SAN PEDRO, Calif. – The Coast Guard took a recreational sail boat in tow after it had become disabled in Channel Islands Harbor and was close to going aground about 5:30 a.m., Oct. 2, 2012.
The sailing vessel Paloma was spotted heading towards the harbor jetties with no lights illuminated. Coast Guard Station Channel Islands Harbor launched a 41-foot utility boat to inform the vessel’s master of the safety violation. Upon learning the vessel was disabled, the Coast Guard boat crew took the vessel in tow back into the harbor and conducted a safety boarding. The Paloma was about 50 feet away from running aground.
During the inspection, the Coast Guard boarding officer confirmed the sailboat did not have working navigational lights and was not equipped with visual distress signals.
The sailboat will remain in Channel Islands Harbor until all the navigational lights are working properly and the boat is equipped with distress signals, such as flares.
To learn more about what is required for boaters in California to have onboard their vessel, check the California’s Department of Boating and Waterways “ABCs of Boating” at http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Pubs/Abc/ . Sailboat requirements can be found on pages 24 through 26.
