., the 27-foot Utility Boat crew from Station Oxford arrived on scene and began assisting the passengers. The Coast Guard crew transferred Scott onto the rescue boat while White remained aboard to continue dewatering the vessel. The vessel was reported to be taking on one gallon of water per minute. The rescue crew put the vessel in tow and transported it to the Breezy Point Marina in Chesapeake Beach.
There are no reports of injuries.
April 13, 2011
Sailing Names Needed
It was bound to come sooner or later. After all, it's called the National Sailing Hall of Fame for a reason. And now the time is here. After locating a home city (Annapolis), establishing an education program and attracting a lot of support from yacht clubs, sailors and boatbuilders across the country, the Sailing Hall of Fame is ready to find its first 15 inductees. So search your brain and sharpen your pencils because the floor is open to nominations until June 1. Nominees should be American citizens, 45 years and up, who have made a significant impact on the growth and development of sailing—in design, racing, cruising, coaching, administration or any other area of the sport. Strictly speaking, non-citizens are also eligible, if they have had a particular impact on the American sailing community. Posthumous nominations are also permitted. The first inductees will be honored on October 23 at the San Diego Yacht Club. There will be 15 inductees each year until 2013; after that, there will be not more than five each year. For more information on the nomination process, go to www.nshof.org.
Clean Boating Act Input
The EPA is holding listening sessions and conducting webinars about the Clean Boating Act. The listening sessions will be held in Annapolis on March 18 and April 29.
They are seeking input from boaters and other concerned parties in order to develop new regulations to reduce water pollution and stop the spread of invasive species in the nation's rivers, streams and bays. The Clean Boating Act specifically empowers the EPA to develop management practices for recreational vessels. Input received at the listening sessions will be taken into consideration in the development of management practices for boat discharges, such as bilgewater, graywater and deck runoff.
April 12, 2011
Police Blotter
Three found guilty of oyster poaching
On April 6, in Queen Anne's County District Court, Judge Douglas Howard Everngam presided over three Maryland Department of Natural Resources cases with the following outcomes:
Brandon Howard Mende, 22, of Centreville, Md., was found guilty of removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary and oyster fishing without a commercial license. He was fined $800 and placed on 18 months probation.
Benjamin Shaffer Byers, 21, of Bozman, Md., was found guilty of removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary. He was fined $500 and placed on 18 months probation.
Brian Todd Hambleton, 24 of Bozman, was found guilty of removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary. He was fined $500 and placed on 18 months of probation.
April 11, 2011
Sailing News
Neutrogena sails into Barcelona, Spain, to a fifth-place finish.
Breymaier
Breymaier and Herrmann finish fifth in Barcelona World Race
Ryan Breymaier (Annapolis), with co-skipper Boris Herrmann (Germany) aboard Team Neutrogena, is back in Barcelona, Spain, after 99 days at sea in the Barcelona World Race. Breymaier, in his first-ever circumnavigation of the globe, took fifth position in the rankings after the keel hydraulic system broke down when rounding Cape Horn.
"We did exactly what we set out to do," said Breymaier. "We said we wanted to be fifth, and we were, and if we hadn't had this keel problem I'm pretty certain we would have actually been third, and that would have been a huge accomplishment."
Team Neutrogena started the competition against an original field of 14 IMOCA Open 60 boats in the 25,000 nautical mile (46,300 km) race, which included 2,000 hours of non-stop competition across three vast oceans, two hemispheres and around three famous Capes.
"I am certainly very happy with where we finished and very happy to have been able to compete against some of the best names in sailing, and against people that I respect very much."
April 8, 2011
Bay News
Watermen rehabilitating hundreds of acres of oyster habitat
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) will again this year be working with watermen on oyster bar rehabilitation. The program is a part of a plan to help mitigate the economic impact of regulations enacted in 2008 to help rebuild the blue crab fishery, while also helping to restore the Chesapeake Bay.
The program uses the watermen's experience and equipment to increase the amount of viable oyster bar habitat in the Bay. The rehabilitated areas will create oyster shell habitat for a natural spat set and/or hatchery seed plantings in both sanctuaries and public shellfish fishery areas. The program also provides watermen with income for helping with oyster restoration.
More than 750 Maryland watermen will restore 23 oyster bars over the next four weeks across parts of the Bay to reclaim more than 1,000 acres of buried oyster shell. A number of the oyster bars slated for rehabilitation are located within new sanctuary areas recently established by the Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan. These areas include Harris Creek, Eastern Bay, and the Little Choptank, Nanticoke and Manokin Rivers.
Watermen must have paid the 2011 annual oyster harvester surcharge to participate in the program. The captain and crewman cannot have any significant natural resource violations since 2008. The daily rate for captains is $500 with a guarantee of nine days work. A single crew member will receive $150 per day of work.
April 6, 2011
Bay News
Coast Guard warns fisherman of illegal charter boats
The Coast Guard is advising passengers who pay to go fishing in the Chesapeake Bay during the 2011 fishing season to avoid boats that do not have licensed captains, and in some cases, have not been inspected by the Coast Guard.
According to Coast Guard investigators, the number of vessels reported to be illegally charging to carry people has increased over the last two years and is most frequent in the areas of Kent and Tilghman Islands, Rock Hall, Annapolis and the Potomac River in Charles County.
Illegal charter boats are uninspected vessels or are operated by a captain without a mariner's license, or in some instances both. The operation of a charter vessel without the required vessel documents and operator license is a violation of federal law, and if caught, the operator could be subject to criminal or civil liability. The regulations are in place to help ensure the safety of passengers. When all regulations are met a Certificate of Inspection is given, showing that a vessel has met the Coast Guard safety standards in regard to fire extinguishing systems, vessel de-watering capabilities, life saving and navigation equipment requirements.
A boat a captain must also have a mariner's license in order to legally operate a charter. Coast Guard-issued mariner's licenses show that the operator of a commercial vessel has met proficiency requirements in navigation, seamanship as well as steering and sailing rules.
The Coast Guard advises people to ask the boat's captain to show them his or her original Coast Guard license. If the boat is carrying more than six passengers, it is required to be inspected by the Coast Guard, and the Certificate of Inspection should be displayed in an area accessible to passengers.
To verify a captain's license or the inspected status of a vessel carrying more than six passengers, or to report an illegal charter operation, call Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, Monday through Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 410-576-2558.
March 22, 2011
Police Blotter
Oyster violations
On March 19 at 1 a.m., The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Joseph Walker Benton, 21, of Centreville, Md., with removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary, operating a vessel without proper navigational lights, possessing oysters on a vessel more than two hours after sunset and two counts of catching oysters without a commercial license.
NRP officers had received a tip from a waterman on March 18 that a person was poaching oysters at night from the Sawmill oyster sanctuary, located in Prospect Bay. Officers set up a surveillance detail on the Sawmill Sanctuary and observed a vessel not displaying navigational lights dredging for oysters. NRP identified Benton as the operator of the vessel as it docked in the Kent Narrows harbor. Officers seized five and a half bushels of oysters from the vessel and returned them to the sanctuary.
Benton was already under investigation by NRP for a March 3 incident in which he was observed oystering and presented an oystering license to NRP that proved to be invalid.
A trial has been set for May 4 in the District Court of Maryland for Queen Anne's County.
Gill net charge
On March 19 at 2:30 p.m, NRP charged Travis Lee Cannan, 20, and Benjamin Leonard Reihl, 23, both of Rockhall, Md., with harvesting fish with a drift gill net without a commercial license and possession of undersize white perch.
The charges originated after NRP received a tip from watermen that unlicensed people were gill netting fish in the area of Skinner Landing Wharf. Officers located Cannan and Reihl at Skinner Wharf Landing taking 1,150 pounds of white perch from a gill net that had been set in Queenstown Creek. The two men had 20 undersize white perch in their possession. Reihl and Cannan both admitted to not having a commercial license.
A trial has been set for May 17 in the District Court of Maryland for Kent County.
March 21, 2011
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard rescues woman in Georgetown Channel
Coast Guard Station Washington, D.C., crewmembers rescued a woman from the Georgetown Channel near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Washington, D.C., after her single-person vessel capsized Sunday.
Rescued was Jenie Upchurch, 61, from Arlington, Va.
D.C. Metro Police contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 11:56 a.m. to report that a woman had fallen from a scull near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Georgetown Channel and was struggling to stay afloat.
A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Station Washington, D.C., that was conducting training in the vicinity of the 14th Street Bridge received the notification and diverted to the scene along with D.C. Metro Police and D.C. Fire Rescue. At 12:05 p.m. the Coast Guard crew located Upchurch, who was being assisted by another scull. The rescue crew threw a life ring and pulled her aboard their vessel. The crew then placed the scull in tow and transported Upchurch to awaiting EMS personnel at Thompson Boat Center in Washington, D.C.
There are no report of injuries.
March 16, 2011
Clean Boating Act Input
The EPA is holding listening sessions and conducting webinars about the Clean Boating Act. The listening sessions will be held in Annapolis on March 18 and April 29.
They are seeking input from boaters and other concerned parties in order to develop new regulations to reduce water pollution and stop the spread of invasive species in the nation's rivers, streams and bays. The Clean Boating Act specifically empowers the EPA to develop management practices for recreational vessels. Input received at the listening sessions will be taken into consideration in the development of management practices for boat discharges, such as bilgewater, graywater and deck runoff.
A Pretty New Jetty for Sandy Point Park
By the time mid-April rolls around, the Bay's chilly waters will be moderating and so will the temperatures. Out in the garage, all those neatly stowed rods and tackle will be singing their siren song: time to go fishing! Happily for legions of shoreline fishermen, mid-April also means that work should have been completed on Sandy Point State Park's new and improved fishing jetty. The bigger, better version of the pier, located at the south end of the park, will be 18-feet wide and three feet higher than the old one--a jumble of haphazardly spaced riprap. After a winter of work and the expenditure of $548,490 in Waterway Improvement funds, the new stone jetty should be a significant improvement.
Felt-Soled Waders or Boots? Chuck 'em!
Beginning March 21, felt-soled waders and boots will no longer be legal fishing gear in Maryland waters. Studies have determined that the invasive and destructive non-native algae named didymo (also known by the unpleasant but descriptive name of rock snot) can easily be spread through the mud carried from stream to stream by anglers' waders and boots--even those without felt soles. However, the algae can be removed from non-felt boots by immersion and a thorough scrubbing in a saline solution. Not so those with felt soles. Even long immersion in the salt solution does not pene-trate the inner felt layers to kill the algae.
New Zealand was the first to ban felt-soled boots in 2008, after its streams became badly infected with the yellow-brown slime, which multiplies quickly and carpets rocks and stream bottoms, smothering habitats and destroying native life. Alaska and Vermont have joined Maryland in banning felt boots from their streams.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has placed wader-scrubbing stations at popular access points along the Gunpowder--where didymo has been found--as well as the Savage River and Big Hunting Creek to prevent its spread.
A Fish By Any Other Name
No question about it, Virginia Beach fisherman Kevin Wong had landed a world record fish. The funny thing was, he nearly got the record in the wrong category. When Wong brought his Norfolk Canyon catch in to be weighed and measured, it was identified as a Darwin's slimehead, a charming fish that looks like a giant goldfish with serious complexion issues. (Another variety of slimehead has found fame and a drastically overfished population under a new name: orange roughy.) As a Darwin's slimehead, Wong's 8-pound 5-ounce example easily topped the existing record of 7 pounds 8 ounces set in 2008. An official of the International Game Fish Association happened to see a photo of Wong's fish and realized that it was not a slimehead of any variety, but rather an alfonsino, a giant gold-fish with better skin. As luck would have it, the IGFA had just approved the alfonsino as a record-worthy fish. So Wong got his record, just for a different kind of fish.
Don't Count Gov Cup Out
After landing on the fiscal chopping block last year, the Governor's Cup now looks as if it may receive a stay of execution--with some modifications. The venerable overnight race between Annapolis and St. Mary's City came under scrutiny by sponsor St. Mary's College of Maryland because it has lost money over the past few years. A planning group of college trustees, staff and members of the sailing community was formed and came up with some changes to make the event stronger and financially sustaining.
Among the proposals are: (1) Participation would be expanded with the addition of a cruising class. (2) The start would be reversed with the slower classes leaving first to allow them more time to enjoy the activities at St. Mary's--and perhaps avoid the race's notorious mid-morning doldrums on the Potomac and St. Marys rivers. (3) Activities at the college site would be increased, with kayaking, a moon bounce, misting tent and more musical entertainment. (4) The number of food vendors would be increased and the formal dinner eliminated. (5) The registration fee would be increased from $75 to $100 a boat. For a look at all of the proposals and to comment on them, go to www.smcm.edu/govcup
March 4, 2011
Police Blotter
Tug captain charged with assault
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) arrested and charged William Daniel Ailsworth II, 46, of Deltaville, Va., with first and second degree assault. On February 23, at 12:04 a.m., officers responded to the Wicomico River, Salisbury, for a report of an assault that occurred on a tug boat south of the Port of Salisbury. Officers interviewed Keith Isadore Lippman, 57, of Newport News, Va., who stated that Allsworth, the captain of the tugboat, had struck him on the head with a metal pipe during an argument. Ailsworth was taken to the Wicomico County Detention Center and held pending bond. Lippman was treated at the scene by Salisbury Emergency Medical Services.
Unattended perch gill net
NRP has charged John Robert Abner with failure to remain in his boat and within two miles of his drift gill net. On February 26, at 8:56 a.m., officers observed Abner set a gill net for perch in the South River and then leave the area. The unattended net remained out all night and Abner returned the following morning to retrieve it. A trial is set for March 18 in the District Court of Maryland for Anne Arundel County.
Unattended gill net
NRP charged Steven Allen Reynolds, 54, of Chesapeake Beach, Md., on February 25 with failing to attend his drift gill net during the commercial rockfish season. Officers observed Reynolds set a rockfish gill net in the area of Breezy Point, near Chesapeake Beach and then return to the dock. Reynolds then drove to Anne Arundel County and set a perch net in the South River over twenty miles away. A trial has been set for March 7 in the District Court of Maryland for Calvert County.
February 24, 2011
Police Blotter
NRP charges six with removing oysters from a sanctuary
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) has charged six men with removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary in the Corsica River.
Benjamin Shafer Byers, 20, of Bozeman; Brandon Howard Mende, 22, of Centreville; Brian Todd Hambleton, 24, of Bozeman; Jeffrey Lee Anthony, 29, of Grasonville; Michael Karlis Murphy, 26, of Queenstown; and Christopher Lee Marvel, 18, of Grasonville were all charged with removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary. Additionally, Marvel and Mende were charged with oystering commercially without a valid license.
On February 21 at 11:15 a.m. officers observed two boats hand-tonging for oysters in the Possum Point Oyster Sanctuary in the Corsica River, Queen Anne's County. As NRP attempted to follow the individuals to harbor, the violators dumped the oysters into the river in an effort to avoid being caught. They were apprehended a short time later at the Centreville Warf.
Currently, the maximum penalty for removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary is a $3,000 fine and suspension of tidal fish license for six to twelve months. Under a new bill introduced by Senator Brian Frosh to the State Legislature, the tidal fishing license could be permanently revoked by DNR after a hearing.
The men are scheduled for trial April 6 at 1:15 p.m. in the District Court of Maryland for Queen Anne's County.
February 23, 2011
Bay News
DNR will open rockfish gill-net fishery for two days only
With an estimated 200,000 pounds of the State's February quota remaining, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will reopen the February striped bass gill net fishery on Friday, February 25, and Monday, February 28; all normal harvest restrictions will remain in effect. The fishery has been closed since February 4, after 10 tons of illegally captured rockfish were confiscated from the Chesapeake Bay south of Kent Island. In all, 12.5 tons of illegally captured rockfish have been found by Natural Resources Police this month.
"While we continue to aggressively search, we have not found any additional illegal gill nets since last Wednesday, and at this time, we are not sufficiently close to the quota to justify penalizing the honest watermen who depend on this fishery during the winter months," said DNR Secretary John Griffin. "That said, those who continue to violate the public trust should be forewarned: We will be stepping up patrols on the water and at check stations as we continue to vigorously investigate these crimes. And, once apprehended, we will prosecute these offenders to the fullest extent of the law."
Maryland's commercial striped bass fishery is managed on a quota system, in cooperation with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission; commercial and recreational restrictions are used to keep the harvest at or below a target fishing mortality rate. Maryland's commercial gill net quota for February is 354,318 pounds; the State's annual commercial quota is 2 million pounds.
"During these two days, Natural Resources Police operations will be stepped up significantly through increased patrols, additional staff at check stations, and the use of our new electronic monitoring capabilities," said Col. George Johnson, Natural Resources Police Superintendent.
State Senator Brian Frosh has introduced a bill that would allow DNR to revoke a license for a specified offense related to unlawfully taking striped bass or crabs. DNR is stepping up law enforcement operations and working with stakeholders to develop and propose further regulations and increased penalties to better address under-reporting of harvest at check stations and illegal markets for untagged and unchecked striped bass, in addition to the use of illegal gill nets.
February 14, 2011
Bay News
Natural Resources Police located additional illegal nets Reward for Information Now Up to $20,000
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) located additional illegal anchored gill nets on Friday evening, February 11. Two 900-yard strings of illegal anchored gill nets were located in Eastern Bay. One net was found about a mile south of Bloody Point Light and the second net was found about 2 miles northeast of Bloody Point Light in Eastern Bay.
A total of 3,879 pounds of rockfish were removed from the anchored gill nets. Those fish will be sold and the money will be used for natural resources law enforcement. NRP patrol boat GPS track lines indicated that the area where the nets were found had been previously searched the week before. At that time, there were no indications of nets in the area.
Discovery of the illegal gill nets comes less than two weeks after NRP confiscated more than 10 tons of illegally caught striped bass from four illegally anchored gill nets near Bloody Point Light, south of Kent Island in the Chesapeake Bay. After the initial find, DNR was forced to shut down the striped bass gill net season.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of poachers involved in illegally catching the first 10 tons of rockfish DNR, its partners and private citizens are putting forward $10,000 and the Chesapeake Bay Savers is matching that money with another $10,000.
February 11, 2011
Search and Rescue
Lifejackets Save Fishermen After Boat Capsizes
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) credited life jackets for saving the lives of three fishermen after their vessel capsized at 8 a.m. on Thursday, February 10, at the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant discharge.
"The life jackets kept the men afloat in the frigid water until the nearby vessel could respond and essentially save their lives," said NRP Sergeant Shawn Garren.
NRP's investigation revealed that a 21-foot center console boat capsized after a four- to five-foot wave came over the stern while the men were fishing. The occupants of the vessel, Kevin Lynn Gladhill, 32, of Boonesboro, Md., Michael George Krall, 35, of Keedysville, Md., and Russell Uger Neff III, 55, of Boonesboro, were thrown into the 30-degree water.
A nearby fishing vessel responded to the fishermen's calls for help. Dennis Charles Fleming, 51, of Mechanicsville, Md., and Grady Terry Warhurst, 64, of Upper Marlboro, Md., were at the scene within ten minutes and retrieved all three men from the water. The rescuing party transported the fishermen to Flag Harbor Marina in St. Leonard, where they were taken to Calvert Memorial Hospital and treated for hypothermia.
"The affects of hypothermia were quickly affecting the victims muscles, speech and their mental awareness. One of the victims could not even remember what happened to him," Garren said. "They wouldn't have made it much longer."
NRP reminds boaters that wearing life jackets saves lives. Most accidents happen too quickly for life jackets to be an afterthought. Put on a life jacket prior to leaving the dock and wear it continually throughout the trip.
It is also important to check the vessel and its equipment before departure. The cold weather affects battery life, ices fuel lines and vessel surfaces, and clogs bilge pumps. It also numbs a person's senses, making reaction time much slower.
February 9, 2011
Bay News
NRP seize an additional half-ton of illegally caught rockfish Reward now stands at $10,000
On February 7, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) confiscated more than 1,100 pounds of illegally caught striped bass. The discovery came within a week of pulling more than 10 tons of illegally caught striped bass from four illegally anchored gill nets near Bloody Point Light, south of Kent Island in the Chesapeake Bay.
NRP seized the latest 1,159 pounds from 1,200 yards of illegally anchored gillnet at the mouth of Eastern Bay, a mile south of the previously located Bloody Point gill nets. Officers also found 600 yards of illegally anchored gill net near Poplar Island that contained about 300 dead horseshoe crabs and a few live striped bass, which were released back into the Bay.
DNR and stakeholders, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Humane Society of the United States, Coastal Conservation Association, the Maryland Watermen's Association, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association and the Maryland Charter Boat Association, have come together to offer a reward of $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a person or persons responsible for setting these anchored gill nets in the vicinity of Bloody Point Light. Funding for the reward will come from dedicated funding as well as contributions from these stakeholder groups.
Information on this crime may be called into the Natural Resources Police Catch-a-Poacher Hotline at 800-635-6124. Callers may remain anonymous.
Aid to Navigation Team heading for Thomas Point Lighthouse
February 8, 2011
Bay News
Coast Guard finds SAD state of affairs at Thomas Point Lighthouse
On Monday, February 7, Coast Guard Baltimore received a low-voltage alarm from the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse near Annapolis. The Guard's Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) was promptly dispatched to diagnose the problem aboard a 41-foot utility boat.
On arrival, the technicians checked the voltage levels, inspected wiring and tested the electrical equipment, but found the light to be working properly. They determined that the alarm may have been caused by lack of sunlight on the solar panels that charge the lighthouse's batteries. In other words, the lighthouse system was suffering from a kind of Season Affective Disorder (SAD).
The low voltage alarm was sent through the Coast Guard's aid control monitoring system, which uses cell phone technology to send messages from the lighthouse to a computer at ANT Baltimore. The system regularly sends status updates and can be "pulled" by technicians to check electrical levels and send commands to the light, such as to reset itself.
The Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, originally built in 1875, is one of only 10 lighthouses to be named a national historic landmark, the highest recognition that a historic structure can receive. The lighthouse is also the only screw-pile light on the Chesapeake Bay still in its original position.
February 8, 2011
Bay News
Happiness on the half-shell:
Oyster reproduction survival rates at highest levels since 1997
Trends indicate population may be developing resistance to disease
Finally, there is some good news for Crassostrea virginica, the Bay's native oyster. According to the Maryland's recently completed fall oyster survey, the number of spat or baby oysters in Maryland waters is at its highest level since 1997. The survival rate for young oysters is also up.
Since 1939, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and its predecessor agencies have monitored the status of Maryland's oyster population via annual field surveys—one of the longest running such programs in the world. The survey tracks three critical components of the population: spatfall Intensity, which measures reproduction levels (recruitment) and offers a window into future population levels; disease infection levels; and annual mortality rates of oysters.
The 2-month 2010 fall population assessment, which encompassed 260 oyster bars and 399 samples throughout the Bay and its tributaries, concluded on December 18. At nearly 80 spat (baby oysters) per bushel, the 2010 spatfall is the highest since 1997, and about 5 times the 25-year average of 16.
Eleven of the 53 oyster bars included in this index had their highest or second highest spat counts since 1985. The elevated spatfall was a coast-wide phenomenon, with other mid-Atlantic states also reporting better than average numbers.
Equally encouraging was wide distribution of spat throughout the Bay and its tributaries: While the heaviest counts were in the lower Bay's higher salinity areas, where reproduction is typically more successful, a moderate spatfall also occurred in lower salinity areas that generally receive little to no spat sets at all. These included the upper Bay as far north as Pooles Island and the upper reaches of the Chester, Choptank and Patuxent River tributaries. Due to reduced disease pressure, oysters historically have good survivorship in these areas, some of which are now protected sanctuaries under the State's new oyster plan.
Even more encouraging news for the beleaguered oyster is that the frequency and intensity of diseases remains low, based on December's interim report from the Paul S. Sarbanes Cooperative Oxford Lab. Of the two diseases that have devastated populations for decades, Dermo, although still widely distributed, remains below the long-term average for the eighth consecutive year, and MSX appears to again be in retreat after an advance in 2009.
The survey indicates that oyster survivorship—the percentage of oysters found alive in a sample—was at 88 percent, the highest level since 1985, before diseases put a stranglehold on the population; this is more than double 2002 when record disease levels left only 42 percent of Maryland's population alive. Scientists are hopeful that favorable mortality in recent years may reflect an increase in disease resistance.
"These moderate levels of natural oyster mortalities during recent years may reflect increases in disease resistances among oysters and their progeny that survived the severe disease pressures of the 1999-2002 drought," said Chris Dungan, manager of oyster disease research at the Oxford Lab. "Those same disease-selected oysters are the parents that spawned to produce the significant spat set of 2010."
