A stormy bill’s ahead

MIKE WHITEHEAD

Ahoy.

The winter storms have finally arrived in Southern California, and

this morning I’m in Ensenada, Mexico, loading a yacht onto a

transport ship.

I received a last-minute call this week to deliver a Carver 500

motor yacht from Newport Harbor to Ensenada. Unfortunately, this week

is not a good time to be on the ocean with the storm systems, high

swells and posted small craft advisories.

However, a time clock is ticking, as the Dockwise Yacht Transport

ship loads Friday morning, and if the yacht is not in Ensenada, then

the owner forfeits the entire ship’s transport fee. Joining me on

this delivery is Capt. Chandler Bell, and we are accustomed to using

this service. Unfortunately, the unreliable skipper who left the

vessel is up the creek, and the vessel should have been moved last

week by simply monitoring the weather. The yacht transport ships are

good services that allow boat owners with big or small vessels to

relocate to destinations normally out of their range, like the San

Juan Islands or the East Coast.

On another note, Ray Tsuneyoshi, who is the state’s boating and

waterways director, called to warn me about Assembly Bill 2222, which

was introduced on Feb. 18 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz and coauthored

by Assemblyman Sally Lieber and Sen. Nell Soto.

AB 2222 is an act to add Chapter 4.3 (commencing with Section 610)

to Division 3 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, relating to boating

safety to enact the Anthony Farr and Stacy Beckett Boating Safety Act

of 2004. The authors want to make it unlawful to operate a vessel, or

have the engine idling, when a person is in the water nearer than 20

feet or on the rear portion of the vessel. What, did I read this

correctly?

The bill is poorly written, obviously by those who do not

understand the operation of a boat, and it seems to be a knee-jerk

reaction. The bill is in response to several boaters and swimmers who

were overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning, an issue the Coast Guard

is addressing.

AB 2222 requires you to turn off your engines, including your

generator, whenever someone is in the water within 20 feet or on the

back of the boat? It’s dangerous to shut down all your systems, and

turning off a vessel engine can have very serious consequences. The

operator could lose control, especially with any current or wind. I

do not think the authors have ever heard of man-overboard procedures,

nor have they ever gone water skiing.

Many of the carbon monoxide deaths have been attributed to both

teak surfing, where you hold onto the swim step while being pulled

through the water, and when swimmers go inside the partially enclosed

swim steps of house boats. Boat manufacturers are looking at new

technology to reduce emissions, and some exhaust ports have been

relocated to minimize exhaust concentrations in specific areas. Do

the authors think that the exhaust fumes only blow directly behind

the boat, or have they forgotten about the wind or venturi effects?

Oh, I forgot to mention that, of course, warning stickers will have

to be placed on every boat. There are so many placards and warning

stickers on boats now that the number of warning labels are becoming

ridiculous.

You can go online to read about this bill at

https://www.leginfo.ca.gov/ bilinfo.html and enter AB 2222. I wish the

legislators would ask maritime professionals like the Coast Guard,

Department of Boating and Waterways and professional captains before

introducing such bills.

Oh, did I mention that I strongly oppose this bill, and that I

think the bill defies boating safety by putting the vessels at risk?

Tune in to my “Boathouse Radio Show” this and every Sunday from 4

to 5 p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170), or listen over the Internet at

https://www.boathouseradio. com. You can call in to the toll-free

listener line at (888) 344-1170 and join in on Southern California’s

only boating talk radio show, broadcasting along the coast from San

Diego to Oxnard and out to Santa Catalina Island.

Safe Voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send

him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions by

e-mail to [email protected] or visit https://www.boathousetv.com.