Opening Day Parade
The opening day parade with this year's theme "America The Beautiful" was a success! Special thanks to Steve Sullivan on the R/V Lightning for his vast amount of help organizing this. The winners of the parade are as follows :
First Prize - Brook Seymour - Get Away
Second Prize - Noble Griswold - Blue Fin
Third Prize - Shep and Nancy Jenks - Hoot
Most Impressive Newcomer - Rob Cline on his new yacht - Starlight
Marina Security Concerns
Remember to keep a sharp eye on the docks as well as your neighbor's boats. There have been a few security issues this month, but nothing of high value has been lost to date. If / when security concerns do arise, please contact the marina office as your first course of action. If there are people on the docks who appear that they do not belong, contact the marina office immediately.
Other individuals who are not allowed onto the private docks include the Benicia Police Department. In a previous occurrence here at the marina, a very serious incident arose when the BPD gained access to the docks and entered a boat without permission. A marina berther, who was onboard the boat, was held at gunpoint and searched, but no arrest was made. The BPD is no longer allowed admittance to the docks unless there is a valid warrant and/or a clear and present danger / emergency. The City Manager has been advised of this new marina policy in writing.
Reminder to Illegal Live-Aboards
Several questions have been raised regarding the Benicia Marina permit obtained from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), specifically about live-aboard usage. The permit is available for review upon the request of the marina berthers. To clarify any uncertainties, two sections from the permit have been listed below :
Article II Section E. "Marina and Live-Aboard Requirements"
1. Permittee's Responsibility to Enforce. The permittee (Benicia Marina) shall permanently, continuously and fully enforce, through lease provisions, monitoring, notices, education and other appropriate measures, all requirements imposed by Special Condition II-E herein.
2. Number and distribution. The permittee may allow no more than 32 live-aboard boats (10% of the marina's 320 berths) within the marina basis and other water covered areas of the Benicia Marina. Such vessels are allowed only for the purpose of providing added security for all boat owners, users, and the public. The live-aboard boats shall be distributed throughout the marina in a manner that will provide the greatest security.
Smooth Sailing,
Chuck Hooper, Assistant Harbormaster
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Probably not a good idea to be "advertising" to the less than honest folks that it is now "marina policy" to "contact the marina office as your first course of action...If there are people on the docks who appear that they do not belong, contact the marina office immediately." Who will be answering the marina's phone after 5pm?
ReplyDeleteAlso, why would "BPD no longer [be] allowed admittance to the docks unless there is a valid warrant and/or a clear and present danger/emergency"? The marina is city property that is run by a corporation with a 30 year lease...it is not private property.
There are locked gates in the marina for security purposes, yet unauthorized people are still able to gain access to the docks. Gates, and bathroom doors, are sometimes left propped open by marina staff. Unauthorized dock access can be easily gained by climbing under the ramps along utility/water lines or by walking across the mud at low tide by way of an abandoned catamarans, dinghies or kayaks.
It was stated that "There have been a few security issues this month, but nothing of high value has been lost to date." Yet, there was an attempted dinghy theft, as well as a successful sailing dinghy theft...these are "high value" items.
I'm not a legal expert, but it would seem logical to equate the marina's "no BPD admittance" policy to telling people who own homes in a gated community to not allow police access. Could it not be said that, if one were to follow marina policy, one could be charged with the obstruction of justice?
It is BPD's job to patrol, investigate when necessary and protect the community!