"In this new reality, where disease mortality sometimes exceeds natural and fishing mortality, recruitment has become of singular importance," said DNR Fisheries Service Assistant Director Mike Naylor. "While challenges remain and recovery—particularly development of disease-resistance—will take decades, if the present trend in below average mortalities continues, the combination of the great 2010 spatset and low mortality should bode well for Maryland's oyster population and fishery well into the future."
Since 1994, the Chesapeake Bay oyster population has languished at 1 percent of historic levels. Over the past 25 years, the amount of suitable oyster habitat has declined by 80 percent—from 200,000 acres to just 36,000 acres. Maryland's annual oyster harvest has fallen from an average of 2.5 million bushels in the late 1960s to about 100,000 bushels a year since 2002, while the number of oystermen working Maryland's portion of the Bay has dwindled from more than 2000 to just 550.
DNR sorting captured rockfish.
February 7, 2011
Bay News
Maryland shuts off gill net season after Illegal striped bass seizure DNR, stakeholders offer reward for information leading to rockfish poachers' arrest
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has shut down the February striped bass gill net season after Natural Resources Police (NRP) confiscated more than 10 tons of illegally caught striped bass in two days. NRP seized the 20,016 pounds of rockfish from four illegally anchored gill nets found near Bloody Point Light, south of Kent Island in the Chesapeake Bay.
"Wanton illegal behavior cannot, will not be tolerated," said Secretary John Griffin. "The people of Maryland have invested far too much time, effort and money into restoring striped bass, our state fish."
Maryland's commercial striped bass fishery is managed on a quota system, in cooperation with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission; the commercial gill net quota for February is 354,318 pounds. When the illegally harvested striped bass confiscated by the NRP were deducted from the quota, DNR was forced to immediately shut down the fishery. The fishery will remain closed until DNR can determine the extent of illegal nets out on the Bay and the amount of striped bass caught in those nets.
"Watermen are allowed to catch about 300 pounds of rockfish per day. We seized 20,000 pounds. That means these poachers are stealing 66 days of work from honest watermen," said DNR Fisheries Service Director Tom O'Connell.
The State, along with the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), The Maryland Watermen's Association, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association and the Maryland Charter Boat Association, is offering a reward of more than $7,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a person or persons responsible for setting these anchored gill nets in the vicinity of Bloody Point Light. Funding for the reward will come from dedicated funding as well as contributions from these stakeholder groups, who are publicly denouncing these crimes.
"Today's announcement demonstrates that illegal fishing that steals the resource from all Marylanders will not be tolerated," said CCA Maryland Executive Director Tony Friedrich. "We look forward to working with the Department and other stakeholders to insure that the penalties for these types of crimes are strengthened and those responsible are held fully accountable."
"The Maryland Watermen's Association is here to protect the honest fisherman," said Association President Larry Simns. "We'd like to do anything in our power to catch the person responsible for this and we'd hope they'd lose their license."
"The Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association is extremely disheartened and outraged over the events of the past several days," said Executive Director Dave Smith. "This type of flagrant disregard for the law and our vital resource must end. The MSSA is working with the Department and other stakeholder groups to put in place deterrents and meaningful consequences for these types of crimes."
The NRP found the first anchored gill net on Monday, January 31 at 2 p.m., the day before the February striped bass gill net season opened. Officers began a surveillance detail and after 17 hours without activity officers pulled up the net, which was full of rockfish. Officers continued pulling the net and offloading the fish until 9 p.m., when 6,121 pounds of fish were taken out of the 900 yards of illegal anchored gill net; 400 pounds were given to state biologists for use in an expanded gender sampling survey, and 5,721 pounds were sold.
Officers located another net at about 9 p.m. near the first net and began to pull it up immediately. NRP continued to load the net and fish into patrol boats throughout the night. While loading the second net, officers found two additional nets. The NRP worked until 5 p.m. Wednesday evening, landing an additional 13,895 pounds of illegally caught fish.
Officers also recovered 2,100 yards of anchored gill net from the Choptank River on Sunday, January 30, and 100 yards of anchored gill net from the mouth of the Chester River on Thursday. These nets had a few fish that were released alive.
Information on this crime may be called into the Natural Resources Police Catch-a-Poacher Hotline at 800-635-6124. Callers may remain anonymous.
February 3, 2011
Search and Rescue
Coast Guard, local agencies searching for missing sailboat operator
Coast Guard and local agencies were searching for a missing person on Thursday, February 3, after a good Samaritan reported finding the sailing vessel Wampeter adrift in the vicinity of Little Creek Inlet off Virginia Beach with no one aboard.
At 8:20 a.m., Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads Command Center watchstanders received a report from a crewmember aboard the fishing vessel Markim II that he had seen a sailboat, about 40-feet in length, drifting toward the rocks with its lights on and engine running.
Two 25-foot response boat crews, a 45-foot response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Little Creek and a Coast Guard HH-60 rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., were initially dispatched to the scene. Crews from Hampton Fire Rescue, Norfolk Police Department, Virginia Marine Police, Virginia Beach Police Department and Virginia Beach Fire Department were assisting in the search.
To report any information regarding this case, please contact the Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads Command Center at 757-638-6635.
January 29, 2011
Bay News
Update: Coast Guard continues response to oil spill in Potomac River
The Coast Guard and local agencies are continuing to respond to a mineral oil spill that occurred Sunday, January 23, in the Potomac River near Alexandria, Va.
Approximately 1,500 gallons of an estimated 5,500 gallons have been recovered from the waters of the Potomac River after a transformer at the Pepco substation began leaking Sunday, with a remaining 4,000 gallons currently unaccounted for.
Coast Guard Sector Baltimore's Incident Management Division members, who were notified Sunday by the National Response Center, have been working with Pepco and the hired contractors, Triumvirate Environmental and Clean Harbors, to continue efforts to contain and collect the oil.
Currently 2,000 feet of hard containment boom, 1,700 feet of absorbent boom and 750 feet of sweep, which consists of pads strung together, have been deployed to the affected area.
The oil sheen is reported to extend approximately 2,000 yards north of the Pepco substation and as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
"At this point, what we can see out there is mostly oil sheen," said Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony Matulonis a marine science technician at Sector Baltimore. "When oil spreads out, it starts to become unrecoverable because the surface area is too thin. The good news is that over time, nature will start a biodegradation process, which is basically when sunlight, wave action and wind naturally remove the oil."
January 25, 2011
Bay News
Coast Guard responds to Potomac River oil spill
The Coast Guard and local agencies are responding to a mineral oil spill in the Potomac River near Alexandria, Va.
Pepco employees notified the Coast Guard Sunday at 12:40 p.m. on Sunday, January 23, that about 5,000 gallons of mineral oil were believed to have leaked from a transformer at the Pepco substation in Alexandria. It was also reported that an additional 500 gallons had leaked into the Potomac River.
Coast Guard Sector Baltimore's Incident Management Division personnel arrived on the scene at 2 p.m. Sunday and conducted a shoreline assessment of the area.
Triumvirate Environmental and Clean Harbors have been hired by Pepco to contain and dispose of the oil. The oil that reached the waterway has been contained by boom.
The cause of the spill is under investigation.
January 21, 2011
Police Blotter
Waterman charged with dredging oysters in illegal area
On January 19, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged two Dorchester County watermen with illegally power dredging for oysters in Fishing Bay.
On December 31, NRP officers observed two vessels, the Lauren Taylor II and the Mary Grace, power dredging for oysters in a restricted area. An officer aboard an NRP patrol boat ordered the vessels to stop dredging in the restricted area. The officer attempted to obtain license and identification from the occupants of the vessels.
The captain of the Lauren Taylor II, Gary David Hayden, 42 of Toddville, attempted to leave the area after he was asked for his oyster license and identification. Taylor was repeatedly ordered to stop his vessel, however he did not. The Lauren Taylor II was later found tied to a dock in Farm Creek in Dorchester County.
The officer was able to obtain the required information from the captain of the Mary Grace, Jason Bernard Spencer, 34 of Wingate.
Both Spencer and Hayden are charged with power dredging for oysters in a hand-tonging area. Hayden is also charged with obstructing and hindering a police officer, failing to obey a lawful order and failure to have a tidal fish license available for inspection. A trial has been set for March 14 in the District Court of Maryland for Dorchester County.
January 20, 2011
Notice to Mariners
Temporary Choptank security zone at Cambridge
The Coast Guard will establish a temporary security zone in designated waters of the Choptank River off Cambridge, Md., for the Democratic House Conference Retreat Thursday, January 20, through Saturday, January 22.
During this period, security zone enforcement may limit the navigation by commercial and recreational waterway users.
The security zone will include all waters of the Choptank River, within 2,000 yards of the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina's Breakwater Pavilion.
The waterways within the security zone will be closed to recreational and commercial boaters Friday from noon to 10 p.m. Commercial boaters may be allowed to transit the security zone at the discretion of the Coast Guard. For vessels seeking authorization to enter or transit the security zone, contact the Coast Guard at 410-576-2529, 410-576-2512 or via marine-band radio on VHF channel 16
January 19, 2011
Police Blotter
Jet ski serial numbers altered
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Erik Todd Weyant, 27, of Middle River, Md., for altering serial numbers on jet skis. NRP stopped Weyant's truck on September 26 when they observed a jet ski with the serial numbers removed in the bed of the truck. NRP acted on three search and seizure warrants, which netted five jets skis, two identification numbers, trailers and jet ski engines. NRP charged Weyant with two counts of removing/obliterating a manufacturer's serial number, six counts of maintaining an item with a removed manufacturer's serial number and two counts of possessing a manufacture's serial number for fraudulent purposes. A trial date has been set for April 6 in the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County.
Oyster violations arrest
NRP arrested John Hunter Haddaway, 23 of Tilghman, Md., for poaching oysters from an Oyster Sanctuary. The NRP observed Haddaway dredging for oysters approximately five miles northwest of Crisfield, within the Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary on January 17 at 11:58 a.m. NRP seized 12 bushels of oysters from Haddaway's boat and returned them to the sanctuary. Haddaway was charged with taking oysters from a sanctuary. A trial date has been set for March 31 in the District Court of Maryland for Somerset County.
January 12, 2011
Police Blotter
Three charged with crabbing violations
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) has charged three individuals with selling crabs without a commercial license.
"During a four-month investigation we obtained a search warrant for the seafood dealer where the crabs were being sold, giving us what we needed to charge these individuals," said Sgt. Art Windemuth, NRP Public Information Officer.
Stephen Mark Mullikin of Cambridge was charged with 42 counts of catching and selling crabs without a commercial license and 39 counts of possession of female crabs without a license.
Wesley Matthew Finneyfrock of St. Michaels was charged with 12 counts of selling crabs without a commercial license, 10 counts of possession of female crabs without a license and one count of possession of undersized hard crabs.
William Christopher Bradley of St. Michaels was charged with 12 counts of catching and selling crabs without a commercial license, 10 counts of possessing female crabs without a commercial license and one count of possession of undersized hard crabs.
The crabs were harvested between June and September 2010. The maximum fine for each count is $1,000. A trial is scheduled on January 20 for Mullikin. Trials for Finneyfrock and Bradley are scheduled for February 17. All three will be tried in the District Court of Maryland for Talbot County.
January 10, 2011
Police Blotter
From the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP):
Oyster vessel strikes navigational aid
On January 7 at 11:30 a.m., NRP investigated a commercial boating accident that occurred in Saint Clements Bay and St Patrick Creek in St. Mary's County. Louis Charles Hodges of Colton Point, Md., was operating a 20-foot commercial oyster vessel in St. Patrick's Creek when he struck a navigational aid. The impact injured Hodges, and two other occupants of the vessel. All three individuals were transported to St. Mary's hospital for minor injuries. Two charged with oyster violations
On January 6, 2011, NRP charged Norman Benjamin Murphy, 59, and Dennis Louis Jones, 59, both of Tilghman, Md., with possession of undersize oysters. The charges were the result of a routine check of a commercial seafood establishment in Tilghman. During this check, officers located six bushels of oysters that contained 52-percent undersize oysters.
Man charged with oystering on suspended license
On January 6, NRP charged Richard Nicholas Fluharty, 24, of Tilghman with four counts of harvesting oysters while his oyster license was suspended and one count of possessing 27-percent undersize oysters. Fluharty was observed unloading six bushels of oysters. A check of the buying stations records revealed that Fluharty also sold oysters on December 30 and 31 and January 4.
January 10, 2011
Bay News
Here is an explanation of the recent Bay fish kill (see story below: January 5) from the Chesapeake Bay NOAA:
Water Temps May Have Affected Fish Kill
This week, roughly 2 million dead fish—primarily young spot—have washed ashore in the middle part of the Bay. Scientists are investigating to determine why this happened, and their working theory is that the fish kill was caused by cold water stress.
But the water gets cold every winter, and fish kills like this aren't seen often—why would cold water kill fish? Bay water temperatures that fell quickly and early may be the answer.
Spot and croaker—the fish comprising the bulk of the fish kill—usually move south before water temperatures become a problem for them. They are cued to migrate by the length of the day, which decreases as we move toward winter. In this case, they may have started their migration a little late relative to the early cold temperatures. The fact that the vast majority of the dead spot were juveniles may simply be the result of greater cold sensitivity of younger fish, or that they have slightly different migration behavior than adult fish, or both. The stress caused by the cold could also make them more susceptible to other possible causes of death.
This theory is supported by data from the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System, which tracks water temperature. For the month of December 2009, the CBIBS Annapolis buoy recorded a mean temperature of 43.8 degrees Fahrenheit, but in 2010, it was only 39.5 degrees. And the CBIBS website also shows that the minimum buoy temperature at the buoy in December 2009 was 39.5—but in 2010, it was 33.7. While these differences may seem small, they may be very large for young spot trying to stay warm enough to survive.
These graphs show the decline in water temperature in December 2009 and December 2010. While the 2009 graph shows a more gradual decline, the 2010 graph features several sharp steps down, which may have caught the fish by surprise. Notice, too, that the y-axis in 2010 is 2 degrees lower than 2009.
NOAA also tracks sea surface temperature from satellites. NOAA CoastWatch's East Coast Node uses satellite observations to determine water temperature and levels of chlorophyll in the surface waters of the Chesapeake Bay and other nearby waters. This series of images uses color to show the dramatic drop on temperatures—see the change from mostly blues to mostly purples and even a little pink at the northern reaches of the Bay, indicating colder water.
Scientists from Maryland state agencies are performing autopsies on fish killed in the event to decisively determine the cause of death. While cold water stress is a leading contender, we need to wait until the autopsy results are known to rule out any other factors. While 2 million fish may seem like a lot, it may not have a dramatic effect on the whole coast-wide population. Programs that monitor fish populations will keep a keen eye on spot this coming year, just to be sure.
The Chesapeake's coldest months—January and February—are still ahead. While the northernmost CBIBS buoys have been pulled for the winter, six buoys in the Bay remain, so you can track temperatures at those locations to see just how cold the water gets.
On January 5, at 11:30 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Daniel Leroy Dierker, 32 of Rock Hall, Md. with engaging in the striped bass gill net fisheries while his commercial license was suspended.
Dierker was operating a commercial fishing vessel that was gill netting for striped bass in the area of Love Point in the Chesapeake Bay. Dierker's commercial license was suspended until January 18, 2012. Under this suspension, Dierker is prohibited from engaging in the commercial harvest of finfish.
A trial is set for March 2 in the District Court of Maryland for Queen Anne's County.
Duck hunters fall through ice
On December 31, NRP responded to Back Creek off the Sassafras River after receiving a 911 call that two duck hunters had fallen through the ice. Officers could see the victims in the water approximately 500 yards from shore, and got to within 100 yards of the victims by accessing the area on a point in Knights Island Preserve. The victims were able to make it to shore under their own power at the direction of NRP.
Jeffery Lynn Marker, 41, of Walkersville, Md., was treated and released at the scene. His son was airlifted to safety by Maryland State Police aviation and flown to John Hopkins for further treatment. Christopher Markoe was hunting with the two victims and made the 911 call.
January 6, 2011
Bay News
Waterman drowns after oyster-dredging accident
A Maryland waterman died Tuesday, January 5, after he was knocked from his boat into the icy waters of the Bay at the mouth of Goose Creek and Fishing Bay, according to the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP). Samuel Edwin Todd, 59, of Crocheron, was power-dredging for oysters at about 9:30 a.m. when the dredge he had just emptied failed to drop back into the water. Instead, it swung back toward the deck and struck him, knocking him overboard, the NRP said.
Todd's mate called for help over the boat's VHF radio then went on deck and flagged down a nearby waterman. That waterman found Todd, face down and unconscious, and pulled from the water. Todd had been in the 39-degree water for more than 10 minutes and was not wearing a lifejacket, according to the NRP.
Elliott Island Volunteer Fire Department personnel arrived and tried unsuccessfully to revive Todd. He was then taken to Peninsula Regional medical Center in Salisbury, where he was pronounced dead.
Todd's body was taken to the state medical examiner's office in Baltimore for an autopsy. The NRP and the Coast Guard are investigating the incident.
January 5, 2011
Bay News
Two million dead fish in Bay
The Maryland Department of the Environment estimates that two million dead fish, primarily spot, have been reported floating in the Bay between the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tangier Sound. The agency believes the kill has been caused by cold-water stress rather than any environmental cause. For a link to the Baltimore Sun story, click on the link below.
Wave takes life of captain and first mate off Bermuda
The captain and first mate of the Greek-flagged merchant vessel AegeanAngel were killed by a very large wave during rough weather off Bermuda on Thursday as they were making an inspection of the deck for storm damage. A third man, the 2nd mate, was seriously injured by the same wave.
Shortly afterward, the U.S. Coast Guard received a call from the Greek Minister of Citizen Protection reporting the tragedy and requesting assistance for the injured crewman. However, hazardous conditions that included 65-knot winds and seas greater than 15 feet kept the Coast Guard HC 130J Hercules and MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter grounded until Sunday, when they were finally able to leave Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.
In addition to recovering the injured man from the Aegean Angel, the Coast Guard transferred a new captain and first mate onto the vessel. The injured man, a Greek Cypriot, was flown to Bermuda, where he was transferred to a local hospital.
With the new officers onboard, the Greek vessel, which had been scheduled to stop in Bermuda, about 180 miles away, changed course for Freeport in the Bahamas. The Aegean Angel was enroute from Tallinn, Estonia, to Houston, Texas, with a shipment of fuel oil.
Interestingly, in 2008, the Aegean Angel played a crucial role in the rescue of 11 mariners adrift on a life raft 300 miles south of Puerto Rico. The crewmen had abandoned ship after large waves caused their Korean-flagged vessel's cargo to shift, causing it to lose steering, then capsize and sink.
December 28
Bay News
Million Dollar Rockfish dates changed because of weather
Due the severe weather in Virginia Beach earlier this week, the Million Dollar Rockfish Challenge Registration and Captain's Meeting will be moved to Wednesday, December 29, at Marina Shores Marina.
Registration will begin at 3 p.m. with the rules meeting at 6 p.m. Tournament fishing days will be moved to Thursday, December 30, through Sunday, January 2. The awards banquet will follow the tournament's final weigh-in on Sunday, January 2, at the big tent located in the Marina Shores parking lot.
It is important to remember that Chesapeake Bay fishing will be allowed on both Thursday, December 30, and Friday, December 31. But since the Bay season closes on the 31st, Saturday, January 1, and Sunday, January 2, will be coastal fishing only. The tournament has also received permission from the insurance company to keep both the $1,000,000 World and $250,000 Virginia State record cash payouts available provided participants leave from a Virginia Port and return to the weigh site in Virginia by boat without making landfall.
Three important points must be followed to qualify for that state and world record payouts are:
1. Anglers are not allowed to fish over the 3 mile EEZ line.
2. Anglers must leave from and return to a Virginia Port by boat without making landfall anywhere prior to weighing your fish at Marina Shores Marina.
3. No payouts will be allowed for fish caught South of the Diamond Shoals Light.
4. If you fish in North Carolina Waters, you will need a North Carolina License.
December 28, 2010
Search & Rescue
Maryland NRP rescues two duck hunters stuck on Hart-Miller Island
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) broke through ice and faced rough seas to rescue two duck hunters that had become stuck on Hart-Miller Island in the Chesapeake Bay on Monday, December 27, during severe weather.
The two hunters had intended to hunt on the island but became stranded when the weather worsened. The two apparently left Rocky Point boat ramp at about 8 a.m. in a 14-foot aluminum boat, which immediately took on water from the rough seas.
The pair called 911 for help from the island. Police say Todd Troxell, 40, of Codorus, Pa., was issued a citation for negligent operation. He told officers he did not check weather reports before setting out on his trip.
12.23.10
Search & Rescue
Going after rockfish poachers
The Coast Guard, state and federal agencies are intensifying efforts to stop the illegal poaching of rockfish off the Atlantic coast this winter season.
The Coast Guard is working to raise awareness of the federal regulations governing rockfish and to increase enforcement efforts to protect the migration and spawning of the fish from illegal poaching.
Rockfish populations are moving farther off shore into warmer waters and fishermen are often pursuing the fish beyond the authorized state waters. Atlantic rockfish may not be caught, harvested or possessed in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). A person caught fishing for rockfish outside of three nautical miles and into the EEZ is subject to fines starting at $100 per fish.
The Coast Guard has established an Atlantic Striped Bass Reporting Hotline at 757-398-6598. The public is encouraged to report any suspected poaching activity to the hotline. Calls should include a description of the activity, those involved, the location and the time of the suspected offense. Such information greatly increases the effectiveness of law enforcement operations.
12.15.10
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard and Hampton Fire Department crews respond to fuel leak
Coast Guard crews along with the Hampton Fire Department responded to a diesel fuel leak at the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina hotel Tuesday afternoon, December 14.
At approximately 4:15 p.m. the Coast Guard was notified of a fuel leak at the hotel. Crews from the Hampton Fire Department responded and deployed harbor boom to contain the leak.
Coast Guard investigators reported that approximately 900 gallons of diesel fuel had been discharged onto the property surrounding the hotel with at least 100 gallons spilling into the Hampton River. The leak originated from an underground storage tank, which supplies the hotel's emergency generator.
Coast Guard investigators reported that the leak has been secured. LCM Corporation has been contracted by the hotel to conduct clean up of the spill.
"The harbor boom was deployed to keep the spill from spreading into the adjacent waterway," said Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Yonker of the pollution investigations branch from Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads. "The boom contained the majority of the diesel fuel spilled into the water."
The cause of the fuel spill is under investigation.
12.3.10
Police Blotter
More watermen charged with oyster violations
On December 3, at 9:30 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Patrick Barlet Murphy, 48, and Glenn Marshall Foster, 27, both from Tilghman, with catching oysters on a sanctuary and possession of unculled and undersize oysters.
An NRP Officer, aboard the patrol boat Worcester spotted the commercial fishing vessel, the Azelyn Leslie, dredging for oysters in the marked Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary at 8:30 a.m. The sanctuary is located about six miles north of Crisfield in Tangier Sound. Strong winds of 20 knots and three to four-foot seas prevented the NRP Officers from boarding the suspected poachers on the oyster bar; the Azelyn Leslie was escorted to Deal Island for safe boarding and inspection.
Upon inspection, officers found 15.5 bushels of oysters on the vessel; 10 percent were found to be unculled and undersize. The oysters were seized and returned to the oyster sanctuary.
A court date of February 17 at 1:30 p.m. has been in the District Court of Maryland in Somerset County.
11.29.10
Police Blotter
Waterman charged with 35 counts of rockfish violations
On November 24, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Jerome William Janda Jr., 55, of Tilghman, Md., with multiple rockfish violations after an investigation relating to illegal fishing activities in the Tilghman area.
On November 10, at 2:35 a.m., NRP officers observed Janda Jr. and his fishing vessel exit Knapp's Narrows without using his navigational lights and proceed to a pound net located on the south side of Poplar Island in Talbot County. The officers observed the occupants of the vessel fish the pound net and then dock at Lowes Wharf. At 4 a.m., the officers confronted Janda Jr and the two other occupants on the vessel—Jerome William Janda 3rd, 28, of Tilghman and Burton Robert Curtis, 25, of unknown address. The officers found the individuals loading untagged striped bass onto a truck. The officers seized the 2,731 pounds of untagged rockfish.
Using information on Janda Jr.'s allocation card, officers initially believed that Janda now was 1,784 pounds over his seasonal allocation limit. However, subsequent investigation into a seafood dealer's records indicated that Janda Jr. was illegally checking in striped bass caught using a pound net as fish caught by a commercial hook and line fisherman. This meant that Janda Jr would have reached his own limit on October 6, had the catch been checked in properly. Instead, according to the NRP's calculations, he now had exceeded his quota by 7,568 pounds, or about 2,273 fish.
Commercial fisherman are allowed to catch striped bass by using three gear types: 1. hook and line, 2. drift gill nets, and 3. pound nets. In addition, each gear type has specific catch limits during specific periods of the year. Also, a striped-bass pound net license and a striped-bass drift gill net license may not be held by the same person simultaneously. All commercially taken striped bass must be tagged and checked into a designated check-in station. (Janda Jr had a pound-net license that had a 3,760 pound quota.) The 2010 pound net and hook and line season runs from June 1 to November 30. The last segment of drift gill-net season runs December 1 through December 31.
Jerome Janda Jr was charged with 21 counts of using striped-bass allocation permits assigned to another person, 19 counts of using striped-bass tags assigned to another person, 14 counts of exceeding the seasonal allocation limit of striped bass, one count of possessing striped bass greater than 36 inches commercial size, one count of possessing an undersize flounder, one count of possessing an untagged striped bass, and one count of operating a vessel at night without proper navigational lights.
Jerome Janda 3rd was charged with one count of aiding and abetting exceeding the seasonal allocation limit of striped bass and one count of possession of untagged striped bass.
A court date has been set for February 17 in the District Court of Maryland in Talbot County. The maximum penalty for each count is $1,000, plus $1,500 per each striped bass. The investigation is on-going and additional charges may follow.
11.23.10
Bay News: Oyster strike update
Watermen return to work
Eastern Shore watermen have called off their three-day strike in protest of falling oyster prices. Most of the striking watermen—predominantly from the Eastern Shore of Maryland counties of Talbot, Somerset and Dorchester—were back on the water late last week, having decided that settling for less money was preferable to earning no money at all.
In mid-November, oyster prices dropped from $45 a bushel to $35 a bushel, with a threat of even lower prices to come. Historically,oyster prices have remained fairly high until after the peak demand period is over—generally after the first of January. This year, oysters from North and South Carolina as well as the Gulf of Mexico are flooding the market, buyers say, driving the price down. Maryland watermen have also been hampered by new state restrictions that have put several major oyster beds off limits in an effort to bolster the Bay oyster population.
11.20.10
Police Blotter
Illegal sea bass seized by Maryland NRP
On November 6, the following individuals were cited by the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) for possessing under-size sea bass. Each citation carries a maximum penalty of $500.
1.Donzell Henry Marshall, 50, of Capital Heights, Md.
2.Michael L. Little, 43, of Clinton, Md.
3.Larry Horace Fulton, 53, of Baltimore, Md.
4.Desiree Antoinette, 47, of Lewes, Del.
5.Elvin Philip, 37, of Frederick, Md.
6.Lijia Yu, 56, of Rockville, Md.
7.Yang Chang, 40, of Baltimore, Md.
One hundred and fifty five sea bass were seized and donated to Diakonia, a crisis shelter in West Ocean City, Md.
The season for black sea bass in Maryland opened on November 1 and will close on December 31. Sea bass must be at least 12.5 inches long measured from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, excluding the filament. A person may possess a maximum of 25 sea bass per day.
11.19.10
Bay News
Fire destroys VIMS Eastern Shore facility
An early morning fire tore through the main research building of the Virginia Institute of Marine Research's Eastern Shore Laboratory on Friday, destroying nearly all of the building's contents. The fire at the College of William and Mary's Seaford Hall in Wachapeague, Va., was reported at about 5 a.m. on Friday, November 19; firefighters arrived on the scene within moments. The cause of the fire is under investigation. No one was in the building at the time of the fire.
The 2,368-foot Seaside Hall contained a small library, classroom space, offices and laboratories. All of the building's lab equipment and materials, including a shellfish collection and specimens of fish and invertebrates dating to the 1960s were lost, according to Mark Luckenbach, the lab's director. The computer data survives, however, since it was regularly backed up to servers located in other buildings.
Also destroyed were the materials and equipment belonging to two state biologists for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Division of Natural Heritage, who were leasing space in Seaside.
More Bay News
Maryland's Eastern Shore watermen strike to protest dropping oyster prices
Finding themselves caught between a rock and a hard place, dozens of watermen on Maryland's Eastern Shore have decided to go out on strike to protest a significant drop in prices they are being offered for their oyster catch. Arguing that demand for the tasty Bay bivalves should remain high through New Year's Eve, watermen say they are baffled by a sudden drop from last week's $42 per bushel to this week's $35. So up to 85 percent of watermen in some Eastern Shore counties have decided to stay in port this week in an effort to negotiate higher prices.
Adding to the watermen's frustration is that the state of Maryland recently put much of its remaining oyster fields off limits in order to try to rebuild the state's dramatically reduced oyster population. This keeps the harvest numbers lower and increases the importance of that per-bushel price.
But that's not all. Maryland watermen are also competing with markets elsewhere in the east, including North Carolina—where oysters are plentiful and the price low (currently $20 per bushel)—South Carolina and the Gulf of Mexico—where oysters are once again flooding the market in the wake of this summer's massive oil spill.
11.17.10
Bay News
Mallows Bay Update
Work on the new 50-foot boarding pier, concrete boat launch, access roads, and parking area at Mallows Bay Park on the Potomac River is now •complete. The $397,000 project was finished this fall and dedicated in late September. The new facility puts boaters onto the Potomac near Nanjemoy Bay in Charles County, Md., right near good fishing and right in the middle of the Mallows Bay Ghost Fleet. This is the final resting place for 169 World War I cargo vessels, the largest ship graveyard in the Western Hemisphere.
11.9.10
Search and Rescue
Overdue boater located in Tangier Harbor
Rescuers located a man reported to be overdue from Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, Md., on Monday, November 8. Located was Albert Casale, 56, of Millsboro, Del.
Casale's wife contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 4:15 p.m. Sunday, reporting that her husband, who had planned to go out rock fishing Saturday aboard Nemo, his 30-foot sailboat, did not return as expected.
Sector Baltimore watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast, conducted call-outs on channel 16 and contacted local marinas in an attempt to locate Casale. After contacting Somers Cove Marina, watchstanders learned that Casale's vessel was not in its slip and that his vehicle was still in the marina parking lot.
At 7:20 p.m. Coast Guard 5th District watchstanders in Portsmouth, Va., coordinated with Casale's cell phone carrier to establish a position based on the last call made to Casale's cell phone. The position was determined to be west of Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay.
A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station Crisfield along with an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., as well as the Coast Guard Cutter Albacore, based in Virginia Beach, Va., began searching the area Sunday evening.
At 9:30 a.m. a Virginia Marine Resources Commission officer contacted Station Crisfield watchstanders to report that he found a vessel in the Tangier Harbor matching the description of Casale's sailboat.
A Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City and an RB-S from Station Crisfield were then diverted to Tangier Harbor. The Coast Guard arrived on scene, established contact with Casale and found him not be in distress. Casale reported that he had lost cell phone reception and was unaware that the Coast Guard was looking for him.
11.7.10
Search and Rescue
Agencies search for missing boater on Patuxent River
Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) and other first responders search for missing boater, Timothy Dale Bourne, age 50 from Port Republic, Md., in the Patuxent River near Broomes Island. Bourne was a passenger in a fishing vessel that sank after it experienced engine trouble.
At 6:30 pm on Saturday, November 6, Thomas Eric Johnson, age 46 from Hollywood, Md., was returning from fishing in his 20-foot Wellcraft when the vessel experienced engine trouble. Johnson anchored the vessel and called a nearby marina for assistance. While Johnson and the other two occupants, Julius Lamond Camp, age 37 from Leonardtown, and Bourne waited for assistance, the vessel took a large wave over the stern causing it to sink.
All three occupants put on life jackets and jumped into the water. A jet skier, who heard the victim's call for help responded to their location. The skier was able to relay Johnson and Camp to shore. The jet skier could not locate Bourne, who was separated from the others due to the strong current in the river. Johnson and Camp were transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital for hyperthermia.
Officers from the Natural Resources Police, Coast Guard, and members from St. Leonard VFD, Prince Frederick VFD, Solomon's VFD, and Benedict VFD searched the area by vessel. The Maryland State Police aviation personnel searched the area by air. The search continued until midnight. The search resumed Sunday morning, with the addition of NRP's Underwater Operation Unit using side scan sonar.
NRP Special Operation Division is continuing the investigation into the cause of the accident.
Update: Missing boater's body recovered
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) said Sunday evening, November 7, that the body of missing boater Timothy Dale Bourne, age 50 of Port Republic, Md., was recovered at 1:30 p.m. on November 7, approximately 120 yards south from where the vessel had sunk in the Patuxent River.
Recovery was made by members of the Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department and the Calvert County Dive team. Bourne's body was sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy.
11.6.10
Maryland NRP rescues five near Breezy Point
NRP responded to a water rescue that occurred at 11:15 a.m. Saturday, November 6, in Chesapeake Bay, one mile south of Breezy Point. During this rescue, the vessel was taking on water and had five people on board. Units from NRP and Prince Frederick VFD were able to transport all five occupants off the vessel, which was eventually towed back to shore.
11.2.10
Bay News
Super sailing Saturday
Boating programs on television are few and far between, which makes this Saturday a red-letter day for enthusiasts. Look for three sailing programs this Saturday, November 6, on ESPN Classic. This synopsis comes from the National Sailing Hall of Fame in Annapolis.
Saturday, November 6
11 a.m.
Thomson Reuters Presents: Man Against Nature: Long Distance Racing
Gary Jobson presents an in-depth look at the challenges and rigors of racing sailboats in long distance competitions. Join the crews of several boats as they race to Bermuda, across the Atlantic Ocean, on the Great Lakes and even around the world. A special focus is on the roughest ocean races on record including the 1979 Fastnet Race and the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race.
Noon
Rolex Presents: 2009 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup
In 2009 the New York Yacht Club hosted the inaugural Invitational Cup. Nineteen amateur crews from 14 counties competed in a series of races in identically matched 42 foot yachts. The onboard footage of these teams in action shows amateur racing at its best.
1 p.m.
Rolex Presents: America's Cup 12 Metre Era Retrospective
Last September, 350 sailors who competed for the America's Cup in the 12 Metre Class between 1958 and 1987 gathered in Newport, Rhode Island. Throughout several days these champion yachtsmen remembered the greatest moments of the America's Cup. This program features the most exciting moments of ten America's Cup matches that took place during this era. There are interviews with winning skippers Ted Turner, Dennis Conner, Ted Hood and Bill Ficker along with many of the crews. Some newly discovered rare footage will be broadcast for the first time. This program is hosted by Gary Jobson.
All three programs air on ESPN Classic.
Search and Rescue
Coast Guard untangles sea turtle near Gloucester Point, Va.
The Coast Guard untangled a sea turtle, which was caught in a fishing net, in the mouth of the York River near Gloucester Point on Sunday, October 31.
The turtle was spotted by a local boater, who had his anchor fouled in the net before noticing the turtle. The boater called the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team for information on what to do. The response team asked the boater to hold the turtle next to his boat until the team could arrive on scene.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads received a call at 4:50 p.m. from a member of the response team asking for Coast Guard assistance with the recovery. A crew aboard a 25-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven was launched to assist at 5:10 p.m. and arrived on scene at 6:15 p.m. The crew cut away enough of the net to haul the turtle aboard and then transported it to the Gloucester Point boat ramp transferring it to the response team.
The response team then took the turtle to the Virginia Aquarium for injury assessment and rehabilitation.
10.30.10
Search and Rescue
Coast Guard rescues two aground in Yeocomico River, Va.
The Coast Guard rescued two people from a disabled and aground vessel in the Yeocomico River near Kinsale, Va., on Friday, October 29.
Rescued were Timothy Sweet, 44, from Fredericksburg, Va., and Steve Schmieder, 44, from Chesapeake, Va.
Tracy Sweet contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 11:31 p.m. reporting that Sweet and Schmieder had gone out on a 27-foot sailboat and had not returned before sunset as they had planned.
A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes, Md., was diverted to investigate, along with a rescue crew from Smith Point Sea Rescue. The RB-S found the boat at 1:05 a.m., transferred the passengers onto the rescue vessel and took them to a nearby dock in Wilkins Creek, Va.
There were no reports of injuries.
10.24.10
Search and Rescue
Coast Guard medevacs man from vessel near Fishing Creek, Md.
A Coast Guard crew medevaced a man who was reportedly suffering from a laceration above his left eye near Fishing Creek in Annapolis on Sunday, October 24. Medevaced was Benjamin Reavis, 21, a student of the Merchant Marine Academy in King's Point, N.Y.
Reavis, who was aboard a 44-foot Naval Academy sailboat, was transferred to a 20-foot Navy rigid hull inflatable boat that was en route to Coast Guard Station Annapolis when the boat began having engine trouble. Rick Dominique, the off-shore sailing coach for the Merchant Marine Academy, then contacted Station Annapolis via marine-band radio at 1:57 p.m.
A 25-foot response boat from Station Annapolis was dispatched. The Coast Guard rescue crew transferred Reavis onto their boat and took him to Station Annapolis, where he was met by awaiting EMS. Reavis was then transported to Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.
10.20.10
Bay News
Coast Guard and local agencies respond to diesel spill in Newport News, Va.
Coast Guard and local agencies are responding to a report of an oil spill at the small boat harbor at Newport News Creek on Tuesday, October 19.
Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads received a report of the oil spill at 6 a.m. and sent pollution investigators to assess the spill. Newport News Fire and Hazardous Materials crews were first on the scene and closed the harbor to place a containment boom around the spill.
Coast Guard pollution investigators initially reported the spill to be approximately 25 gallons of diesel fuel. The source is unknown.
10.19.10
Police Blotter
Judge upholds DNR's suspension of convicted poachers
John Franklin Riggs, 43 and William Howard Beck, 43, both of Rock Hall, Md., will be prohibited from engaging in any commercial fishing activities for at least two commercial oyster seasons in the State of Maryland, after Administrative Law Judge Neile Friedman upheld the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposed suspensions of the men's commercial fishing licenses.
During the 2009-2010 oyster season, both Riggs and Beck were convicted for possessing oysters at night and violating commercial striped bass regulations. Beck was also convicted for using a power dredge to harvest oysters in a prohibited area. Both men have numerous fisheries violations going back decades.
In the decisions in these cases, Friedman highlighted the challenges of enforcing natural resources at night, and concluded that "the Department of Natural Resources is committed to pursuing convictions against poachers because poaching has contributed to the significant decline in the oyster population. The Department is working hard to restore the oyster population, but its efforts will be thwarted without cooperation of the commercial waterman."
These suspensions come on the heels of both the opening of the 2010 oyster season and implementation of Governor Martin O'Malley's Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan. The plan increases Maryland's network of oyster sanctuaries, expands the leasing opportunities for oyster aquaculture.
Included in the program is increased enforcement. DNR has suspended or revoked eight commercial fishing licenses this year for oyster violations. DNR's enforcement efforts are being aided by a network of radar and camera units in sensitive areas that are prone to poaching, which went online this month.
10.17.10
Search and Rescue
Boy dies as a result of boat collision
A number of agencies responded to a collision in the vicinity of the James River Bridge on Sunday morning, October 17. At 9:53 a.m. Coast Guard Sector Hampton Road watchstanders received word over channel 16 VHF-FM that a Sea Tow vessel with one person aboard and a 19-foot boat with two people aboard, a man and a 13-year-old boy, had collided.
A Coast Guard rescue boat crew from Station Portsmouth, a Coast Guard rescue helicopter aircrew from Air Station Elizabeth City, and Coast Guard Port Security Units responded to the incident alongside a Newport News Fire Department boat crew, a Virginia Marine Resources Commission boat crew and a good Samaritan.
Newport News Fire department arrived on the scene first, brought the injured aboard and took them to Huntington Park in Newport News where they were transported to Riverside Regional Medical Center by Emergency Medical Service crews. The 13-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the hospital. His name is being withheld until his next of kin are notified.
10.18.10
Update
The teenager who was killed as a result of the collision above has been identified as Lance Brewer of Newport News. The two men had minor injuries.
10.16.10
Search and Rescue
Coast Guard assists four near Smith Point, Md.
The Coast Guard assisted four people from a vessel disabled and beset by weather in the Potomac River near Smith Point, Md., on Friday, October 15.
Rescued were Pete Hoeltje, 38, from Manahawkin, N.J., Mike Carrey, 22, from Manahawkin, N.J., Mike Dunlap, 38, from Chestertown Md., and Paul Snieckus, 20, from Marlton, N.J.
Hoeltje contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders via marine-band radio at 1:51 a.m., reporting that his 28-foot sailboat was disabled and beset by weather.
A 41-foot Utility Boat crew from Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes, Md., arrived on the scene at 2:31 a.m., and transferred the passengers onto their vessel. The passengers were then taken to Station St. Inigoes. The mariners were later transported to Annapolis by Coast Guard personnel.
"We were operating on a handheld radio at that point," said Hoeltje. "We figured the only people that were going to hear us was the Coast Guard. It's nice having the peace of mind to know that you guys are there in any given situation."
There were no reports of injuries.
10.15.10
Bay News
Crew awarded US Sailing Hanson Medals for Chesapeake Bay rescue
Crew members on a CS 40 who rescued five people from Chesapeake Bay, were recently awarded Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medals by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee.
On the night of July 17, Larry Vazzano (Mt. Airy, Md.) and his crew of three on the CS 40 Wharf Rat were powering home to Pasadena, Md., from the Solomons Island Invitational Regatta. Soon after passing under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at 11 p.m., the crew heard screams for help and spotted a waving navigation light. Vazzano quickly reduced speed and cautiously drove toward the light, where the crew found two men and a 12-year-old boy clinging to a capsized boat.
Vazzano called in a Mayday, threw the CS 40's lifesling, and circled around the overturned 14-foot powerboat. The two men grabbed the line and were pulled to the boat, where they came aboard by climbing the stern boarding ladder. Wharf Rat then retrieved the boy from the boat with a throw rope. He was the only one of the group wearing a life jacket.
The incident was caused when a wave capsized the group's boat. The crew learned that others were still in the water, and they spotted a woman and a man clinging to a cooler. A rescue helicopter arrived as a police boat from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources picked up the remaining two in the water and the three others on Wharf Rat.
After three hours in the water, the five were treated for mild hypothermia and shock.
Search and Rescue
Coast Guard and local agencies recover remains of missing Coast Guardsman
Coast Guard and local authorities have recovered the remains of the missing Coast Guardsman who fell in the water during a training mission.
Crews recovered the body in vicinity of the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel in Hampton, Va., at about 4:15 p.m. Thursday, October 14.
The service member went missing at approximately 9:15 p.m. Wednesday night during a training exercise with the Coast Guard Cutter Frank Drew.
Coast Guard and Navy boat and air crews, a Coast Guard Dive unit, Navy EOD and local police and fire departments searched throughout the night and day for the missing service member.
"It is a difficult task to conduct any search and rescue operation, even more so, when it is one of your own that needs help," said Captain Mark Ogle, Commander, Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads.
The name of the Coast Guardsman is being withheld until the family is notified.
10.16.10 Update:
Coast Guard identifies deceased Coast Guardsman
The Coast Guard has identified the Coast Guardsman who died after falling into the James River near Newport News during a training exercise Wednesday.
Deceased is Petty Officer 3rd Class Shaun Lin, 23, of New York. Lin, a Maritime Enforcement Specialist, has served the Coast Guard for approximately three years.
At approximately 9:15 p.m., Wednesday, October 13, Lin, a member of the Maritime Safety and Security Team New York fell from a ladder into the James River while attempting to transfer from a Maritime Safety and Security Team 25-foot small boat to the Coast Guard Cutter Frank Drew during a training exercise in the vicinity of the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel near Newport News.
The crew aboard the small boat attempted a recovery but lost sight of the overboard crewmember.
10.12.10
Bay News
Body of Rock Hall waterman recovered
The Maryland Natural Resources Police have recovered the body of a missing commercial waterman who failed to return from trot lining for crabs in the Chester River near Ringold's Point.
A friend found Lewis Herbert Cain Sr., 64, of Rock Hall, was found deceased and alone in his vessel—which was aground with the motor still running—near Ringold's Point at 7:30 p.m. on October 11. Cain had a history of medical problems and no foul play is suspected in his death.
Cain's body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.
10.8.10
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard and local officials respond to oil spill in Elizabeth River
The Coast Guard received a report of an oil spill on the south branch of the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth on Tuesday, October 5, at approximately 10:30 a.m.
A state agency conducting an inspection of the Sea Solutions' ship dismantling facility directed the operator to contact the Coast Guard after discovering the spill.
Coast Guard pollution investigators were sent to respond, and the owner hired Coastal Services for the clean-up.
On Tuesday evening the Coast Guard assumed control of the response from Sea Solutions and retained Coastal Services. The source of the leak has been located and secured. More than 1,000 gallons of oil has been removed from the water and the vessel. An undetermined amount of oily waste and debris remains aboard the vessel.
Sea Solutions was cutting up a container ship for the steel and pumping the oil toward the stern when oil leaked from the remaining piece of the ship into the cove at the facility.
The entire cove is boomed off with containment and absorbent boom. The discharge has been contained to the facility and has not affected vessel traffic.
Coastal Services is using vacuum trucks to recover the oil.
10.5.10
Search & Rescue
Barge taking on water near Lynnhaven Inlet
The Coast Guard received a report of a barge taking on water in the vicinity of Cape Henry on Monday, October 4, at about 5 p.m.
Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders received the report from the captain of the tugboat Lucinda Smith, who said that the 220-foot freight deck barge Dick Z, which they were towing, had begun taking on water. In an attempt to control the flooding, the crew of the Lucinda Smith turned the barge around to tow it from the stern and diverted to Hampton Roads to make repairs. Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads remained in contact with the tugboat crew throughout the night.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, the tug and barge were about 1.5 miles northeast of the Lynnhaven Inlet. There were no people or materials reported on the barge. Coast Guard marine investigators have noted damage to the barge and reported that the bow was underwater. Commercial salvage was conducting their survey to determine best course of action.
The Coast Guard, meanwhile, was making Safety Marine Information Broadcasts to notify nearby boating traffic of the situation.
There was no report of pollution. The cause of the flooding was unknown.
10.1.10
Search & Rescue
Coast Guard rescues two in Patapsco River
The Coast Guard rescued two people from a vessel taking on water in the Patapsco River near Fort Smallwood State Park, Md., on Friday, October 1.
Rescued was Thomas H. Tolson, Sr., 49, from Severn, Md., and John L. Sullivan, Jr., 60, from Columbia, Md.
Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders received a distress call by cell phone at 2:11 p.m., reporting that the vessel Wood Duck, a 38-foot fishing vessel, had struck an object and was taking on water. A 41-foot Utility Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay, Md., a Maryland Natural Resources Police boatcrew, an Anne Arundel fire boatcrew, and two Maryland State Police helicopters were dispatched.
The Coast Guard crew arrived on the scene at 2:28 p.m. and began dewatering the vessel. The crew placed the vessel in tow and transferred Tolson and Sullivan to the Coast Guard vessel where they were then taken to Station Curtis Bay.
"When we got on scene, the water was up to the mariners' knees," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Busby, a coxswain at Station Curtis Bay. "Once the vessel became unsafe, we were forced to remove our crew from the boat. About 30 seconds later, water started to come over the side and the boat began to capsize. At that point, we had to remove the lines. In the end, the mariners were glad that we were able to get them back to shore safely."
The Coast Guard urges mariners to use extreme caution when navigating waterways following heavy storms. Storms have the potential to increase the amount of debris both on and beneath the water's surface.
There were no reports of injuries.
9.30.10
Police Blotter
Edgewater sailor arrested
FROM THE MARYLAND NATURAL RESOURCES POLICE: On September 27 the NRP charged David Anthony Neff of Edgewater, Md., with reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, hindering and obstructing a police officer, failing to comply with a lawful order, operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol and attempting to elude a police officer.
NRP received a call about an overturned sailboat with a person clinging to the side of the boat in the South River at 4:15 p.m. NRP, Coast Guard and Anne Arundel County Fire Boat responded to the scene to locate and assist the overturned boat. Once on the scene, the responding units found Neff on his 25-foot sailboat, righted and underway. Neff became belligerent and appeared intoxicated as rescue units attempted to check on his welfare and condition. He tried to ram the Anne Arundel County Fire Boat three times with his sailboat and ignored repeated calls and orders by NRP and Coast Guard officers to stop his vessel.
Neff continued to flee and evade officers by refusing to drop his sails, while maneuvering his boat back and forth to prevent boarding. Eventually, NRP officers forcibly boarded the boat while it was under way. Neff struggled with NRP officers and resisted arrest. After he was subdued, hewas taken ashore, where he failed sobriety field tests and an alcohol breath test. His trial date is scheduled for December 17 in Maryland District Court in Annapolis.
9.19.10
Search & Rescue
Woman in C&D; found alive
A woman who reportedly jumped into the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal from a boat was found alive on shore by a Chesapeake City Fire Department boat crew on Saturday, September 19.
FROM THE U.S. COAST GUARD: Rescued was Corri McNeil, 50, of Downingtown, Pa. McNeil was on a 40-foot yacht with her boyfriend in the C&D; Canal approximately a mile and a half west of the Chesapeake City Bridge in Chesapeake City, Md., when she reportedly jumped into the water around 8:20 p.m.
A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station Stillpond, Md., along with a Chesapeake City Fire Department boat crew, a Cecil County Fire Department boat crew, two Maryland Natural Resources Police boat crews, a Maryland State Police helicopter and a 65-foot Dolphin helicopter rescue crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., responded. Crews arrived at approximately 8:45 p.m., and began searching for McNeil.
A Chesapeake City Fire Department boat crew found McNeil alive on shore about three-quarters of a mile west of the Chesapeake City Bridge at 11:17 p.m. She was transferred into the boat. McNeil was be taken to Union Hospital in Chesapeake City and treated for hypothermia.
9.15.10
Update on Save the Stack
We reported a couple months ago on efforts on behalf of Reedville, Virginia residents and beyond to save their crumbling icon, a 130 foot tall stack built circa 1902 as part of a menhaden processing operation. The Stack has served as a navigational landmark for working watermen and boaters and a welcoming beacon to the historic town of Reedville.
Woodstack, this year's fund-raising music event was a huge success and netted $23,000. Work commenced immediately, as bricks were falling at an alarming rate. Scaffolding is now in place.
The project still has not raised all the money it needs to complete the project, so any donations are still being gratefully accepted.
For more information on The Stack and how to contribute go to http://savethestack.blogspot.com/
Here is the National Hurricane Center's site for predicted storm surge fromHurricane Earl. Use it to zoom in on the Chesapeake Bay and to set storm surge levels for predictions.
Watches, Warnings and Advisories currently active for the Chesapeake Bay:
Hurricane Warning: Bogue Inlet, N.C. to the North Carolina/Virginia border.
Hurricane Watch: North from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Cape Henlopen, Del.
Tropical Storm Warning: North of the North Carolina/Virginia border to Sandy Hook, N.J., including the Chesapeake Bay south of New Point Comfort.
Coastal Flood Advisory until 6 p.m. Thursday for the Maryland Chesapeake and Tidal Potomac.
Coastal Flood Watch after 6 p.m. Thursday for the Maryland Chesapeake and Tidal Potomac.
Here is the Coastal Flood statement from the National Weather Service:
Southerly winds Thursday afternoon and lowering pressure in
association with the nearing of Hurricane Earl will create
positive tidal anomalies of around 1 foot across the tidal
Potomac River and Maryland Chesapeake Bay. This will lead to minor
coastal flooding across traditionally flood sensitive areas around
the periods of high tides today.
Later Thursday and into the overnight hours, as Hurricane Earl
reaches is closest point to the waters off the Delmarva
Peninsula tidal anomalies may increase further for the waters of
the tidal Potomac River and Maryland Chesapeake Bay, potentially
1 to 3 feet above normal. The speed and proximity to land of
Hurricane Earl will be key in how high water levels get. There is
the possibility of minor to moderate tidal flooding tonight across
portions of the Maryland Chesapeake Bay and tidal Potomac River.
9.1.10
Hurricane Watch for coastal Virginia and mouth of the Bay
A Hurricane Watch has been posted for all of coastal Virginia and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, including Portsmouth, Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
8.31.10
Coast Guard sets port condition Whiskey for Hampton Roads
The Coast Guard Captain of the Port has set port condition Whiskey for Hampton Roads in preparation of Hurricane Earl. Port condition Whiskey is set when hurricane force winds are expected within 72 hours.
During the next 24 hours the Coast Guard will identify and track all vessels in port, establish contact with emergency management agencies at the local, state and federal levels, and work closely with port and industry officials to minimize damage in the event the storm impacts Hampton Roads.
The Coast Guard requests that the public listen to weather information available from other sources and not call the Coast Guard for weather information.
For additional information on the storm, visit the National Hurricane Center website http://www.nhc.noaa.gov.
8.25.10
Chesapeake City's boat basin reopens
After being closed for much of the summer for dredging operations, the popular boat basin in Chesapeake City on the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal is open again. Depths of at least 10 feet have been reported throughout.
8.17.10
Coast Guard rescues 2 men near Hog Island, Va.
The Coast Guard rescued two men from a sailboat on Monday morning, August 16, after they had run aground near Hog Island, Va.
The Coast Guard received a call at 8 p.m. Sunday from a crewmember aboard the sailing vessel Poco Plus Five reporting that the vessel was aground and taking on water.
A Coast Guard Station Wachapreague rescue boat crew responded and arrived on the scene within half an hour. The rescue boat crew could not get within a quarter mile of the sailing vessel because of surf conditions.
An HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., arrived and lowered a rescue swimmer who assisted in hoisting the two men. The men were then transported to Accomack County Airport, Va.
There were no reports of injuries.
8.15.10
(Please note the two updates following this story)
Man missing after boat strikes Elk River buoy
Here are two reports on this ongoing incident in the Elk River. The first one is from the U.S. Coast Guard:
Coast Guard and local agencies are searching for a man missing after a vessel with two passengers collided with a buoy in the Elk River near Elk Neck State Park, Md., Saturday night.
Coast Guard, local agencies search for missing man in the upper Chesapeake Bay
Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders received a call at 9:43 p.m., reporting that a pleasure craft had struck buoy "19" and was taking on water with one person unaccounted for and another onboard with injuries.
Rescue boatcrews from Coast Guard Stations Stillpond, Md., Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay, Md., Cecil County and Maryland Natural Resources Police along with helicopter crews from Maryland State Police and Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., responded to the incident.
The injured man was met by rescue personnel from Cecil County and then medevaced to Baltimore Shock Trauma by Trooper 1 of the Maryland State Police.
A rescue boatcrew from Station Curtis Bay will continue searching throughout the night.
The cause of accident is currently under investigation.
And here is the report from the Maryland Natural Resources Police:
On August 14, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Natural Resource Police responded to a vessel that had struck a buoy in the Elk River.
Eric Pryor of Northeast was flown to R. Adam Cowley Shock Trauma in Baltimore with non-life threatening injuries. The operator of the vessel, Deforrest Wayne Timlin, 49, of Rising Sun, Md., is still missing. The search for Timiln is continuing in the Elk River by Natural Resource Police with side scan sonar and surface searches.
The area was searched on Saturday night by Natural Resource Police, U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland State Police units. Aerial and shoreline searches were conducted.
Timlin was operating a 28-foot Power Quest boat and was traveling from the Chesapeake Inn when the vessel struck green buoy "19" in the Elk River. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in this accident.
2 p.m. update:
Search suspended
The Coast Guard suspended its search Sunday, for a man missing in the Elk River near Elk Neck Creek Park, Md., following a boat allision with a buoy Saturday. Coast Guard crews searched for a total of nine hours in 15 square nautical miles.
Rescue boatcrews from Coast Guard Stations Stillpond, Md., Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay, Md., Cecil County and Maryland Natural Resources Police along with helicopter crews from Maryland State Police and Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., began searching the area after the initial call at 9:43 p.m. The search was suspended at 9:51 a.m., Sunday pending further developments.
Update August 17:
Body recovered from Elk River boating accident
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) recovered the body of Deforrest Wayne Timlin, age 49 from Rising Sun, Md., at 8:23 pm, Monday, August 16 from the waters of the Elk River off Old Field Point, near Elkton.
Timlin drove a 28-foot powerboat into a buoy on August 14 at 8:30 p.m. as he was traveling from Chesapeake Inn to Button Wood Beach on the Elk River. Timlin was thrown from the boat during the impact. EMTs transported the boat's passenger Eric Pryor, of Northeast, Md., to Shock Trauma with non-life threatening injuries.
NRP has been searching for Timlin since the accident at Elk River buoy "19". Officers found the body 500 yards north of the accident site.
Timlin is the eleventh boating accident victim this year. Alcohol is suspected to be a contributing factor in this accident.
8.11.10
Coast Guard statement on NTSB recommendation on the use of electronic devices on Coast Guard and other vessels
The U.S. Coast Guard was reviewing a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation Wednesday that the service develop policies on the use of cellular phones on Coast Guard vessels as well as issue a safety advisory to the marine industry on the possible dangers of crewmember use of electronic communications devices such as cell phones, smart phones and personal data assistants.
The Coast Guard issued guidance July 16 to its personnel prohibiting the use of these devices by operators of Coast Guard boats and also restricted their use by other crewmembers.
"While cell phones and texting devices have become ubiquitous in everyday life, the internal Coast Guard policy issued in July prohibits their use on Coast Guard boats without the permission of the coxswain," said Lt. Cmdr. Chris O'Neil, a Coast Guard spokesman. "The policy also strictly prohibits the use of these devices by the coxswain, or the operator, of a Coast Guard boat."
Cell phones and texting devices may be useful communication tools if boats lose a marine radio signal or as alternate means of communication to a marine radio.
The Coast Guard takes the NTSB recommendations seriously and will provide a response to the letter upon a thorough review.
The NTSB recommendation comes amid investigations into two collisions involving Coast Guard boats, but does not draw any conclusions that the use of electronic devices was a cause of those accidents. NTSB and Coast Guard investigations into those two accidents are ongoing.
8.8.9.10
Boating death under investigation
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are investigating the death of Tyrone Pettiford, 52, of Chaptico, Md., who died in the early morning hours of Monday, August 9.
Pettiford disappeared in the dark near Mill Point after fishing with a friend on Sunday, August 8. After Pettiford and his friend ran their boat aground about 50 yards from shore, Pettiford attempted to swim to shore. Pettiford's friend saw him disappear under the water not far from the boat and called 911. The U.S. Coast Guard and Charles County dive team assisted NRP with the search and recovery of Pettiford's body.
No foul play is suspected, but the cause of the accident is under investigation by NRP. Pettiford's body will be sent to the medical examiner's office in Baltimore for an autopsy.
8.4.10
Menhaden spill leaves Buckroe Beach up to its neck in dead fish
Approximately 20,000 dead fish have washed up on Buckroe Beach, Va., ostensibly as the result of a spill from the nets of a commercial trawler harvesting menhaden for Omega Protein out of Reedville, Va.
Omega Protein, the Texas-based company that operates a plant in Reedville, has accepted responsibility and is cleaning up the spill, a job expected to be completed on Wednesday, August 4.
According to Bill Landry, a spokesman for Omega, the spill occurred Monday, August 2, off of Grandview Nature Preserve, just north of Buckroe. The dead fish sank after spilling from the nets of the Omega vessel Kimberly, Landry said, and then, a few days later, rose to the surface and washed ashore. "The captain indicated that he felt a tug or net tear while he was pumping the fish," he said.
John Bull, spokesman for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, said the fish spill does not pose any environmental threat.
The spill is under investigation by Omega.
8.4.10
Recreational boating statistics 2009 report shows slight rise in deaths
The U.S. Coast Guard's Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety released its Recreational Boating Statistics 2009 report August 3, revealing a 3.81-percent increase in boating accident deaths and a 0.81-percent increase in related injuries, even though the number of boating accidents decreased 1.23 percent. The Coast Guard recorded 736 deaths, 3,358 injuries and approximately $36 million in property damage, stemming from 4,730 recreational boating accidents in 2009.
The fatality rate, a measure of the number of deaths against the number of registered recreational boats, increased from 5.6 in 2008 to 5.8 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational boats in 2009.
Operator inattention, operator inexperience, excessive speed, improper lookout and alcohol consumption ranked as the top five contributing factors to recreational boating accidents. Alcohol consumption continued to be of major concern in fatal boating accidents and was listed as the leading contributing factor in 16 percent of deaths. Eighty six percent of boating accident deaths occurred on boats where the operator reportedly had not received boating safety instruction.
"The data in the 2009 publication echoes the message that life jacket wear is critical," said Rear Adm. Kevin Cook, the Coast Guard's Director of Prevention Policy. "Nearly 75 percent of the 736 people who died in boating accidents in 2009 drowned, and 84 percent of those victims reportedly were not wearing a life jacket. The two most important things boaters can do to prevent the loss of life is to wear a life jacket and take a boater education course."
To see the Recreational Boating Statistics 2009 report, visit: http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_statistics.aspx.
For more information on boating responsibly, go to http://www.uscgboating.org/.
8.2.10
Emergency closing for Dividing Creek on the Magothy River
The Anne Arundel County Department of Health has ordered an emergency closing and warns against swimming, jet skiing and other direct water contact at Dividing Creek in Arnold due to a wastewater overflow of 14,800 gallons. The overflow occurred on the afternoon of August 1 and was caused by a force main break in the 700 block of Dividing Creek Road in Arnold. Signs have been posted along the waterway. The Department warns people coming in contact with the affected water to wash well with soap and warm, clean water immediately. Clothing should also be washed. The creek will remain closed until further notice from the Department of Health.
8.2.10
All Anne Arundel County beaches under new swim/contact advisory
The Health Department has also issued a 48-hour advisory against any swimming or contact with water at all Anne Arundel County beaches. Recent rains may have made the water unsafe and the advisory is in effect until lab test results show levels have returned to safe levels.
Check this site for the latest updates: http://www.aahealth.org/wqadvisories.asp#advisory
7.28.10
Update: Boating fatality blamed on electrocution
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) report that the preliminary cause of death in the July 25 jet ski accident of Warren Douglas Smith, 63 of Annapolis, was electrocution. This information was released after the preliminary autopsy of Smith was performed on July 26. The final autopsy will occur within the next month.
The boating accident occurred one-half mile south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge during Sunday's severe thunderstorm. The investigation indicated that Smith, who was riding a jet ski prior to the accident, was caught in the storm as he raced back to port. NRP investigators believe Smith was not struck directly by lightning, but was electrocuted by a nearby lightning strike. Elmer Sappington, 65 of Severn, was approximately 75 to 100 feet away from Smith on another jet ski when the incident occurred and was not harmed by the lightning.
7.26.10
Maryland DNR reports one probable storm-related boating fatality
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are investigating the death of Warren Douglas Smith, age 63 of Annapolis, which occurred during a fierce thunderstorm on Sunday evening, July 25, while he was riding a jet ski one-half mile south of the Bay Bridge in the Chesapeake Bay. Smith and a friend, Elmer Sappington, age 65 of Severn, who was riding another jet ski, encountered a storm that produced winds estimated at 60 miles per hour, waves five to six feet in height, and strong lightning. Sappington and Smith were racing back toward Sandy Point State Park as they saw the storm approaching, but were unable to reach the safety of the park. Sappington was knocked off his jet ski by the force of the storm, and when he got back onto his jet ski, he noticed Smith laying face down in the water. Sappington picked up Smith, who was unconscious, headed towards Sandy Point and flagged down a passing tug boat. The tug boat operator called NRP, and officers responded and transported Smith to Sandy Point. From there, Smith was transported to Anne Arundel Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Smith's body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy. NRP's Special Operations Division is continuing the investigation. NRP responded to eleven maritime incidents during the storm event. The following is a list of the incidents: 1) At 3:30 p.m., NRP responded to a report of a vessel taking on water with six persons on board near Battery Island in Harford County. One subject was transported to the hospital. 2) At 3:34 p.m., NRP responded to a report of a capsized vessel in Susquehanna River, under the Route 95 Bridge. 3) At 3:59 p.m., NRP responded to a report of an overturned vessel in Clements Creek off of Epping Forest. 4) At 4:04 p.m., NRP responded to a report of a windsurfer in need of assistance in the area of Quiet Waters Park. 5) At 4:10 p.m., NRP responded to a report of overturned vessels off Pirates Cove in Galesville, Anne Arundel County. 6) At 4:40 p.m., NRP responded to a report of a personal watercraft accident under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. One person died. 7) At 4:42 p.m., NRP responded to a report of damage to a vessel caused by the storm at Annapolis Landing Marina in Back Creek. 8) At 5:08 p.m., NRP responded to a report of a capsized vessel with subjects in the water near North Beach in Calvert County. 9) At 5:35 p.m., NRP responded to a report of a vessel taking on water with four people in the water at Rocky Point Park in Baltimore County. 10) At 5:50 p.m., NRP responded to a report of a capsized vessel in the Patuxent River Park in Prince Georges County. 11) At 6:54 p.m., NRP responded to a report of a capsized vessel with two persons in the water in Isle of Wight Bay, Worcester County.
7.26.10
Coast Guard responds to 37 distress calls as thunderstorms rage through Chesapeake Bay
The Coast Guard responded to 37 distress calls that resulted in more than 77 people being assisted or rescued after a severe thunderstorm developed in the Chesapeake Bay Sunday afternoon. At 3:05 p.m., the National Weather Service Radar indicated a line of severe thunderstorms capable of producing destructive winds in excess of 70 mph. A marine broadcast was issued to notify mariners to seek shelter immediately.
At approximately 3:25 p.m., Sector Baltimore watchstanders received the first call notifying them that vessels were being affected by the storm. Within minutes, multiple calls came in to the command center. Damaging wind gusts, frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes and unstable sea conditions began to create a dangerous situation for mariners.
Within a two hour period, eight Coast Guard response boatcrews from six different small boat stations, including Station Stillpond, Station Oxford, Station St. Inigoes, Station Curtis Bay, Station Annapolis and Station Washington, D.C., began responding to the distress calls. Distress cases spanned from the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal to as far south as Colonial Beach, Md., to include the Potomac River.
Some of the rescue efforts included:
-Coast Guard Station Oxford boatcrews rescued two people from a capsized kayak near Cambridge Creek, Md.
-Station Annapolis boatcrews rescued three personal water craft operators who were located clinging to a buoy near Herring Bay, Md.
-Station St. Inigoes rescued five people located in the water after their raft capsized near St. George's Island. With the use of a translator, St. Inigoes crewmembers were also able to rescue a Spanish speaking family aboard a 30-foot pleasure craft that was disabled near Colonial Beach.
"I have been working this job for more than five years, and I have never seen this happen before," said Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Stanley, a search and rescue coordinator at Sector Baltimore.
"Storms can turn a normal day out on the boat to a battle of life and death, in one case we literally had victims clinging to a buoy for life," said Chief Petty Officer Keith Moore an operations specialist at Sector Baltimore. "This is what we train for; this is why we are here. However, in an emergency as large as this was, a number of unprepared mariners can take a toll and create a very difficult situation for all responders. We could not have done this alone; we are incredibly thankful to our state and local agencies for helping us carry the burden of such a difficult mission."
The Coast Guard urges mariners to pay close attention to the weather reports and weather advisories prior to and while boating. Mariners should take appropriate action when a storm is nearing by leaving affected areas, returning to marinas and safe haven as soon as possible.
7.20.10
Zebra Mussels Now Established In Susquehanna River Below Conowingo Dam
On July 6th, a team of biologists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Monitoring and Non-tidal Assessment Division spotted several suspected zebra mussel adults for the first time in the lower Susquehanna River below the Conowingo Dam.
These recent findings indicate that a population of this non-native, invasive mussel is established in this part of the Susquehanna. The first-ever sightings of zebra mussels in Maryland occurred in the lower Susquehanna River upstream of the Conowingo in November 2008.
"Most of the specimens were the largest I've ever seen, ranging up to 38 mm (almost 1-1/2 inches) in shell length, and they were probably three to four years old," said DNR Biologist Ron Klauda.
Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have caused over five billion dollars in damages and economic losses in North America since they were introduced into the Great Lakes during the 1980s. Based on studies conducted in the Hudson River Estuary, New York, the potential impacts of zebra mussels on the freshwater to slightly brackish portions of Maryland's aquatic ecosystem could be substantial, with effects on all aspects of the food web from plankton to fish by outcompeting native species, filtering all available plankton and rapidly colonizing large areas.
"The good news is that, at least for now, the density of zebra mussels appears to be low," said DNR Natural Resource Biologist Jay Kilian.
Boaters, anglers and other recreational water users who enjoy the lower Susquehanna River can help stop the spread of harmful zebra mussels to other Maryland waters by taking these simple precautions before launching and before leaving:
(1) Remove all aquatic plants and mud from boats, motors, and trailers, and put the debris in the trash.
(2) Drain river water from boat motors, bilges, live wells, bait buckets and coolers before leaving to prevent aquatic hitchhikers from riding along.
(3) Dispose of unused live bait on shore far from the water body or in the trash.
(4) Rinse boats, motors, trailers, live wells, bait buckets, coolers and scuba gear with high pressure or hot water between trips to different water bodies.
(5) Dry everything at least two days (preferably five days) between outings.
DNR urges boaters to do their part to stop the introduction and spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species in Maryland. Citizens who find what look like zebra mussels should seal them in a zip lock bag, put the bag in the freezer, record where and when they were found and report the find to DNR at 410-260-8615.
For more information about zebra mussels and other invasive species in Maryland, call 1-877-620-8DNR or visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/invasives.
source: DNR press release
7.12.10 Coast Guard medevacs one in Rhode River A Coast Guard crew medevaced a woman who was reportedly suffering from back pains in the Rhode River, on Sunday, July 11. Rescued was Spencer Martin, 19. Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders received a call by emergency dispatch at 2:11 p.m., reporting that Martin was suffering from back pains after falling off an innertube being pulled by a pleasure craft. A 25-foot response boat (RB-S) crew from Coast Guard Station Annapolis, Md., picked up four Anne Arundel County Fire Rescue members and deployed to the scene. The Coast Guard rescue crew located Martin, transferred her onto the RB-S and took her to a marina on the Rhode River, where she was met by a Maryland State Police helicopter. Martin was then transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.
7.6.10
Update: Virginia State Police divers find body of missing boater
The Coast Guard and the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department ended their search for 25-year-old Amanda Brady after Virginia State Police divers located her body on July 6, the morning after a serious nighttime boat accident on the Rappahannock River several miles above Urbanna, Va. Nine other people were seriously injured in the accident at about 10 p.m., July 5, when the boat they were riding in hit a channel marker in the open river. According to some reports, the 22-foot Chaparral was traveling at approximately 35 mph when it hit the marker. The boat's captain—38-year-old Steve Nixon, a Richmond fire department captain—and nine other people, all family members, were seriously injured in the accident. The woman killed was identified as 25-year-old Amanda Brady, a Henrico County elementary school teacher and fiance of Nixon's brother Patrick, who was among the most seriously injured.
6.28.10
Man rescued after collision between personal watercraft, boat near Shady Side, Md.
A Coast Guard rescue boat crew recovered an injured man from West River after his personal watercraft and a power boat collided near Shady Side at about 4:45 p.m. Friday, June 25.
A good Samaritan contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders and reported the incident. He then held the man alongside his boat until a Station Annapolis boat crew arrived to recover him a few minutes later.
Anne Arundel Fire and Rescue EMTs were able to stabilize the man aboard the Coast Guard boat, and he was taken to the YMCA ball field off Rhode River where they were met by Maryland State Police's Trooper 2 helicopter. He was flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.
6.23.10
NRP investigating fatal boating accident
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is investigating the cause of a fatal boating accident that was reported Tuesday, June 22, at 8 p.m. in the Chester River, south of the Chester River Country Club, Kent County.
Stephen Leonard Cohey, age 56 of Chestertown, was reported missing after he failed to return to Kennersly Marina from fishing with his commercial pound nets. NRP, U.S. Coast Guard and Kent and Queen Anne's County Rescue Squads searched the river for Cohey. Cohey's unoccupied vessels were located near his pound net in the Chester River minutes after the search began. The search for Cohey was conducted by land, water and air. Coast Guard aviation also assisted in the search.
Cohey's body was located at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, approximately one quarter mile south of his pound net in the Chester River. The body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy. The NRP Special Operations Division is continuing an investigation to determine the cause of the fatal boat accident.
6.19.10
Coast Guard medevacs 2 divers east of Virginia Beach
A Coast Guard helicopter crew medically evacuated two men Saturday from a dive boat about 30 miles east of Virginia Beach.
The crew of the dive boat Miss Lindsey called Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders at 1 p.m., after a 65-year-old man and 19-year-old man surfaced from a dive. They reported the 65-year-old was having problems and a Coast Guard flight surgeon recommended a medevac.
An Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew arrived and lowered a rescue swimmer to check on the man. They hoisted him to the helicopter and took him to Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, due to their hyperbaric capabilities.
About half way to the hospital the dive boat crew called again, reporting that the 19-year-old had started displaying the same symptoms. The Jayhawk crew dropped off the older man at 2 p.m. and returned to the boat to medevac the other diver. They were able to pick up the younger man and return to the hospital by about 2:45 p.m.
The 65-year-old man was recently reported to be in critical condition.
This was the third diving incident in about three hours in the Coast Guard's 5th District. A 45-year-old man in North Carolina was taken to Carteret General Hospital with symptoms of decompression sickness after his dive at about 10 a.m.
6.9.10
Update: Search for missing people suspended
The Coast Guard has suspended the search for two people Thursday at 6:55 p.m. who went missing after the Duck Boat they were aboard collided with the 250-foot tug and barge Caribbean Sea on the Delaware River near Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.
Missing is Dora Schwendtner, 16, and Szablcs Prem, 20, both of Hungary.
The Coast Guard searched a total of 20 hours and 14 nautical miles.
Rescue crews from Coast Guard Station Philadelphia, Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Philadelphia, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Cleat, homeported in Philadelphia, crews from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., members of the Philadelphia Marine Police Department, New Jersey State Police, the Philadelphia Fire Department, members of the U.S. Navy, Sea Tow Philadelphia, the Camden Fire Department and the Army Corps of Engineers searched for Schwendtner and Prem.
The Coast Guard has established a 250-yard safety zone around the wreckage.
6.7.10
Coast Guard searching for two after duck boat, barge collision in Philadelphia
Crews of the Coast Guard, Philadelphia fire and police, New Jersey police and others are searching for two people after a collision between a duck boat and a barge near Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.
Ten of the passengers were taken to Hahnemann University Hospital.
At 2:39 p.m. a collision occurred between a duck boat, with 35 passengers and two crewmen, and the 250-foot tug and barge Caribbean Sea on the Delaware River in about 10 feet of water.
The Coast Guard launched boat crews from Station Philadelphia and Aids to Navigation Team Philadelphia and an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., to rescue those in distress.
The Captain of the Port of Philadelphia has closed the river to all traffic between the Walt Whitman and Ben Franklin bridges until further notice.
6.23.10
Reward offered for information on hit-and-run
Metro Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a boating accident. The family of Mark Gentile, age 56 from Mt. Jackson, Va., is offering the reward for information on the hit-and-run boating accident that severely injured Gentile on June 5.
"We are offering this reward in hopes of catching the person responsible for stealing my life away," said Gentile.
Gentile has been unable to run his business or care for a family member that has Alzheimer's since the accident. Gentile spent ten days in Maryland Shock Trauma following the accident and expects to spend at least 90 days at Envoy of Alexandria, a short- and long-term care facility in Alexandria, Va.
The accident occurred at 2:30 p.m. near the Thomas Point Light in the Chesapeake Bay when a white and champagne-colored Donzi-type speedboat ran over Gentile as he was swimming in the water near his sailboat. The speedboat was occupied by at least one balding white male and a younger-looking white female.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is investigating the incident and has enlisted the help of Metro Crime Stoppers to promote awareness of the crime and generate public response. Informant identity is kept confidential. The details that are provided by the tipster are forwarded to NRP for investigation.
To be eligible for the reward, the information must come into the Metro Crime Stoppers by: calling 866-7lockup (866-756-2587), texting "MCS" plus your message to CRIMES (274637) or on the Web at www.metrocrimestoppers.org.
6.1.10
EPA delays ethanol decision until fall
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it will not make a decision until this fall on whether to allow the level of ethanol in gasoline to be raised to 15 percent (E15). The standard in fuel is now 10 percent (E10). The EPA had said earlier that it would announce its decision in June following additional tests of E15 in automobile engines.
No testing on marine engines has been announced. This continues to dismay many in the marine industry, who have complained that the E10 blend has already created problems in a number of marine engines. Several boating industry organizations, including BoatU.S., have argued for an EPA decision based on scientific evidence rather than the urging of ethanol producers. Growth Energy, a group representing the nation's ethanol producers, petitioned the EPA last year to raise the percentage of ethanol in fuel.
Boating industry opponents to the petition point out that E10 has led to disintegration of some fiberglass fuel tanks, gumming up of fuel lines and piston and valve failure. They contend that the proposed E15 could create even more problems with marine engines.
The latest statement from the EPA says that while preliminary results on automobiles "look good," more testing on cars needs to be done.
6.17.10
The Fate of Old Dobbin(s)
THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE USE OF Dobbins Island's beach has been a litiginous hobbyhorse ever since the island's owner, David Clickner, erected a post-and-cable fence to keep boaters out. That effectively closed the long-popular beach on the Magothy River island to public use. The Magothy River Association (MRA) sued, arguing that the fence was below the high-water mark and that public access had been established through decades of use. Clickner argued that he had put up the fence to stop vandalism. At first, the decisions went in Clickner's favor. Then things began to change. Early in May, an Anne Arundel County appeals board ruled that the MRA and Chesapeake Bay Foundation had standing for making their case against Clickner building on the island at all. Then, late in May, a circuit court judge ordered Clickner to tear down or move the fence because public use of the island had been "continuous, peaceable and reasonable." Stay tuned.
6.17.10
A Man, a Plan, and Oysters
MARYLAND GOVERNOR Martin O'Malley has launched a crusade to bring back the Holy Grail of the Chesapeake: the oyster. Bolstered by the apparent success of Maryland and Virginia's combined effort to revive the flagging crab population by placing strict limits on the harvest numbers and the season, O'Malley is tackling the thorny problem of increasing the oyster population--which despite years of effort, millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours, remains at about one percent of historic level. Early this spring, O'Malley announced that he would increase the area of oyster sanctuaries to 25 percent of the Bay's waters--up from 9 percent. In addition, he would open about 600,000 acres to leasing for oyster aquaculture. Following that announcement, O'Malley and unhappy watermen negotiated some changes in the location of the sanctuaries, but kept the same amount of the Bay reserved. A public comment period on the final plan has been scheduled for July and August, with a final review by a joint Senate-House committee to follow.
6.17.10
John Smith Shallop Slips Into Annapolis
THE JOHN SMITH SHALLOP--SULTANA Project's iteration of the Chesapeake explorer's craft--has taken to the Bay once again, this time for the 60-mile trip from its home on the Chester River in Chestertown, Md., to Annapolis. There the shallop will be on display for six months at the National Sailing Hall of Fame at Annapolis City Dock, the centerpiece of an in-water exhibit about John Smith's voyages and the National Park Service's new Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
6.17.10
Which Way the Wind Blows
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF Defense has given preliminary approval for construction of a wind farm off southern Virginia shores. Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, which includes the Commonwealth of Virginia, Old Dominion University and Virginia Tech, has identified about 70 "lease blocks" (areas in federally controlled waters) from 6 to 25 miles offshore, ranging from the North Carolina border to the Eastern Shore. So far, the Defense Department has okayed 18 of these 70 lease blocks, 10 of which are located in the Surface Free Lane. This is a five-mile-wide channel that the Navy uses to move ships out to sea from the Norfolk Naval Station. The final nod for the project must come from the Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service.
6.11.10
Update: Abby Sunderland is Okay!
Good news. Sailing Anarchy (www.sailinganarchy.com) reported Friday morning that searchers have contacted Abby Sunderland, who was feared lost at sea, and she is reported to be alive and well. Searchers aboard an Airbus A330 spotted her boat in an upright position and made contact with her via radio. Bennett said Sunderland said she was doing fine and had plenty of food. Her boat is upright, but no rig. He says a fishing vessel is en route to pick her up.
6.10.10
Search on for Abby Sunderland after both EPIRBs activated
French search and rescue teams are searching for Abby Sunderland, the 16-year-old who has been trying to become the youngest solo circumnavigator, after her EPIRBs went off in the southern Indian Ocean early this morning. One beacon is attached to a survival suit and one is on the boat.
Sunderland is sailing Wild Eyes, a Scott Jutson-designed Open 40. She has been battling rough weather in the Indian Ocean and reported several knockdowns in 60-knot winds.
Her parents, Marianne and Laurence Sunderland, lost touch via satellite phone with their daughter early this morning and, an hour later, were notified by rescue authorities at the French-controlled Reunion Island that both of Sunderland's beacons had been activated.
Late Thursday afternoon, the sailing website Sailing Anarchy (www.sailinganarchy.com) reported that French search and rescue has requested assistance from the Australian search and rescue, which have chartered a plane from Quantas that will do a fly over at first light.
6.7.10
Claire Leroy takes Santa Maria Cup for second year in a row
The 20th annual BoatUS Santa Maria Cup international women's match racing championship wrapped up Saturday, June 5, in Annapolis with French team skipper Claire Leroy winning the cup for second year in a row. Genny Tulloch (USA) took second place finish and Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) third, beating out Sally Barkow (USA).
Hosted by Eastport Yacht Club, the championship began Wednesday on the Chesapeake Bay off Annapolis with ten of the world's top-ranked female match racers dueling it out in J/22 sailboats. The final series kept spectators in suspense, with Tulloch coming from behind in the second race to beat Leroy and stay in the lead to win the fourth race. However, Leroy and her team—Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou, and Claire Pruvot—were able to hold the challengers off for a second straight year and win the other three races.
"We had a good regatta," Leroy said. "We lost four in the round-robin, but they were very close so we knew we could win. And then in the semi-final we were against Anna Tunnicliffe, as always."
Women's Keelboat Match Racing is a new sailing event for the London 2012 Olympics, and this year's BoatUS Santa Maria Cup competition is considered an early look at that competition. The Cup is also an International Sailing Federation Grade 1 event and part of the ranking process.
Photographs and full results are available on the event website, www.BoatUSSantaMariaCup.org .
6.6.10
Natural Resources Police searching for hit-and-run boater
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are investigating a hit and run boating accident that occurred near Thomas Point Light, Chesapeake Bay between Fishing Creek and South River at 2:30 pm on Saturday, June 5.
The accident occurred when Mark Gentile, age 55 from Alexandria, Va., jumped off his anchored sailboat to retrieve a minnow pot that was in the water. As Gentile was swimming towards the minnow pot, a vessel ran over him. In an attempt to evade the vessel, Gentile dove under the water. The boat struck both Gentiles' legs. Gentile was able to swim back to his sailboat and keep himself afloat with the help of a line from the boat.
A passenger on Gentiles sailboat called 911 for assistance. When NRP and Coast Guard units arrived on scene, Gentile slipped below the surface of the water. A NRP Officer and a member of the Coast Guard jumped into the water to bring Gentile back to the surface. Gentile was put onboard the Coast Guard vessel, where members of the Anne Arundel County EMS provided aid. Gentile was transported the Annapolis Coast Guard station where he was airlifted by MSP to Shock Trauma for injuries.
6.5.2010
Coast Guard rescues man near Thomas Point Light
The Coast Guard, along with Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) and Anne Arundel County Fire Rescue, rescued a man in the Chesapeake Bay on Saturday, June 5, after he reportedly sustained leg injuries while swimming. Rescued was Mark Gentile, 56.
Anne Arundel County Fire Rescue contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 2:35 p.m., reporting that a man had sustained leg injuries while swimming near his sailboat about 300 yards south of the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse.
A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station Annapolis arrived on scene at 2:50 p.m. and removed Gentile from the water with assistance from a Maryland Natural Resources Police crewmember and transported him back to Station Annapolis. Two Anne Arundel Fire Rescue crewmembers tended to Gentile aboard the RB-S while en route to the station.
A Maryland State Police helicopter crew met the RB-S crew at the station, loaded Gentile into their helicopter and took him to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.
"After receiving the initial report, Station Annapolis and local partnering agencies were able to arrive on scene quickly to assist," said Petty Officer 1st Class Sergio Calderon, a search and rescue coordinator at Sector Baltimore. "With the assistance of our partners, we were able to get Gentile the medical attention he needed in a timely and efficent manner."
NRP has the lead on the investigation.
6.2.10
Elk Neck State Park boat ramps reopen
TheMaryland Park Service has reopened the boat launching ramps in the Rogue'sHarbor area of Elk Neck State Park. The ramps had been closed for 10 weeks duringa renovation project. The final details of the renovation are ongoing andaccess to certain areas of the facility may still be limited. However, the piers,pilings and bulkhead that were damaged by several storms have been repaired.Additionally, the decking on the piers and bulkhead are being replaced and thatphase of the project is ongoing. For further information contact park headquartersat (410) 287-5333.
5.23.10
Station Portsmouth rescues two men near Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel
Coast Guard crews rescued two men from the water after their boat sank near the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT) Saturday afternoon, May 22.
Norfolk dispatch contacted Sector Hampton Roads and passed on a report of two men clinging to the hull of their capsized boat near the HRBT at 3:50 p.m. They deployed a Coast Guard Auxiliary airplane, a Station Portsmouth boat crew and contacted the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and Virginia Beach Marine Police for their assistance.
The Station Portsmouth rescue boat crew located the two men holding onto their 17-foot center-console boat and pulled them from the water at 4:51 p.m. One of the men showed signs of hypothermia, and they were taken to Blue Water Marina where EMS were waiting.
Both men stabilized at the hospital and were released.
5.19.10
Station Crisfield and Maryland NRP rescue boaters in Pocomoke Sound
Coast Guard Station Crisfield, Md., and the Maryland Natural Resources Police rescued two overdue fishermen in the Pocomoke Sound at 9:05 a.m., Tuesday, May 18. Rescued were Lloyd Webb, 67, from Marion Station, and his brother Raymond Webb, 64, from Crisfield, both in Maryland.
At about 9 a.m., a Good Samaritan contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders reporting that he had located a 24-foot fishing vessel that fit the description of an overdue vessel that was described in an urgent marine information broadcast issued by Sector Baltimore at 7:20 p.m., Monday, on marine-band radio channel 16. Within minutes, a NRP marine unit, along with a Coast Guard boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Crisfield, arrived on the scene and rescued Webb and his brother. NRP towed the vessel and brought the Webbs to a pier on Johnson Creek Rd., in Crisfield, where they were met by local EMS.
A member of Station Crisfield met with Webb and his brother afterward and learned that Webb had suffered an engine failure while fishing and did not have any means to contact rescuers.
The search for Webb began when Lloyd Webb III contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 7:20 p.m., Monday, reporting that his father and uncle had not returned after fishing near Ape Hole Creek in the Pocomoke Sound. Initial searches of the area resulted in no results and were called off through the night due to inclement weather and low visibility. The search resumed at first light Tuesday.
Assets involved in the search included: several boatcrews from Coast Guard Station Crisfield, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., the Coast Guard Cutter Ibis, an 87-foot patrol boat based in Cape May, N.J., an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J.,and an NRP rescue crew.
"The rescue today was a success, and we could not have been able to work so effectively without the strong partnership we have with the Coast Guard," said Col. George F. Johnson, IV, superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police.
"I'm glad to be here," said Lloyd Webb. "The weather turned bad and our boat's battery died, we were worried for our lives and had a miserable night." Webb said that he was going to put a radio in his vessel so that next time he could contact the Coast Guard if he needed help and that he planned to become more familiar with the safety equipment that he had onboard. "We had flares but I didn't know how to use them because I never had to worry about it till it was too late. Now I know what to do next time."
The Coast Guard encourages mariners to file a float plan with a friend or relative. A float plan states where you are going and how many people are aboard your vessel, gives a complete vessel description, and details your destination and when you plan to return. It is also suggested that mariners carry emergency equipment such as flares, a marine-band radio and lifejackets onboard their boats in case of emergencies.
5.16.10
Station Stillpond rescues two in Sassafras River
The Coast Guard rescued two people from a boat taking on water in the Sassafras River near Grove Point in Earleville, Md., Saturday, May 15.
The crew of a 25-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Stillpond, Md., observed the two men waving for help from the bow of a 20-foot recreational boat near the mouth of the Sassafras River. The boat was nearly submerged due to taking waves, which were reportedly as high as three feet, over their vessel's bow.
At 1 p.m., the Stillpond crew took the mariners aboard the Coast Guard rescue boat after the boatcrew attempted dewatering the vessel but were unable to keep the vessel from sinking. The crew took the rescued men to City Yacht Basin in Havre De Grace, Md., while a commercial tow company salvaged the vessel. There were no reports of injuries.
"I think they learned a good lesson—check the weather before you go out," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Steven Osborn, a coxswain at Station Stillpond. "Be mindful of your environment and if you see bad weather it might be a better idea to head in rather then tough it out."
The Coast Guard urges mariners to outfit their boat with a functioning marine-band radio. Using channel 16 on a marine-band radio is the most reliable way to communicate a distress to search and rescue personnel in the event of an emergency while on the water.
5.14.10
Keep those PFDs on the kids!
Two new laws modify the safety rules for children aboard boats in Maryland waters. In the first--effective immediately--all children under the age of 13 must wear a personal flotation device (PFD) while aboard a vessel under 21 feet that is under way. Previously the law applied to children under the age of 7. Also, children under 4 now must wear a PFD that has additional safety precaution to (1) hold the child securely within the PFD, including a strap secured between the child's legs to fasten together the front and back of the PFD; (2) maintain the buoyancy of the child, including an inflatable headrest or high collar; and (3) ensure the ready accessibility of the child from the vessel, including a web handle. This too does not apply to moored or anchored vessels or children below deck.
Another new law, that will take effect October 1, requires that children under the age of 16 have a certificate of boating safety education to operate any vessel, unless they are supervised by an adult or someone 16 or older who has a boating safety certificate.
5.11.10
Fire destroys two boats, damages two at Sarah Creek marina
Coast Guard crews along with York County Fire Department responded to a marina fire at the York River Yacht Haven Marina on Sarah Creek in Gloucester Point, Va., early Monday morning, May 10.
At least four vessels sustained damage from the fire, including the aluminum-hull vessel Summer Girl out of Smithfield, Va. The fire may have started aboard that 72-foot vessel and quickly spread to a 35-foot fiberglass vessel docked in the adjacent slip. That boat sank in its slip. Two other vessels suffered heat damage.
Summer Girl was cut loose from its slip and pushed out into Sarah Creek, according to news reports. After drifting across the creek it came to rest on the opposite shore, where firefighters continued to work extinguishing the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
5.2.10
Maryland Natural Resources Police investigate drowning of Caroline County teenager.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are investigating the death of a teenager from an apparent drowning in the Choptank River. The teen died while attempting to assist a friend that had fallen out of a kayak in the area of Ganey's Wharf Rd, Caroline County.
On April 30, at approximately 3:30 pm., a 17-year-old teenager was on fishing from a dock and had a friend nearby in a kayak. The friend fell out of the kayak and was experiencing difficulties getting back into the vessel. Then the teenager on the dock entered the water to assist his friend and presumedly drowned during his swim to his friend. The friend was able to make it safely back into his kayak without help. Neither the victim nor the person in the kayak was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. The names are not being released due to their ages.
The drowning victim was found at 9:30 pm in the area were he was last seen. Fire Company personnel from Preston, Caroline County, Federalsburg, and Hurlock Fire Company assisted in the search. Divers from Seaford, Blades, Cambridge, Laurel Fire Companies and Mid Shore Dive Team assisted with recovery operations. The responding personnel searched with vessels, boats, and side scan sonar. A Coast Guard helicopter from Atlantic City, N.J., and a patrol vessel from Oxford aided in the search.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police Special Operation Division is continuing the investigation. The body was sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy.
Boaters should ensure that all vessels are equipped with proper safety equipment before departing the dock. The wearing of a life jacket is an important component of boating safety. Governor Martin O'Malley signed legislation April 13, effective immediately, that requires children under 13 to wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) while underway on a vessel under 21 feet in length.
5.2.10
Coast Guard assists in search for missing Susquehanna River boater
The Coast Guard, along with local partnering agencies, responded to a report of a missing boater in the Susquehanna River Saturday.
Maryland Natural Resources Police contacted the Coast Guard by cellular phone at 7:40 p.m., reporting that a pleasure craft with four people aboard capsized just north of the Conowingo Dam near Conowingo, Md.
Maryland Natural Resources Police along with a Harford County Fire Rescue boatcrew, a Cecil County Fire Rescue boatcrew and a Maryland State Police helicopter are responding.
The Cecil County Fire Rescue boatcrew rescued three of the four people aboard. The search continues for a missing boater reportedly not wearing a life jacket.
Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., dispatched a HH-65 Dolphin helicopter rescue crew to relieve the Maryland State Police helicopter.
4.29.10
Fire sinks three boats at Norfolk marina
Fire broke out aboard a 45-foot sailboat docked at Vinings Landing Marina in Norfolk at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 28, according to the Coast Guard, then quickly spread to nearby boats. Three boats sank at their slips and at least three others were damaged. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
By Thursday morning, absorbent pads and a boom had been set out to control the spread of fuel from the damaged and sunken boats. A Coast Guard pollution investigator says that the pollution poses no immediate threat to the public, but boaters operating in the vicinity of the Little Creek marina are advised to use caution.
Norfolk Fire and Rescue and a Virginia Beach Fire Boat crew responded to the fire and managed to extinguish it before it spread farther, sometimes crawling along the dock under the flames to reach nearby boats.
4.14.2010
Maryland says Chesapeake Bay blue crab population at its highest level since 1997
Winter dredge results show 60 percent increase at 658 million crabs
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley announced Wednesday, April 14, that the Chesapeake Bay's blue crab population has increased substantially for the second straight year. The results of the most recent winter dredge survey show a dramatic 60-percent increase in Maryland's crab population. The survey indicates that 2008 management measures put into place through a collaboration with Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission are continuing to pay dividends with the crab population at its highest level since 1997, O'Malley said.
O'Malley made the announcement from the Crab Deck at Fisherman's Inn in Kent Narrows.
"Today, we can see firsthand what progress looks and feels like on the Chesapeake Bay. Today, because of the unprecedented partnership between Maryland and Virginia and tough decisions over the past two years, the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population is estimated to be 658 million crabs—a 60-percent increase over last year and the highest total population estimate since 1997," said O'Malley. "While we are making progress, our work is not done and we are committed to working with our partners to achieve our ultimate goal of a self-sustaining fishery that will support our industry and recreational fisheries over the long term."
The population estimate is the result of the 2009-2010 Baywide winter dredge survey conducted annually by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Last year, the survey estimated that 400 million crabs overwintered in the Chesapeake Bay.
In 2008, Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) took dramatic and coordinated action to reduce harvest pressure on female crabs by 34 percent. At that time, scientists from all three jurisdictions said conservation measures were necessary as the blue crab population had reached near historic lows in spawning stock.
"While great strides have been made to rebuild our environmentally and economically important crab population, more work remains to be done with our steadfast Maryland partners," said Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. "Two years does not make a trend. The scientific evidence shows our management measures are working but we need to continue along this path in order to ensure the Bay's crab population returns to robustness and remains at that level."
The 2008 conservation measures resulted in a large increase in the number of adults in the Bay during the 2009 spawning season, and this year's survey confirms that success has carried over into a healthy spawn. Crab reproduction this year was the sixth highest in the 21-year survey. The abundance of adult female and male crabs also rose again this year, bringing the estimated number of adult, spawning-age crabs to 315 million, well above the interim target level of 200 million.
In addition, preliminary indications are that the 2009 Bay-wide harvest level was approximately 53.7 million pounds. This harvest equates to approximately 43 percent of the population, which is below the target harvest level of 46 percent. Watermen actually harvested more crabs this past season than in 7 of the past 10 years, confirming the long-held belief that a healthy harvesting industry can coexist with regulations that protect the long term health of the blue crab population.
"The final piece of the story will be confirmation from NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee that harvest levels did indeed remain below our target of harvesting no more than 46 percent of the blue crab population each year," said Lynn Fegley, Assistant Director of DNR's Fisheries Service. This is key to maintaining a healthy population."
In 7 of the 10 years between 1998 and 2007, the annual removal of blue crabs exceeded the maximum safe removal level of 53 percent.
"Two years after initiating new management strategies, we are cautiously optimistic about the future of our blue crab. This abundance represents a terrific opportunity for commercial and recreational crabbers to realize an increased catch, in less time and at less cost, under current rules," DNR Secretary John Griffin. "Based on the final assessment, Maryland, Virginia and the PRFC may consider modest management modifications by early summer. That said, we are committed to working with our partners to ensure we do not lose the ground that we have gained, and any changes would be based on continuing to remove no more than 46 percent of available crabs during any given year. History has shown us that abundance can change quickly, as evidenced by record 1993 and 1997 levels that were immediately followed by dramatic drops."
The Bay-wide blue crab winter dredge survey is the primary survey used to assess the condition of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population. Since 1990, the survey has employed crab dredges to sample blue crabs at 1,500 sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay from December through March. By sampling during winter when blue crabs are buried in the mud and stationary, scientists can develop, with good precision, estimates of the number of crabs present in the Bay.
Estimates of abundance are developed separately for young of the year crabs, mature female crabs, and adult male crabs. Together, these groups of crabs will support the 2010 fishery and produce the next generation of crabs.
"The substantial rise in abundance of mature crabs and juveniles was clearly a response of the crab population to unprecedented management actions, such as the closure of the winter dredge fishery, by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and partner agencies. The increase was neither a random event nor a reflection of improved environmental conditions," said Dr. Rom Lipcius who directs the VIMS component of the dredge survey. "From here on, we have to maintain the population at these levels to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of the Chesapeake Bay stock."
4.13.2010
No-discharge bill is a non-starter in Maryland legislature
A bill that would have made all of the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay a no-discharge zone, even for marine heads that treat waste to Environmental Protection Agency standards, failed to come to a vote in either house before the Maryland legislature adjourned on Monday, April 12. That doesn't necessarily mean that the issue won't reappear in a future term, but it does mean that it is unlikely to become law in the short term.
In the Senate the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs committee had made it a study bill, which would have turned it over to the Department of Natural Resources for study and recommendations by December 2011. But in either its original or amended form, the bill did not come up for a vote in either house. After hearings were held earlier this year in both House and Senate committees, the legislation seemed to stall. Opposition came especially from commercial passenger vessel operators, who argued that pump-out facilities were not always available and that appropriate holding tanks would be prohibitively large and expensive.
The legislation was requested by Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, who said that prohibiting all waste discharge would help reduce nitrogen in the Bay. Discharge of untreated waste is already illegal all over the Bay, and those boaters who currently use holding tanks and pump-outs, would not have been affected by the new legislation. However, boaters who use marine sanitation devices that treat the waste with chemicals, heat or other processes that disinfect it before discharging it would have been affected. Those systems would no longer have been allowed in Maryland portions of the Bay. In calling for the new law, Gansler argued that the disinfected waste does not remove the nitrogen and thereby contributes to the Chesapeake's high nitrogen levels.
The bill before the legislature would also require the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to make routine inspections of marine sewage equipment and periodic dye flush tests of marine heads. A $10,000 fine would be created for each violation.
Two such no-discharge zones already exist in Maryland: Herring Bay and the northern coastal bays in Worcester County.
EPA decision on higher ethanol levels expected this summer
When we last left the debate over whether increased levels of ethanol should be permitted in gasoline, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had ordered vehicle testing on the proposed 15-percent ethanol-to-gasoline mixture. The issue is back in the news because this summer--once the test results are in--the federal agency is expected to announce its decision.
The problem is, according to BoatU.S. and other skeptics of the new ethanol mixture such as the Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety, the tests are being conducted on only a small number of vehicles, 10 years old and newer. No tests are being done on older cars, off-road machines such as lawn mowers, or--most important for our purposes--marine engines. Since the current 10-percent ethanol mixture has been blamed for a number of engine parts failures in marine engines, the 50-percent increase may create in greater problems, opponents argue.
The increase was proposed last year by the lobbying group for the ethanol industry, Growth Energy, which asked the EPA to raise the allowed level in gasoline to 15 percent.
A 20-square-mile area of land known as Dragon Run Swamp has been preserved from development, thanks to the Nature Conservancy. More than 13,000 acres in King and Queen, Essex and Middlesex counties in Virginia was purchased by the Nature Conservancy and then resold at a lower price with a conservation easement. Dragon Run has been ranked by the Smithsonian Institution as one of the most important ecological sanctuaries in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It provides habitat for 90 species of birds and 55 types of fish. The Conservancy bought the land from Hanover Timber Resource and sold it to Forestland Group. Forestland may harvest the timber, except from wetlands or within 100 feet of streams.
4.5.10
Chesapeake troubadour Tom Wisner dies
Tom Wisner, Chesapeake's "Bard of the Bay," succumbed to lung cancer on Friday, April 2, in Prince Frederick, Md. He was 79.
Wisner, a biologist and folksinger, dedicated his life to extolling the Bay and the life within and around it by using the songs he wrote and sang to groups across the Chesapeake. His music stressed the life of the Bay--its fish and birds--rather than the people living around it. Over the years, he performed before countless groups and recorded several albums, some with school children. In 2008, on learning that he had lung cancer, Wisner recorded "The Land, Maryland" with a group of charter school students. His songs were recorded by the Smithsonian Institution and were used in a 1986 National Geographic documentary about the Bay.
Wisner was born June 29, 1930, in Washington D.C. He graduated from Anacostia High School and then joined the Air Force, serving in the Korean War. After leaving the service, Wisner earned a bacholor's degree in biology from Hartwick College in New York, and then graduate work at Cornell University. For several yeras he worked as a naturalist in Sequoia National Park in California before moving to Maryland to work as an educator at the University of Maryland's Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons. While there, he began composing songs and writing about the Bay.
Wisner retired from the Lab in the 1980s and spent the remainder of his life singing about and advocating for the Chesapeake Bay, eking out a living from donations at his concerts and the support of friends.
He was divorced from his wife, Joanne Fortin. A daughter, Kimberly Wisner, died in 1979. He is survived by four children, Michael Wisner of Snowmass, Colorado, Mark Wisner of Homer, Alaska, Kirsten Wisner of Seaside, California and Karen Wisner of Portland, Oregon, and seven grandchildren.
4.4.10 Coast Guard rescues man off Virginia Beach
Coast Guard crews rescued a man after his boat sank south of Rudee Inlet in Porthmouth, Va. on Friday, April 2. Nolan Agner, the operator of the sinking fishing vessel Knockdown made a VHF radio distress call at 7:35 a.m., saying that he had struck a submerged object and was sinking about 3 miles east of False Cape. He also stated that he had activated his electronic position-indicating radio beacon and launched his life raft.
The Air Station in Elizabeth City, N.C., launched an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew, who quickly located Agner in his raft after arriving on scene. Agner was hoisted aboard the helicopter and taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
A 45-foot rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Little Creek recovered the life raft and debris. Virginia Beach Fire Boat 1 also responded after receiving the Coast Guard's urgent maritime information broadcast
A Coast Guard investigating officer will determine if the sunken vessel is a hazard to navigation, and pollution investigators will determine if fuel and oil on the vessel pose a potential environmental threat. The investigators are interviewing Agner at the hospital.
3.29.10
Planes . . .
On Thursday, March 25, a Cessna 120 crash landed in the South River just west of the Route 2 bridge. According to the Annapolis Capital, the plane's pilot, 76-year-old Richard Drewyer, survived the crash and was rescued by JoDee Carvalho, a liveaboard at Liberty Marina. Carvalho saw the plane go down and rushed to the site in his dinghy. He pulled Drewyer from the water and brought him to the marina, where paramedics were waiting. The cause of the crash has yet to be determined, the Capital said, and the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation.
Trains . . .
According to the Associated Press, a locomotive derailed on a trestle in Chesapeake, Va., and leaked some 1,700 gallons of diesel fuel into the Intercoastal Waterway. There are no reported injuries, but the ICW in Chesapeake is closed for the time being. The train derailed off the A&C; Canal Bridge over the ICW between the Great Bridge Bypass and Centerville Turnpike around 5 a.m. March 26.
Update to ICW closure:
The contracted environmental cleanup crews were able to work some through the night making the cleanup 70 percent complete. They cleaned enough for the Coast Guard to reopen the waterway with restrictions at 9:20 a.m. The restriction is that anyone transiting the Intracoastal Waterway in that location must use their slowest speed until the cleanup is complete.
Pictured above: Chesapeake, VA: A 41-foot response boat crew from Station Portsmouth patrols the intracoastal waterway to maintain a safety zone around a diesel spill from a derailed train on the A & C Canal Bridge Friday, March 26, 2010. In response to the spill, the Coast Guard restricted all traffic through the waterway. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Jones.
It was early Friday morning, March 26, when the U.S. Coast Guard in Hampton Roads received a call from the Chesapeake-Albermarle train company that one of its trains had derailed and was leaking fuel into the intracoastal waterway between Great Bridge bypass and Centerville turnpike in Chesapeake, Va.
Crews arrived shortly afterward and found the locomotive hanging off the canal bridge. While environmental cleanup crews worked below through the night to contain the spill, a crain was brought in to lift the locomotive clear of the bridge so that another locomotive could pull back onto the track.
The Waterway was partially reopened by 9:20 a.m. Saturday as crews below continued to work with the leak--about 1,700 gallons of diesel.
3.10.10
Boat Ramp Closure at Elk Neck
The Maryland Park Service has announced that it will be closing the boat launching ramps in the Rogue's Harbor area of Elk Neck State Park in North East, Md., for renovations on or after March 22. This area will remain closed for up to 10 weeks, which would put the reopening at Memorial Day weekend.
The Maryland Park Service says it will make every effort to minimize the length of the closure, subject to conditions such as weather and tidal conditions. The existing piers, pilings and bulkhead were damaged by winter storms and those damages will be repaired. Additionally, the decking on the piers and bulkhead will be replaced.
For further information, you can contact park headquarters at 410-287-5333.
3.8.10
Legislators to consider Bay-wide no discharge zone
A proposed no-discharge zone that would cover all of the Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay is scheduled to come before both houses of the state legislature this week. The legislation, requested by Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, will come before the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday, March 16 at 1 p.m. in 2 West Miller Senate Building, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis. On Friday, March 19, also at 1 p.m., the House Environmental Matters Committee is scheduled to hear comments on the issue om Room 250, House Office Building, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis. The hearings will allow legislators to hear comments on the merits of the bill from the public as well as other legislators.
Discharge of untreated waste is already illegal all over the Bay, and those boaters who currently use holding tanks and pump-outs, would not be affected by the new legislation. However, boaters who use marine sanitation devices that treat the waste with chemicals, heat or other processes that disinfect it before discharging it would be affected. Those systems would no longer be allowed in Maryland portions of the Bay. In calling for the new law, Gansler has argued that the disinfected waste does not remove the nitrogen and thereby contributes to the Chesapeake's high nitrogen levels.
The bill before the legislature would also require the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to make routine inspections of marine sewage equipment and periodic dye flush tests of marine heads. A $10,000 fine would be created for each violation.
Two no-discharge zones already exist in Maryland: Herring Bay and the northern coastal bays in Worcester County.
Tug capsizes, spills a thousand gallons of fuel in Norfolk
Coast Guard investigators from Sector Hampton Roads in Portsmouth, Va., are monitoring the response to a diesel spill from a tug boat that capsized in the 6M Dominion Terminal Yard near the Campostella Bridge on Monday, March 1.
The National Response Center notified Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders at 5:54 a.m. that the tug Susan Anne had capsized while moored at the shipyard, resulting in a spill of up to 1,000 gallons of fuel. Norfolk Fire Department personnel arrived on scene first and deployed absorbent pads to mitigate the spill while waiting for IMS Environmental Services and Coast Guard personnel to arrive.
Accurate Marine Environmental has contained the spill and is recovering the fuel, and the tug owner is working to re-float the vessel. Coast Guard investigators are working to determine the cause.
"The Coast Guard will actively monitor this situation over the next few days to make sure the oil is not only contained, but recovered," said Capt. John Little, deputy commander of Sector Hampton Roads.
2.4.10
Fire at Tiffany Yachts destroys building, three yachts
A fire on Tuesday, February 2, destroyed a large boat-building building at Tiffany Yachts in Burgess, Va., taking with it three yachts. Lost in the fire were a nearly completed 38-foot Tiffany valued at $70,000 and two older yachts undergoing repairs, a 1969 46-foot Tiffany Yacht and a 38-foot Little Harbor.
More than 100 firefighters were on hand to fight the blaze, which began at 12:45 on Tuesday and spread quickly in the 12,000-square foot building. Firefighters were not able to save the building, but did prevent its spread to the rest of the boatyard. Investigators have not determined a cause, but have said they do not suspect foul play.
Meanwhile, 12 Tiffany employees have been furloughed until insurance claims are settled and the company can get back to work full strength.
Tiffany Yachts has been a Northern Neck fixture on the Great Wicomico River since 1934.
1.29.10
A reef just for sturgeon eggs
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has approved an artificial reef on the James River in the hope of giving Atlantic sturgeon a better place to deposit their eggs, thereby increasing their population. Sturgeon, which can reach nearly 15 feet in length, have been a rare commodity on the Bay for the past several decades. This would be the first attempt to help them reproduce. Since sturgeons lay their eggs in firm, rocky ground, the new reef will be constructed of chunks of rock and stone. Nearly all of the Bay bottom is now composed of soft layers of silt.
The reef will be constructed off Presquile National Wildlife Refuge in Chester County, an area favored by spawning sturgeon. The $50 thousand price tag is being picked up by a grant from the federal government.
12.30.09
Boat designer Thomas C. Gillmer dies
Famous designs included Pride of Baltimore I and II, Allied Seawind and Southern Cross 32
Noted naval architect and longtime professor of naval architecture at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Thomas C. Gillmer, died December 16 after succumbing to complications from dementia. He was 98.
Among Gillmer's most famous designs were replica vessels Pride of Baltimore I and II and Kalmar Nyckel. Among his earlier designs were the highly respected 32-foot Southern Cross and the Blue Moon, a 24-foot English Channel cutter. His best known design in the sailing community, however, is probably the Allied Seawind, a ketch and the first fiberglass boat to circumnavigate the world.
In addition to his famous designs, Gillmer taught naval architecture at the Naval Academy for 27 years. After retiring from the Academy in 1969, he founded Thomas Gillmer Naval Architect Inc. in Annapolis.
Mr. Gillmer was born in Warren, Ohio, and graduated from Naval Academy in 1935.
In a 1997 interview with Good Old Boat Magazine, Gillmer recalled that during the 1930s when he was a student at the Academy, Annapolis harbor was filled during the winter months with skipjacks. He would watch them sail out in the early morning light for a day of oystering. "It was a beautiful sight. That sight alone probably had as much impact as anything else in my interest in boats," he said.
After graduation, Gillmer served in the Navy until 1941, when he left active service and joined the teaching staff at the Academy. There he remained for 27 years.
Once on his own, Gillmer turned to design in the new material fiberglass, producing the successful design for the Allied Seawind. Other quickly designs followed, including the Southern Cross 32 and the Blue Boom. But in 1977, Gillmer turned his attention to designing replica craft. He helped design the Pride of Baltimore I, and—after it sank in 1986 in a freak storm off Puerto Rico—Pride of Baltimore II. Among his last designs, in 1998, was a replica of the Kalmar Nyckel, which had brought settlers from Sweden to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1638.
Gillmer also wrote several books, including Sailing with Pride, published in 1990, and A History of Working Watercraft of the Western World, published in 1994.
Gillmer is survived by his wife of 10 years, the former Ruth Newsome; son, Charles Gillmer of Reedville, Va.; daughter, Christina G. Erdmann of Denver; two stepsons, Albert Williams of Cary, N.C., and Alvin Williams of Fort Myers, Fla.; four grandchildren; two step-grandsons; and five great-grandchildren.
Anna Derge Gillmer, his wife of 62 years, died in 1999.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. January 15 at St. Andrews Chapel at the Naval Academy.
12.28.09
Major sewage spill makes Patapsco unsafe
Heavy rains and snowmelt from last week's record snowfall overwhelmed a sewage plant in the Halethorpe area, carrying away millions of gallons sewage. Baltimore County officials said that for 10 hours beginning Saturday evening, December 26, 22 million gallons of diluted sewage flowed from a Halethorpe sewage pumping station and into the Patapsco River. Officials are warning people to avoid the Patapsco until further notice.
12.27.09
All recreational fishermen in the Bay must sign register with NOAA
Required national angler registry opens January 1
Beginning this Friday, January 1, all Maryland and Virginia recreational fishermen who fish in the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries will need to register with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) before fishing. Anglers can register for free online or by calling a toll-free phone number.
This requirement is part of a national commitment to manage saltwater fish populations. The registry will allow fishermen and policy makers to assess the impact of saltwater anglers on ocean ecosystems, coastal economies and fish populations. Since the requirement includes anyone who may catch an anadromous species--fish that travel between salt and fresh waters--that means that anyone fishing in the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries and coastal waters, must be registered.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) expects at the beginning of fishing in 2011, the Maryland fishing license will accommodate the requirements for the National Saltwater Registry. But, for 2010, anglers must all register directly with NOAA.
Anglers who do not need to register are those under 16 years old, anglers fishing on a charter boat, commercial fishermen at work, anglers holding highly migratory species permits, and anglers who hold a saltwater license from a state where they are automatically registered. Anglers fishing in one of Maryland's Free Fishing areas or who are otherwise exempt from buying a Maryland fishing license still need to register with NOAA.
Anglers will be required to provide their names, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers, and the regions where they intend to fish, although they will not be restricted to fishing only in those regions and will not be required to register separately for each region in which they fish. There will be no charge to register until 2011, at which point an annual registration fee of about $25 a year will apply. All fees collected through this federal program will go to the U.S. Treasury.
To register, on or after January 1, go online to www.countmyfish.noaa.gov or call 1-888-MRIP-411 NEWS FROM CHANNEL 9
UNDER WAY
Ring Andersen Sails Again
The future of the 114-foot luxury sailing yacht Ring Andersen looked pretty bleak as she lay sunk at the dock at Deltaville, Va.'s Chesapeake Marine Railway (formerly the famed Deagel's Boatyard). Frenchman Philippe Besnard had contracted to purchase the 61-year-old time-ravaged vessel before its sinking. Upon hearing of her predicament, Besnard, a 54-year-old engineer, flew to Virginia to survey the damage. He was heartsick, of course, but after consulting with Rich Farinholt, wooden-boat expert and co-owner of Chesapeake Marine Railway, he decided to go ahead with the purchase.
The restoration began in January 2009 and was completed in September. Skilled ship's carpenters Franklin and Charles Brooks of Mathews, Va., along with Chesapeake Marine Railway staff worked through the cold of winter and the heat of summer to refurbish the Ring Andersen. On September 5, newly ribbed, planked, caulked and painted, and sporting a new rudder, Ring Andersen sailed for Bermuda, the Azores and eventually La Rochelle, France, with Rick Farinholt aboard. Besnard said, as he set sail that day: "This is the craziest thing I have ever done." The Ring Andersen arrived in La Rochelle, France on October 18 after what Besnard described as a "fantastic trip."
--Bob Cerullo
Keeping Up With the Riverkeepers
If the Chesapeake Bay's many fine riverkeepers were ever to hold a riverkeeper-craft raft-up, there might be plenty of argument over where to drop the hook, but little over whose boat would be the center of attention: It would most likely be Blue Mist, the West/Rhode Riverkeeper organization's show-stopping 52-foot commuter yacht, built in 1917 by Continental Ship Building Co. in Morris Heights, N.Y., designed to ferry its wealthy owner between work and home. Six decades laterr, Blue Mist wound up at Hartge Yacht Yard in Galesville. After its then-owner was unable to pay for its restoration, the yard undertook the project and the boat became the property of Alex Schlegel of the Hartge Yard. Blue Mist became the Schlegels' family boat and the mother ship for the Chesapeake 20 fleet. This spring, the Schlegels donated Blue Mist to the West/Rhode Riverkeeper group, which plans to use the beauty as a show piece rather than a daily workboat. (See www.westrhoderiverkeeper.org)
Keeping Up With Annapolis City Dock
Annapolis City Dock on Spa Creek is nearly always a busy place. But this fall it's seen more coming and going than Dancing With the Stars. After this October's U.S. Sailboat Show had been replaced with the rain-drenched Powerboat Show, the City Dock remained idle for mere days before an international fleet of Melges 24s were jockeying for dock space, in preparation for six-days of world championship competition. The 24-foot boats are being kept all in one place--downtown Annapolis--for the first time, instead of Annapolis Sailing School on Back Creek. This made yet another draw to the city's waterfront, which certainly put the wind in city officials' sails.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Light Craft, Heavy Traffic
More than 200 handmade small craft gathered on a warm and sunny day in October for the 26th Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. Some of the boats lay in the grass and under the trees outside the exhibition buildings and some lay at the museum docks. But at midday, most of them could be seen going every-which-way in 100 square feet of water in St. Michaels harbor. Prams went head to stern with bright varnished kayaks, while fire-engine-red sailing skiffs, British racing green thingamajigs and egg-shell-white whatchamacallits tacked this way and that. And every one of them came off to best advantage, as hundreds of visitors stood along the bulkheads and watched in admiration—both for the obvious craftsmanship and the remarkable fact that they all came out of it unscathed.
10 Gallons of Unleaded Algae, Please
Look out, Chesapeake boaters, here comes the wave of the future: algae-based biofuel. The idea is spreading faster than slime mold. After a few fits and starts in the 1980s, the drive to find a way to mass produce algae-based energy is moving into overdrive—Exxon Mobil and Bill Gates included. And the Chesapeake's notorious abundance of nutrient-enriched pollution is suddenly something to crow about. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the College of William & Mary have recently formed a partnership to find a practical way to produce the new product. And they are receiving help from a number of partners, including StatoilHydro, a Norwegian energy company, that recently provided them with $3 million seed money. Other university projects are underway at Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion.
SCUTTLEBUTT
Laconically Iconic
National Georgraphic's Traveler magazine asked 400 travel experts to rank 133 iconic world destinations based on six factors: environmental and ecological quality, social and cultural integrity and condition, aesthetic appeal, quality of tourism management and future outlook. Two Chesapeake Bay area locations made the list. One, the Historic Triangle of Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg, Va., was ranked in the "Places Doing Well." The other, the Chesapeake Bay itself, was relegated to the rock bottom of "Places with Troubles." Ranking at the top of the "Best Places" list was Norway's fjords region, while Spain's Costa del Sol was voted worst of the worst in "Worst Places." The highest-ranking site in the United States, by the way, was the state of Vermont. The Chesapeake shared the troubled category with American sites South Beach in Miami, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Everglades in Florida. For the complete list, see www.traveler.nationalgeographic.com.
Mad Mariner Takes Over DIY Boat Owner
Mad Mariner e-magazine has acquired DIY Boat Owner, a quarterly print magazine. The magazine offers advice on maintenance, repairs and upgrades to all kinds of boats. For Mad Mariner and DIY Boat Owner, see www.madmariner.com and www.diy-boat.com.
11.6.09
Smith Island school boat operator arrested for alcohol violations
The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday, November 4, boarded a passenger vessel transporting five schoolchildren from Crisfield, Md., to Smith Island, Md., and tested the operator of the 60-foot passenger vessel for alcohol. The operator, Alan Wade Tyler, 49, from Smith Island, tested positive and was detained by the Coast Guard until a Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) officer could arrive.
Once on scene, the NRP officer arrested Tyler and transported the children home.
The Coast Guard has temporarily suspended Tyler's license and is initiating administrative proceedings against him. In addition, the NRP has charged Tyler with operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired by any drug or combination of drugs and alcohol and negligent operation of a vessel.
"We take violations affecting passengers, especially children, very seriously," said Cmdr. Kelly M. Post, the Chief of Prevention at Sector Baltimore in a statement Thursday. "I have initiated a detailed investigation and will take the appropriate measures to prevent and deter violations like this in the future."
11.5.09
Algae Biofuel
Look out Chesapeake boaters, here comes the wave of the future: algae-based biofuel. The idea is spreading faster than slime mold. After a few fits and starts in the 1980s, the drive to find a way to mass produce algae-based energy is moving into overdrive-Exxon Mobil and Bill Gates included. And the Chesapeake's notorious abundance of nutrient-enriched pollution is suddenly something to crow about. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the College of William & Mary have recently formed a partnership to find a practical way to produce the new product. And they are receiving help from a number of partners, including StatoilHydro, a Norwegian energy.
11.5.09
Ring Andersen Sails Again
The future of the 114-foot luxury sailing yacht Ring Andersen looked pretty bleak as she lay sunk at the dock at Deltaville, Va.'s Chesapeake Marine Railway (formerly the famed Deagel's Boatyard). Frenchman Philippe Besnard had contracted to purchase the 61-year-old time-ravaged vessel before its sinking. Upon hearing of her predicament, Besnard, a 54-year-old engineer, flew to Virginia to survey the damage. He was heartsick, of course, but after consulting with Rich Farinholt, wooden-boat expert and co-owner of Chesapeake Marine Railway, he decided to go ahead with the purchase.
The restoration began in January 2009 and was completed in September. Skilled ship's carpenters Franklin and Charles Brooks of Mathews, Va., along with Chesapeake Marine Railway staff worked through the cold of winter and the heat of summer to refurbish the Ring Andersen. On September 5, newly ribbed, planked, caulked and painted, and sporting a new rudder, Ring Andersen sailed for Bermuda, the Azores and eventually La Rochelle, France, with Rick Farinholt aboard. Besnard said, as he set sail that day: "This is the craziest thing I have ever done." The Ring Andersen arrived in La Rochelle, France, on October 18 after what Besnard described as a "fantastic trip."
- Bob Cerullo
10.31.09
Coast Guard responds to diesel spill in Pasadena, Md.
The Coast Guard, along with Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), the Oil Spill Removal Organization and Miller Environmental, on Saturday, October 31, were responding to a pollution spill in the Magothy River in Pasadena, Md.
MDE notified the Coast Guard at 5:45 p.m. on Friday that an unknown amount of red-dye diesel fuel had apparently leaked into the Magothy River from a home on Grandview Road. MDE and the Oil Spill Removal Organization deployed boom and placed absorbent pads on the yard Friday evening.
Coast Guard Sector Baltimore's Incident Management Division planned to conduct a shoreline cleanup assessment with Miller Environmental on Saturday morning. Miller Environmental has been hired to clean the spill. The cause of the spill is still under investigation.
Sailboat Strikes Powerlines
It's enough to make any boater cringe: A sailboat making for a marina on Bullneck Creek, clipped utility lines over the Bear Creek tributary. The boat, Barely-a-Wake, was apparently on its way to Havre de Grace, Md., from Gibson Island when it detoured up Bear Creek to take refuge from an approaching storm. After the boat's mast had hit the lines, the four people aboard leapt into the water as first the sail and then the remainder of the vessel caught fire. All four managed to swim the 150 feet to safety, though one was treated for minor burns. Firefighters responded and soon had the fire out. We haven't been able to determine whether the wires were lower than the 43-feet indicated on the charts or whether the height of the boat's mast exceeded 43 feet.
10.8.09
Natural Resources Police investigate boating fatality in Queen Anne's County
On October 7, 2009, at approximately 5:30 pm. the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) received a complaint of a missing boater from the Queen Anne's County Department of Emergency Services. The boater was missing in the area of Crab Alley, Eastern Bay. Emergency units responded to the area and immediately begin searching for the missing boater.
The body of the missing boater Mark Kodey, 52 years old from Chester, Md., was located by Boat #2 of the Grasonville Volunteer Fire Company at approximately 6:20 pm in Crab Alley.
Investigation by the Natural Resources Police revealed that Kodey was in a 12-foot sailboat by himself in Crab Alley when winds, estimated at between 30 and 40 knots, capsized Kodey's vessel. A wind surfer that was in the vicinity of Kodey's vessel attempted to assist Kodey.
The wind surfer, Steven S. Ripkin, 44 years of age from Chester, was unable to turn the sailboat over. Ripkin observed Kodey being separated from the sailboat by the high winds. Ripkin left the sailboat and swam to Kodey. When Ripkin reached Kodey, Kodey was unconscious. Ripkin's attempt to revive Kodey was unsuccessful. Due to rough seas, high winds, and becoming exhausted, Ripkin swam back to the boat and eventually back to shore.
Ripkin was transported to Anne Arundel County Medical Center for non life-threatening injuries. Kodey was transported to the Anne Arundel Medical Center, where he died of injuries.
Kodey will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy. The Natural Resources Police Special Operation Division is continuing the investigation in to the boating accident.
10.7.09
Man v. Annapolis' famous boaters deli
Set your video recorders now: Travel Channel, October 21 at 10 a.m. That's the time and date scheduled to air T host Adam Richman's struggle with the Colossal Challenge, the behemoth-sized menu item at Chick & Ruth's Delly on Main Street in Annapolis.
The program was filmed on a Sunday in September at the well-known Annapolis eatery, a longtime gathering place for both resident and visiting boaters—especially for Sunday breakfast.
The Colossal Challenge, by the way, is a 1 1/2-pound hamburger or sandwich and a 6-pound milkshake. To win the Colossal Challenge, it all must be consumed within an hour. Richman opted for a turkey (1 pound) and corned beef (1/2 pound) sandwich and a cool 6 pounds of vanilla milkshake.
Did Richman do it? You'll have to tune in to find out.
9.30.09
WHALE UPDATE
How do you dispose of a dead whale? Tow it.
On Wednesday morning, September 30, at high tide, a Sea Tow vessel pulled up to the decomposing carcass of a 30-foot female whale that washed up into shallow water along the Gloucester County, Va., shoreline, then attached a tow line to its tail, and began towing it out into deep water. The whale was on its way to remote Goodwin Island, where it would be anchored and left—the resolving the puzzle that has been occupying residents and various agencies over what to do with the increasingly odoriferous remains of the 20-ton critter. (See next story for details)
9.29.09
Body of humpback whale washes up in Gloucester, Va.
Virginia officials are not exactly sure what to do with the body of a humpback whale that has washed ashore on the north side of the York River at a place called Allen Island, not far from Gloucester, Va.
At 20 tons and 30 feet, the deceased young female whale would not be easy to move. If she had washed ashore on public land or in a remote area, her body would have been allowed to decompose naturally, officials from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) said.
The cause of death is unknown. The carcass was originally sighted near the middle of Chesapeake Bay on Saturday, September 26. The degree of decomposition suggests the whale had died fairly recently, within a few days of sighting.
Humpback whales have a worldwide distribution. The western Atlantic population migrates from summer feeding grounds off of New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces to calving and breeding grounds in the West Indies. They are not uncommon in Virginia's coastal waters. A commercial whale-watching industry operates out of Virginia Beach each winter.
Professor Rom Lipcius, head of the VIMS Sea Turtle Stranding Program, said that all marine mammals, live and dead, are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. It is illegal to approach or touch a dead whale, and could be dangerous due to the possibility of contracting a disease.
9.24.09
Virginia will continue oyster harvest rotation
After a long discussion over the effectiveness of Virginia's current oyster management efforts, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted to continue the rotation harvest plan, with a few changes. These rules place limits on when oysters may be harvested and where.
The commission did vote to open some oyster grounds a month earlier than usual to give waterman a market advantage over some of the Gulf states, which have pushed back their harvest dates. Oystering on two areas of the James and on the Rappahannock River will open October 1.
Oystering on Tangier and Pocomoke sound areas will be open in December, January and February, while the Great Wicomico area will be open for harvest from November through January. Two other areas on the Rappahannock will be open December through February, along with areas on the York, Deep Rock and Blackberry Hangs. The Coan-Nomini-Yeocomico area will be open in December only, while Seaside will be open from November through February. The James Seed area will have the longest season, from October through April.
Ken Smith, president of the Virginia State Waterman's Association argued that the rotational harvest is doing little or nothing to improve the oyster population. But the commission argued that the system had not yet had time to demonstrate its effectiveness—or lack of it.
9.22.09
Senate bill would require mid-level ethanol testing
Maryland's Ben Cardin was among a group of four legislators who introduced a bill designed "to protect consumers, the environment, public health and manufacturers"—and boaters—from having higher levels of ethanol fuel mandated without testing.
Cardin (D-Maryland) was joined by fellow Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) in proposing a bill that would require the Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advirsory Board to study the compatibility of mid-level ethanol blends with current engines. The ethanol industry has been pushing for approval of E15 (15 percent ethanol blended gasoline) without first testing it on engines, either automobile or marine.
The study would also include a comprehensive analysis of available independent scientific evidence on the compatibility of mid-level ethanol fuels with the emission requirements of the Clean Air Act and the operability of engines, among other things.
"Ethanol simply burns differently than gasoline," Cardin said in introducing the bill. "I fully support the development of biofuels . . . but we need to make such a transition in a way that helps, not hurts, commercial and recreational equipment, as well as the environment." Cardin is a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "We need to let good science guide us in making sure that we are getting the clean air benefits and engine performance that boaters, lawn care companies and others who rely on smaller engines deserve."
9.21.09
Coast Guard responds to vessel aground in Magothy River
The Coast Guard responded to a 709-foot car carrier that ran aground in the Chesapeake Bay near the lower Craighill Channel in Annapolis, Md., on Sunday, September 20.
Watch standers at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore received a call at 7 a.m., from a crew member aboard the Repubblica Di Roma, an Italian flagged vessel, reporting that the vessel had lost electrical power and drifted soft aground while on its way to the Port of Baltimore. Two tugboats from McAllister Towing arrived on scene and were able to free the vessel. The vessel is now en route to Annapolis Anchorage in Annapolis where Coast Guard marine inspectors and investigation officers will conduct an investigation into the incident.
There are no reports of injuries or pollution.
9.4.09
Making the grade: 2009's Clean Marinas
Maryland state and local officials gathered in Annapolis recently to recognize this year's newly certified Clean Marinas. A dozen marinas have joined the hundred facilities across the state that have adopted "best management practices" to be certified as Clean Marinas.
Since 1999, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has certified 115 Clean Marinas and 24 smaller facilities designated as Clean Marina Partners. These facilities voluntarily went beyond legally required permits and plans to reduce polluted run-off into adjacent waterways. The Maryland Clean Marina Initiative is a public-private partnership developed in response to federal legislation that requires the state to reduce •non-point source' pollution from marinas, boatyards and recreational boats.
To receive certification a marina must meet its regulatory requirements as well as implement a significant number of recommendations from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook in areas such as sewage handling, waste containment and disposal, and marina management. The marinas must meet minimum scores of 75 to 80 percent in each area of the Award Checklist and pass a site inspection.
The Clean Marinas receiving certification this year were:
Annapolis City Dock
Annapolis Maryland Capital Yacht Club
Annapolis Yacht Club Sailing Center
Campbell's Boatyard at Jack's Point (Oxford)
Clark's Landing Marine Center (Chester)
Gunpowder Neck Boat Club (Aberdeen Proving Ground MWR)
Mill Creek Marina (Naval Station Annapolis)
Nanticoke Harbor Marina (Nanticoke)
National Harbor Marina (Oxon Hill)
Tradewinds Marina (Baltimore)
West Basin Marina (Patuxent River Naval Air Station)
Yacht Basin Company (Annapolis)
9.1.09
Fatal boating accident under investigation
The Maryland Natural Resources Police are investigating a fatal boating accident on August 30 near Point Pleasant. Click here for more details.
Yes, those June tides really were crazy high
No, it wasn't your imagination. The tides really were much higher than normal all over the Chesapeake Bay during June and early July.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA), the extra high tides were caused by a highly unusual combination of persistent northeast winds and a slowing of the Florida Current. The winds led to higher sea levels from Cape Hattaras, N.C., to Maine, while the slowed current raised sea levels from North Carolina to Florida. Where the two factors overlapped—the Bay Bridge-Tunnel to Sandy Hook, N.J.— the tides were particularly high, NOAA said in a report released August 31.
The 40-page NOAA report said that although this had happened before, it was "the most extreme to occur simultaneously over the entire East Coast during a spring/summer period as far back as 1980."
"The ocean is dynamic, and it's not uncommon to have anomalies," said Mike Szabados, director of NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services. "What made this event unique was its breadth, intensity and duration."
In addition, high tides in the latter part of June coincided with a "perigean spring tide." (When the moon is nearest to Earth and aligned opposite the sun in a new moon phase, which causes higher-than-average spring tides). This factor in conjunction with the persistent northeast wind and the weakened current helped to amplify the tides, the report said.
"The June-July 2009 anomaly is unique," the NOAA scientists concluded, not because the northeast winds and the Florida Current were at remarkable extremes, but because the two in combination created conditions that affected the entire U.S. East Coast, from Maine to Florida, simultaneously.
8.31.09
Coast Guard releases final report for Lady D accident investigation
The U.S. Coast Guard last week released the final report of investigation into the March 2004 capsizing of the passenger vessel Lady D in the northwest harbor of the Patapsco River, Baltimore. Five passengers aboard the Lady D died in the accident.
The report states the accident was initiated by the master's unsafe decision to depart the dock at Fort McHenry in the face of an approaching visible squall line. The report also states that the Lady D, a small pontoon water taxi, capsized when the cumulative effect of many factors created an overturning motion from which the vessel could not recover.
Some of the recommendations in the report include:
Conducting an assessment of the stability of the pontoon passenger vessel fleet to identify vessels that may have an elevated risk of capsizing due to improperly conducted stability tests.
Clarifying guidance in Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 178 conditions under which a vessel's stability characteristics can be determined based on the known stability characteristics of another vessel.
Providing guidance for the use of enclosed canopies on all lightweight pontoon passenger vessels to allow passengers to egress quickly in the event of capsizing.
The Coast Guard said it has taken a series of actions to identify, assess and address areas of concern regarding the safe operation of small passenger vessels and pontoon vessel stability. These include direction to Coast Guard inspectors to investigate vessels nationwide that may be at elevated risk of capsizing, a review of stability standards and testing procedures, initiation of a comprehensive regulatory update, and publication of voluntary guidance as an interim measure.
Some of the items addressed in the proposed regulatory changes include:
1. The average weight per person used in calculations for existing and new vessels would be updated based on the latest weight data reported by the CDC. The average weight would then be automatically updated 60 days after the CDC reports new data for the U.S. population (normally published every 4 years).
2. At each annual inspection, the owner or operator of a vessel would need to confirm the stability information is still appropriate for the vessel's intended use.
3. At each annual inspection, the owner or operator would be required to show marine inspectors how the master determines that the vessel complies with stability requirements.
4. The stability of each passenger vessel would be verified by deadweight survey at least once every 10 years using the updated average weight per person.
5. Pontoon stability tests would be updated to reflect the latest improvements from the pontoon passenger vessel initiatives that were conducted in 2008.
6. A new passenger movement criteria would be implemented for pontoon passenger vessels and vessels of similar light construction to address capsize.
7. Masters would be required to pay special attention to both prevailing and forecasted visibility and environmental conditions, including wind and waves.
8. Masters of small passenger vessels (less than 65 feet) would be required to have a way to obtain or monitor the latest marine broadcast.
9. Further, the NPRM proposed revisions added more specific requirements for a vessel owner to show the vessel meets intact, subdivision and damage stability standards.
The report and its attachments, with information protected by the Privacy Act redacted, may be viewed online by clicking here and then selecting Investigations, Marine Casualty Reports and then Other Narrative Types.
8.28.09
James and Barren islands restoration project moves forward
Two Chesapeake islands, eroded nearly to the point of nonexistence, are getting a new lease on life. This week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave its okay to placing dredged material from Bay shipping lanes on both James and Barren islands. Funding of $500,000 to get the project rolling has been arranged by Maryland's congressional delegation.
U.S. Sen. Benjamin Cardin said Friday that 2,100 acres will be restored to the islands, thereby helping fish and wildlife populations and providing increased protection for nearby Taylors Island from storms, particularly from the north and northwest.
The project needs to receive final congressional approval before it can be finalized and could take up to 30 years to complete.
8.26.09
EPA wants to see an improvement in Chesapeake's "diet"
The Environmental Protection Agency put the word out on Twitter this week that it is putting together a pollution diet for the Bay as part of President Obama's mandate that it and other agencies put together a restoration strategy for the Chesapeake. The EPA will use total maximum daily load limits (TMDLs) for various pollutants in the Bay watershed. Each jurisdiction in the watershed, which includes Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, will get a share of the TMDL to meet. The TMDLs, in turn, will be supported by state plans to meet those allotted load limits.
Draft reports from the various federal agencies are due to be submitted to the president by September 9. The entire plan is scheduled for completion in December 2010.
Meanwhile, a public forum on the nature of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL and how it can be expected to impact watershed residents will be addressed during the 2009 Chesapeake Watershed Forum, October 9-11, at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W.Va. The TMDL discussion is scheduled for Saturday morning.
For more information, click here take a look at the EPA's Bay TMDL website.
8.21.09
Virginia closes horseshoe crab fishery for year
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has announced that effective Monday, August 17, the Virginia Horseshoe Crab Fishery is closed. The commission based its decision on landing reports from Virginia seafood buyers and VMRC Law Enforcement. It was projected that Virginia has now caught 100 percent of 152,495 horseshoe crab quota.
8.20.09
Maryland offers fixed price for crab-license buy-back
After receiving a disappointing response to its offer to let commercial crabbing license holders name their own price for selling back their permits, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) this week decided to take a new tack. The department is now offering to pay $2,260 per license.
The DNR began the voluntary Commercial Limited Crab Catcher (LCC) License Buy-Back Program in July in an effort to reduce the amount of latent (inactive) effort in Maryland's commercial blue crab fishery. But the response was small--494 bids--with a few of the bids soared into the millions of dollars, probably as a protest.
As a result, DNR decided to decline all of the bids and, instead, offer a fixed price to all LCC holders who may wish to sell their license.
The DNR wants to buy up unused licenses--or at least reduce the number of outstanding licenses--to prevent a wholesale return of crabbers to the business when the crab population rebounds. Such a move could undermine the gains achieved by current limits to size of catch and crabbing season.
On July 8, the DNR sent 3,676 latent and active LCC license holders a letter offering to permanently buy back licenses through a reverse auction. Last week, the DNR ended the reverse auction and instead offered to buy the licenses at the flat rate, with the hope of purchasing about 2,000 of the state's total of about 6,000 licenses.
Virginia, which has about 2,000 licensed watermen, is currently conducting its own reverse auction of commercial crabbing licenses. It earlier froze about 500 hundred dormant licenses.
7.2.09
Coast Guard closes waterway near James River Bridge
The Coast Guard Captain of the Port closed the waterway half a mile in each direction from the James River Bridge Thursday morning (July 2) due to power lines falling in the water Wednesday evening near the bridge.
Coast Guard Station Portsmouth and Virginia Marine Resource Commission personnel are protecting the safety zone as Dominion Power works to remove the power lines from the water.
Sector Hampton Roads personnel are transmitting a Safety Marine Information Broadcast to notify mariners of the closure and are informing their port partners.
"The waterway is closed," said Lt. Michael Snyder, a watchstander at Sector Hampton Roads. "If you come up from either direction VMRC or the Coast Guard will not let you pass through until it is safe."
6.22.09
High water strands nine kayakers on Patuxent River Sojourn
The Patuxent River Sojourn got off to a rocky start June 19 after nine of the group's thirty-one kayakers became stranded and unable to make it to shore on their own. High water, swift currents and debris in the river from recent heavy rainfall put the kayaking group in jeopardy about one mile south of Queen Anne's Bridge and not far south of the Bowie 4-H camp, where the group had launched. Twenty-two of the boaters were able to land safely. The remaining nine were rescued by a Maryland Natural Resources Police Officer and a member of the Laurel Volunteer Rescue Unit in a swift-water rescue boat. They received help from Prince Georges County Volunteer Marine Fire and Rescue Unit, Anne Arundel Fire and Rescue, Prince Georges County Fire and Rescue and Maryland State Police.
The Patuxent Sojourn is an annual four-day, 20-mile kayaking and camping trip downriver.
5.28.09
Virginia holds firm on crab regulations
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has voted unanimously to continue its multi-year blue crab rebuilding program, enacting a Nov. 21 fall harvest closure for female crabs and a continued ban on the winter dredging of crabs.
Because a scientific population survey concluded that last year's crab harvest restrictions are showing signs of success, the Commission agreed to waive a scheduled 15-percent reduction in the number of crab pots allowed per license class, and to reinstate the five-pot recreational crab license that was suspended last year, but only permit their use from June 1 to Sept. 15.
5.28.09
Police seeking help with thefts from boats at Georgetown, Md., marina
Maryland Natural Resources Police are investigating the breaking and entering of eighteen vessels in the Skip Jack Cove Marina, Sassafras River, Georgetown. The incident occurred on May 20, between 2 a.m. and 6 p.m. Unknown person or persons broke into vessels and stole numerous television sets from the vessels that were docked at the marina.
If anyone has information concerning this case or witnessed any suspicious activity during this period, please call 800-628-9944 and ask for Officer First Class Bill McKinney or Investigator Cpl. Chris Pavon.
5.8.09
Market House Returned to the City of Annapolis
After months of legal wrangling, suits and countersuits, control of historic Market House near City Dock in Annapolis is being returned to the City of Annapolis. Market House Ventures has agreed to relinquish its 20-year lease on the building, three years into the lease, for payment of $2,500,000 in three installments.
Both the city and leasing company still face suits from former tenants of the building, who complained about maintenance and air conditioning issues before finally moving out, leaving the once-thriving spot virtually empty.
5.6.09
Body of missing boater recovered
On May 5, at about 3 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police recovered the body of Rondie Wayne Baldwin from the Northeast River in the area of Sandy Cove Road, North East, Cecil County, Md.
The body was reported by a citizen who had been swimming in the area. The body was transported to the Maryland Medical Examiners Office in Baltimore for autopsy. The investigation is being continued by the Maryland NRP.
The NRP asks that anyone with information about the missing man or his location during April 30 to contact Investigator Cpl. Dave Wong at 800-628-9944.
5.5.09
Missing boater sought
Maryland Natural Resources Police are seeking the public's help in locating a missing boater that disappeared during a fishing trip in the Susquehanna Flats area of the Chesapeake Bay. On April 30, at approximately 1 p.m., Rondie Wayne Baldwin of Rising Sun, Md., and a friend departed the Cove Marina, Upper Elk River, in a green camouflage 23-foot Jon boat with Delaware registration 3788 AA. Rondie Baldwin disappeared from the Jon boat between 7:30 and 9:30 pm. while the friend was asleep. The boat was located in the area of Turkey Point at the mouth of the Northeast and Elk Neck River at the time of disappearance.
Rondie Baldwin, also known as "Twanger," is described as a white male, 5'8" tall, 215 pounds, and 51 years of age with green eyes and grey hair and mustache. Baldwin was last seen wearing a gray short sleeve shirt and blue jeans.
If the public saw the missing man or the vessel in the time leading up to or after the disappearance, please call 800-628-9944 and ask for Investigator Cpl. Dave Wong.
4.14.09
Tangier-Onancock ferry route back in business
The watery distance between two small Virginia Eastern Shore communities—the village of Onancock and the island of Tangier—became an unbridgeable chasm for all but boat owners in late 2007 with the suspension of the usual ferry runs. The resulting economic impact was felt in both directions—inhibiting tourism and the islanders real needs for goods and public services.
Starting May 1, however, Captain Mark Crockett of Tangier (757-891-2505; [email protected]) will pick up the service with a five day per week schedule.
Tickets can be purchased on board Crockett's 25-capacity Joyce Marie II on a first come-first-served basis. Round-trip fare is $25 from Onancock, with the second half of the ticket valid at any time. The boat will run Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays--and on Monday holidays (Memorial Day and Labor Day). Onancock departure times are slated for 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Ferry service is also available from Crisfield, Md., through M & S Charters (757-891-2440) and the Steven Thomas (410-968-2328); and from Reedville, Va. aboard Chesapeake Breeze and My Tangier (804-453-2628).
4.7.09
Boaters rescued after boat grounds near St. Clements Island, Md.
The Coast Guard removed two people and a dog from their boat, after it ran aground in the Potomac River on Sunday, April 5 near St. Clement's Island, Md.
The Coast Guard Station at St. Inigoes, Md., sent a rescue-boat crew to the site early Sunday evening at 5 p.m. after receiving a call from that the 30-foot sailing vessel had run aground and was taking on water. The rescue crew removed Jeffery Shauberger, his son Jeffery Shauberger Jr., and their pet rottweiler from the boat and transported them to a campground near St. Patrick's Creek.
The sailboat was lit and anchored on the shoal near St. Clement's and did not affect navigable waterways.
Both of the Shaubergers and their dog, were wearing lifejackets.
4.1.09 Rogue barge strikes Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
The Coast Guard reported yesterday (March 31) that a barge drifted into the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel late Monday night or early Tuesday morning and then ran aground on Fisherman's Island, north of the bridge. There was no damage to the bridge.
The Coast Guard received a phone call about 3 a.m. Tuesday from Nathan Brothers Tug reporting that one of their barges had broken away while under tow between Bells Rock Light and Back River Channel.
A boat crew from Station Milford Haven was quickly launched at to search for the barge from the mouth of the York River north towards Bells Rock Light, but could not locate it. The adrift barge, meanwhile, allided with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and then grounded north of the bridge.
Nathan Brothers Tug has assumed responsibility for the recovery of the barge. The barge was recovered early Tuesday afternoon by the tug Pathfinder and was being taken to the Norfolk tug yard. The company said that the hopper barge, which normally carries wood chips, was empty and that no environmental impact was expected.
Bridge maintenance investigators have inspected the bridge structure and found no damage.
The cause of the break away is currently under investigation.
3.31.09 Dramatic changes for historic Hartge's Yacht Yard
Can you just pick up and move an entire boatyard? Hartge's Yacht Yard of Galesville, Md., is doing just that. After months of rumors and marina scuttlebutt, the news is out: After 130 years at one site, Hartge's Yacht Yard is packing up and resettling across town.
The Hartge marine tradition began in 1879, when Emile Alexander Hartge established a new home and new boat business on a 17-acre peninsula along the West River. Now, Hartge's descendant and namesake, Emile Alexander "Alex" Schlegel, is moving the repair and maintenance business lock, stock and parts barrel to the other side of Galesville, and into two other local landmarks.
After Schlegel was unable to reach a lease agreement with Whitestake Associates, who own the peninsula, he and service manager Luke Frey, as well as their staff of craftsmen, decided to pick up and move to Woodfield, the site of a once-thriving fish and oyster business. The new location, on Tenthouse Creek, has limited dockage, so Harge's Yacht Yard services will go mobile as well as on site. Hartge Yacht Yard's new offices and its ship's store have already been relocated to the old West River Market building on Main Street.
For more information, Schlegel and Frey can be reached at 410-867-2188 and 301-261-5141. The new website is www.hartgeyard.com.
The original peninsula property on Church Lane with slips and fuel dock, formerly known as Hartge Yacht Yard, is now called Hartge Yacht Harbor, owned and managed by Whitestake Associates (443-607-6306).
3.31.09 Asians oyster's visa revoked
After years of testing and argument, the Asian oysters' chances of establishing roots in the Chesapeake Bay have suddenly dropped from pretty good to just about zero. Up until last week, those responsible for making the decision were divided on whether to allow watermen to cultivate the non-native bivalve as a replacement for the Bay's ailing native species. The state of Maryland had come out opposing the proposition, Virginia indicated that it was leaning in favor of it and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' representative Colonel Dionysios Anninos seemed to be waffling.
And that's the way the matter stood through most of the winter and into spring. That is, until last week, when the cards began to fall in favor of the native son. First, Anninos announced that he believed the issue needed more study and that he favored allowing some modest-size experiments to continue under tight restrictions. Then, during a meeting of the Virginia Marine Resource Commission, the Asian oyster's chief cheerleader—the Virginia Seafood Council—announced that it was throwing in the towel and withdrawing from the fight. Then, this week, Lyn Tran, a spokesman for Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, said that the state needed to support the findings of its scientific community and proceed very cautiously in introducing a non-native species into the Bay.
This brought Virginia into step with nearly all Bay scientists and environmentalists who have gone on record opposing the Asian oyster because of the danger that it could push out the native species and that it could harbor human pathogens.
Virginia, Maryland and the Corps of Engineers are now trying to develop a comprehensive plan for rehabilitating the native oyster, though Anninos says he doesn't want to close the door entirely on further Asian oyster research, though probably in laboratory conditions only.
Area organizations act quickly to end Salisbury University fuel spill
A "unified command," including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Maryland Department of the Environment, is continuing clean up and recovery efforts of a pollution spill in Tony Tank Creek in Salisbury on Thursday, March 12.
Salisbury University on Wednesday, March 11, reported a mechanical failure in their generator system, which caused a loss of about 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel from a fuel tank. Between 500 and 600 gallons of diesel fuel have been recovered from the creek since the report was made. More than 1,000 feet of containment boom has been placed between the Camden Avenue Bridge and the Riverside Drive Bridge to contain the spill.
"This operation is a fine example of our partnership among federal, state and local agencies along with the private sector," said Cmdr. Austin Gould, the acting sector commander of Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. "Together, we're working to eliminate an environmental threat to the Chesapeake Bay."
"The university appreciates these agencies' support and leadership that have minimized the impact of this spill on the university, the community and our shared watershed," said Dr. Tom Jones, provost at Salisbury University.
Wicomico County Emergency Management responded to a report of a strong fuel odor near Tony Tank Creek Wednesday night. They then contacted the National Response Center to report diesel fuel in the water about 8:42 p.m. Wednesday. NRC notified Coast Guard Sector Baltimore personnel of the spill. Investigators from Sector Baltimore arrived about 12:50 a.m. Thursday. The Coast Guard confirmed Salisbury University as the source of the spill and had the spill stopped by 1:15 a.m. The diesel fuel is believed to have leaked from a fuel tank on the roof of the Henson Science Hall on campus.
The unified command was established with the Coast Guard and representatives from Salisbury University, Maryland Department of the Environment, Salisbury City Fire Department and Wicomico County Emergency Management.
If you see further fuel sheen or wildlife affected by the spill, please contact the Coast Guard Command Center at 410-576-2525.
Wilmington, Del., oil spill from freighter accident
A member of Clean Venture examines the fuel oil spill on the surface of the water in the Port of Wilmington in Wilmington, Del., on Thursday March 12. The fuel oil spilled from a 623-foot freight carrier after it allided with the pier in the Port of Wilmington.
Fast Response
The Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown unveiled its new response boat at the Boat Forces Center on Thursday, March 5. The 45-foot response boat will be replacing the 41-foot utility boat that has been in service for more than 30 years. (U.S. Coast Guard photos/Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Henise)
Fawcett buys Pyacht.com
Bankruptcy behind them, Fawcett Boat Supplies has decided to go on the offensive with the purchase of Pyacht.com. This winter, the venerable boat supply company, located at City Dock in Annapolis, announced that it was purchasing the assets of Pyacht.com, an internet-based marine supply company in neighboring Eastport, Md. Fawcett's president, Steve Ripley, said the acquisition would give the company a better e-commerce presence.
Fawcett filed for bankruptcy in 2007 after the purchase of Annapolis-based wholesaler Oceana created cash-flow problems. Fawcett then unloaded Oceana and recapitalized. It also reached an agreement to pay off its creditors within three years.
Pinter at Annapolis Sailing School
Jason Pinter has rejoined the staff of Annapolis Sailing School, this time as operations manager. He will oversee operations of the sailing school, Kidship and the Annapolis Powerboat School. Pinter worked for Annapolis Sailing from 1998 to 2002 as instructor and assistant manager.
Update: Liberty ship arrives in Greece
The Arthur M. Huddell, the last Liberty ship in the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet on the James River, arrived in the Greek port of Pireaus in January, flying the Greek flag and renamed Hellas Liberty. The ship left Norfolk, Va., on December 6 and was towed to Greece, where it will be refurbished then take up a new life-after-mothballs as a museum, a reminder of the connection between Greece and the United States.
During World War II, 2,750 Liberty ships were build in the largest shipbuilding effort in history. The ships were crewed by merchant mariners and carried troops and military cargo throughout the world. After the war, Greece shipowners purchased Liberty ships by the hundred to build up their fleet—now the world's largest (though no longer with Liberty ships, of course).
Watermen cleaning up old oyster beds
More than two dozen workboats hovered over old oyster beds on the Severn River, just above the Naval Academy Bridge in Annapolis, on February 26. They were part of an ongoing project to clean oyster reefs to ready them for seeding. The reefs get covered with silt and other river debris, which could smother any new oysters put on the bed.
The state of Maryland has hired the watermen to do the work to help ease the economic hardship brought on by restrictions in the crab harvest. The program is administered by the Oyster Recovery Partnership.
In addition to the Severn, watermen have been working on oyster beds in Tangier Sound and the Patuxent River. Boat owners are paid $500 a day and crewmen $150 a day. The work is financed with the $3 million from the state and $10 from the federal government.
Annapolis windsurfer wins suit against US Sailing Ruling could mean wide changes to race rules
A hearing panel of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has given US Sailing, the governing body of competitive sailing, six months to eliminate one-party protest hearings from the process by which it determines winners in competitions. The challenge to US Sailing's existing protest process was brought by Annapolis, Maryland, windsurfer Farrah Hall, who won the women's RS-X Olympic trials in 2007 but was removed as winner by a protest committee after a one-party hearing on a complaint by Nancy Rios, another competitor. Hall was not informed of the hearing until she was told that she had been removed as U.S. representative for her sport in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After unsuccessfully seeking a hearing from US Sailing, Hall sought redress from the Olympic committee. The hearing panel recently issued a 23-page decision, ruling that Hall should have been notified of the complaint and allowed to participate in the hearing. US Sailing was given until September 1 to revise its rules or lose its recognition as sailing's governing body.
Coast Guard rescues two in Pocomoke
The Coast Guard rescued two people after they reportedly ran aground near William's Point in the Pocomoke River Tuesday. Rescued were Ronald Walker and George Staubs.
Walker called Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders by cell phone from the Knightrider, a 31-foot vessel, at 10:50 a.m. reporting that he had run aground and the vessel was taking on water. The crew of the Knightrider was able to control the amount of water entering the vessel by using rags to plug the hole.
A 41-foot utility boat crew from Coast Guard Station Crisfield, Md., arrived on scene and towed the Knightrider and crew back to Station Crisfield.
The Coast Guard urges mariners to outfit their boat with a functioning marine-band radio as cell phones are typically an unreliable source of communication due to gaps in coverage and limited battery life. Using channel 16 on a marine-band radio is the most reliable way to communicate a distress to search and rescue personnel in the event of an emergency while on the water.
Also, boaters should try to provide as much information about their boat, situation and position as they can while making a distress call, in order to reduce search areas and response times.
"By knowing his position, and providing it to us, we knew exactly where to go," said Petty Officer Keith Newman, the officer of the day at Station Crisfield. "That enabled us to respond quickly before their situation could get any worse."
Protecting Ducking Stool Point
A partnership between the James River Association, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership and several other organizations has protected from erosion more than 500 acres of tidal freshwater marsh on Herring Creek in Charles City County, Virginia.
The newly protected marsh, known as Ducking Stool Point, is a spit of land located at the confluence of Herring Creek and the James River. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducking Stool Point provides important habitat for waterfowl, bald eagles, largemouth bass and a number of other birds and fish.
To protect the marsh from further erosion, the partnership installed an 1,825-foot-long structure of sloping stone between the marsh and the James River. Stabilizing Ducking Stool Point will help protect stream habitat for migratory and residential fish species, many of which are recreationally valuable to area residents. The project also protects bald eagles and other wildlife that nest and roost in the area.
Bay Bridge Show addition
United States Yacht Shows has added a new Outdoor Living component to the Bay Bridge Boat Show, scheduled for April 23-26 at Stevensville on Kent Island, Md. This show within the show will feature car-top boats to introduce non-boaters to entry level, affordable and green boating.
The Outdoor Living section will include seminars to answer questions about when, where, why and how to get into boating. After each session, a guide will accompany attendees to the outdoor section.
Annapolis boat shows
In a minor show of force, the Annapolis City Council voted to keep the U.S. Sailboat Show and the U.S. Powerboat Show under the management of the Hartman family, who has been running the events for a number of years. On a 6-3 vote, the council voted to renew the Hartmans' lease, rejecting a rival offer from the recently formed City Dock Productions LLC. City Dock Productions partners Jim Barthold and Tim Dowling had offered the city a $500,000 base for the lease, more than the Hartmans' $375,950. The amount received by the city is determined as the base amount or 50 percent of the gross receipts from ticket sales, whichever is greater.
[February 09] A barge cozies up to the 800-foot bulk carrier CSL Argosy on Monday, Jan. 19, in preparation to transfer iron ore from aboard the ship. Lightering operations started Sunday aboard the bulk carrier, which was aground in Chesapeake Bay in the lower Craig Hill Channel just north of Annapolis, Md. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard)
Muddy odyssey of the Argosy
For reasons yet unknown, the 800-foot bulk carrier CSL Argosy grounded on the muddy bottom at the edge of the Craighill Channel near Gibson Island on Saturday, January 17. Coast Guard officials said that the ship had lost neither steerage nor propulsion and was under the guidance of a Bay pilot at the time of the grounding.
By Monday night, January 19, the Argosy was floating free once again, after a portion of her cargo had been removed to raise her position in the water.
The Bahamian-flagged ship was then escorted out of the channel by tug and was anchored near Annapolis until her crew had thoroughly inspected the vessel. That inspection will be subject to Coast Guard review before she is allowed to proceed. However, there appear to be no signs of damage or pollution.
The Argosy re-floated after about 19,300 metric tons of her iron-ore cargo were removed and transferred to barges. The Unified Command—comprised of the Coast Guard, State of Maryland and the ship's operator, Vships—put together the plan and supervised the work to free the vessel.
The ship was on its way to Baltimore when it ran aground near the entrance to the Magothy River. The Argosy was not obstructing the channel, nor impeding vessel traffic. The cause of the grounding is under investigation.
In Maryland: 9,000 acres for conservation
Fresh off the debut of a new map that pinpoints the most desirable tracts of land in the state for future preservation, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has announced the planned acquisition of five large and ecologically valuable properties. The land, spread across the state, totals 9.242 acres and comes at a cost of about $72 million.
Province properties
The most interesting of the purchases in a historic sense are four parcels known as the Province properties. These have been owned by the Jesuits—specifically the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus—since the 17th century.
The parcels, located in Cecil, Charles and St. Mary's counties, total 4,473 acres and include 20 miles of Potomac River waterfront. They also encompass a mix of woodlands, wetlands and meadows. The Jesuits had wanted to sell the properties, but didn't want it to be developed, so the Conservation Fund stepped in to broker the deal for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Funding will come from the state's Program Open Space. The lands eventually will be open for public use.
The four tracts are:
• Cedar Point, a high priority conservation area, is 1,737 acres of woodlands, wetlands and agricultural fields along 4.2 miles of shoreline along Port Tobacco Creek and the Potomac River.
• St. Inigoes, a 985-acre tract about five miles south of St. Mary's City on St. Inigoes peninsula, includes eight miles of shoreline separating St. Marys River and Smith Creek.
• New Towne Neck is a 776-acre peninula with seven miles of shoreline along Breton Bay, the Potomac River and St. Clements Bay. The property was purchased by the Jesuits in 1668 for 40,000 pounds of tobacco.
• Old Bohemia, is 975 acres of upland forest and open meadows north of Route 282 near Warwick in Cecil County.
Foster property
The remaining 4,769 acres to be acquired is a single tract in Worcester County is known as the Foster property—the largest privately owned forest parcel in the state. The land received one of the highest ecological rankings in the state's new open space targeting program because it is home to 90 rare, threatened or endangered wildlife and plant species. Two-thirds of Maryland's forest interior dwelling birds inhabit this watershed. In addition the land protects watersheds for the Nassawango Creek and Pocomoke River. This deal was brokered by the Nature Conservancy.
GreenPrint
The new Maryland map known as GreenPrint is meant to help the state prioritize lands for future preservation. Properties are ranked based on a series of criteria, such as important shoreline, watersheds, forests and rare species habitat. The GreenPrint map is located online at www.greenprint.Maryland.gov.
In Virginia: Funding for Crow's Nest
Virginia's effort to purchase an undeveloped area in Stafford County known as Crow's Nest will be getting a boost from a federal agency. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's National Coastal Wetland's Conservation Grants Program has agreed to a put $855,465 toward the purchase of 1,200 acres of the Crow's Nest peninsula. Crow's Nest—named for a schooner moored off the property in the early 1800s—is considered ecologically important as an undeveloped tract with significant shoreline along the Potomac and Accokeek creeks. It also includes hardwood forests and deep ravines that provide haven for a number of rare species.
In 2008, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and Stafford County purchased 1,700 acres on Crow's Nest for $19 million. The deal included a two-year option to purchase another 1,200 acres for $16.2 million. Before the Fish & Wildlife grant was announced, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality announced it would provide $3.5 million to help with the purchase of the second tract.
Crab Regs 2009
In Maryland: Spreading the pain
Last year, new limits on blue crab harvesting across the Chesapeake drew strident objections from lower Bay watermen, who pointed out that they were being penalized by the limits on taking female crabs—which comprise a large part of their yearly catch. So this year, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has proposed a modified set of regulations that are meant to equalize the burden.
The new proposal would close the commercial crab season for mature female hard crabs from June 1 through June 15, September 26 through October 4, and November 11 through December 15. Daily catch limits for females will be set after the DNR receives the results of the winter dredge survey, which is generally published in April. Bushel limits will be based on a waterman's license type. The limits will harsher if the population shows a decline and may be lightened if the population shows a significant increase.
In addition, the DNR proposes to freeze licenses that have not been used between 2004 and 2008 until the blue crab population recovers. Further, the DNR proposes to license all recreational crabbers—even backyard crabbers—though there will be no charge for registration.
The states of Maryland and Virginia last year worked together to limit crab harvests because of the dramatic drop in the population over the past few years. Many crabbers were angered by the limits, arguing that the state was using them as a scapegoat, while the real culprit was pollution, especially from agriculture and over development. For a detailed summary of the proposed regulations, click here.
In Virginia: Use it or lose it
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has approved a regulation that will prevent more than 800 watermen from renewing their crabbing licenses for 2009 through 2012 if they did not use their permits to catch crabs from 2004 to 2007. The idea behind the limit is to prevent a sudden surge in crabbers that could erase any population gains made by the harvest limits already in place. If the population levels stay sufficiently high, the licenses could be renewed after the limit has expired. Alternatively, a waterman with an inactive license, could purchase an active license from another waterman.
In a related move, Virginia has decided to use a portion of its $10 million in federal disaster money to buy back licenses from watermen who would agree to stop harvesting blue crabs in the Bay. Maryland and Virginia each received money from the U.S. Commerce Department after the Bay crab fishery was declared a federal disaster. Some of the federal money will be used to pay watermen to recover "ghost" crab traps—traps that were abandoned or lost but many of which are capable of catching crabs.
In November, a Norfolk judge rejected a request from Virginia watermen to dredge crabs this winter, despite a ban on winter dredging imposed in 2008. For a complete set of Virginia's crabbing regulations, click here.
[January 09]
What's black and white (sometimes) and hated all over?
We know you don't want to hear this, but here it is anyway: A zebra mussel has been found in a water intake pipe upstream from the Conowingo Dam. We know, what else could go wrong with the Bay? Yes, it was only one zebra mussel, but where there's one . . . After millions of dollars have been spent trying to protect the Bay from these voracious, tenacious, and hellacious little critters, at least one seems to have gotten through Maryland's defense shields.
Zebra mussels first hitchhiked their way from Europe into the Great Lakes in the ballast water tanks of a ship in the 1980s. Since then, they have wrecked havoc by altering the balance of marine populations, fouling public water systems and generally creating one new problem after another. They also have spread into more than 20 states and a couple of Canadian provinces.
To prevent their spread south into the northern, less-salty part of the Bay, Maryland and Pennsylvania set up a series of defense shields at reservoirs at dams along the Susquehannah River. Virginia spent thousands to clean up a quarry where the mussels appeared. And each year the federal government spends billions on control programs.
So, now that a zebra mussel has been found in Maryland, the alert has been sounded for boaters and anglers to take extra precautions not to become part of the problem. Vessels and equipment should be scrubbed after each use and especially when moving from one body of water to another. Zebra mussels have white or yellow stripes alternating with black or brown stripes. Adults are about the size of a thumbnail. They thrive in fresh and low-saline water.
Solution to Bay cleanup? Shorter deadlines, of course
Unable to meet a succession of 10-year deadlines for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, state officials on November 20 announced that they would set two-year deadlines from here on in. As several hundred protesters marched solemnly through Union State in Washington D.C., the governors of Maryland and Virginia, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty, federal officials and representatives from New York, Delaware and Pennsylvania met privately at Union Station for two hours to discuss the health of the Bay. Emerging afterward, they acknowledged that previous efforts and millions of dollars had failed to make significant progress in restoring the health of the Bay. However, they pledged to set a new, two-year goal in the spring.
According to nearly all measures, the Bay remains as polluted—or more so—in nearly all areas as it was when cleanup efforts began in the 1980s. The major culprit has been identified as nutrient runoff from farmland, followed by runoff from development, fallout from power plants and vehicle exhaust.
Federal government pledges $20 million to aid Virginia and Maryland softshell crabbers
It wasn't all they had hoped for—or asked for—but Virginia and Maryland are now set to received up to $10 million each in aid for watermen—specifically soft-shell and peeler crab watermen—whose livelihood has been damaged by new more restrictive crabbing regulations. The announcement came November 18 from the Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and atmosphere Administration. The move followed a declaration from the federal government in September designating the Chesapeake soft-shell-crabbing fishery a disaster.
A dramatic decline in the numbers of crabs in the Bay led Virginia and Maryland this year to enact a series of restrictions aimed at limiting the crab catch—particularly female crabs—in order to enable the population to increase. The new rules have made things difficult for nearly all crabbers, but have particularly hurt watermen who harvest soft crabs and peelers. The segment has declined 40 percent, according to National Marine Fisheries Service spokesman Monica Allen. Following the disaster designation, the two states requested immediate relief of $30 million.
Now it's up to the two states to decide how the money will be used. The states must file a plan with the Fisheries Service before the money will be disbursed. Neither state has yet announced specifics, but both have suggested that at least some of the money will be used to restore habitat and to increase other economic opportunities for watermen, including aquaculture. Other projects include employing crab fishermen to retrieve "ghost"—lost or abandoned—crab pots.
A fee for backyard crabbers? Oh, never mind!
At a meeting in Annapolis on November 10, officials of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Fisheries Service said establishing a license for all crabbers—even those crabbing off their own docks—was an option under consideration. Licensing all crabbers would allow the state to get more accurate numbers for harvest counts, the officials said, and the $2 proposed fee would be painless to everyone. By the next day, however, after the story had been reported in the Annapolis paper the Capital, officials were already backing off the idea—at least the idea of charging for the license. The Baltimore Sun's environmental writer Tim Wheeler reported November 18 on the Sun's environmental blog that DNR Secretary John Griffin told him a few days after the announcement that while he believed all crabbers should be licensed, he did not think that a fee would be in order.
The way we were last summer
This overview of the Bay was released in November by Chesapeake Eco-Check (www.eco-check.org/summerreview/chesapeake/), a co-project of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the NOAA. And while there is plenty to be concerned about, some of the most dire predictions for the summer—like algae blooms and harmful dissolved oxygen numbers—did not come about. Still, there were fish kills and dead zones enough for continued grave concern. For more details on the summer review, visit the website above.
Asian Oysters vs. Native Oysters
The hearings are over and now the wait begins. Will a species of Asian oyster be introduced into the Chesapeake, as the Virginia Seafood Council and some watermen advocate? Or will environmental groups, scientists and other watermen win their argument that such a move could prove disastrous to the oyster fishery on the Bay. Following a five year multimillion dollar study to determine whether introducing the Asian oyster to the Bay would be beneficial—or even safe—the U.S. Corps of Engineers failed to choose a side in its 1,500-page report. Instead, the Corps suggested that the people be allowed to decide instead. So a series of hearings were held at various locations in Maryland and Virginia. In addition, comments to [email protected] may be made until December 15.
The Corps study found that while the Asian oyster grew more quickly than native oysters and was not susceptible to dermo and MSX, the two diseases that have decimated the native oyster population, it was susceptible to other diseases that do not attack the native population. A separate study indicates that the Asian oyster carries more viruses when grown in polluted waters and so would pose a greater health hazard to consumers. Advocates of introduction argue that it provides the best hope for a renewed oyster industry on the Bay.
When the comment period is over, all comments will become part of the final report. Those and a recommendation are expected in April.
Three Bay marinas make Top 100 list
Boating Industry magazine has announced its Top 100 Dealers, including three located on the Chesapeake Bay. The rankings recognize overall business operations, customer service, marketing and professionalism.
Topping the list for the second consecutive year was Galati Yacht Sales of Anna Maria, Fla., followed by Seattle Boat Co. of Seattle, Wash., and Prince William Marine Sales Inc., located in Woodbridge, Va. Also making the list were Lynnhaven Marine in Virginia Beach, Va., which ranked 25 and Hoffmaster's Marina, another Woodbridge company, at 76.
Somers Cove Appointments Complete Commission
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin has appointed three people to the Somers Cove Marina Commission. This completes the new panel of seven people. The state legislature created the commission in April to help the DNR in making decisions on the marina's future and development. Somers Cove is a perennially popular 515-slip marina in the center of Crisfield.
Named to the commission were Susan Engle, a slip holder and Crisfield resident; Mike Grant, boating services facilities manager for DNR, longtime boater and past commodore of Kent Island Yacht Club; and Less Hardy, slip holder and director of operations of Washingtonian Coach. The other members of the commission were appointed earlier by the mayor of Crisfield and the Somerset County commissioners. They are Mike Atkins, Crisfield councilmember; Ladell Dorman, schoolteacher and slip holder; Jay Tawes of Tawes Insurance Co.; and Casey Todd of MeTompkin Seafood Co. The commission is expected to hold its first meeting in January.
Watermen at work cleaning oyster habitat
Some Maryland watermen are going back to work, but not for themselves this time. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Oyster Recovery Partnership expect to hire 250 watermen this winter to help restore lost oyster bars. Another 84 are expected to be signed on for land-based work later this year.
In mid-November 100 watermen were hard at work recovering and cleaning about 100 acres of oyster bars in Tangier Sound and in the Patuxuent and Severn rivers. Watermen used their own boats and equipment to remove silt and sediment from the tops of once healthy oyster bars. These cleaned areas will now receive be seeded with spat. By the end of this project, the DNR expects 1,000 acres of oyster bars to have been recovered. Unfortunately, the Chesapeake loses an estimated 2,600 acres of hard bottom oyster habitat.
The Maryland program is part of the state's effort to employ watermen who are suffering a loss of income because of new crabbing regulations aimed at restoring the Bay's dwindling population.
Buoy, of buoy!
Things were looking grim for the Patapsco River's smart buoy after it was badly damaged in July by drive-by shooters. But it was rushed to the buoy ER for treatment. There its 21 wounds to the solar panels, navigation light and electronic gear were patched up and destroyed parts replaced. A mere $7,000 later, the buoy was ready to go back in the water. In November it was redeployed. Moments later, it had geared up and was transmitting information about water quality, weather conditions and providing a historical narrative of Captain John Smith's visit to the area 400 years ago. To tune into the Patapsco smart buoy—or any of the other five deployed around the Bay—you can call 877-buoybay (286-9229) or visit www.buoybay.org. By the way, there is a $1,250 reward for information leading to the conviction of the bad guys. Call 410-260-8888 with information.
A Fish By Any Other Name
From the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP):
Watermen cleaning up old oyster beds
A barge cozies up to the 800-foot bulk carrier 
