Anonymous
Update by the U.S. Coast Guard
December 16, 2022
The Unified Command continues its response Friday to the Speranza Marie grounding on Santa Cruz Island.
All available actions are being taken to ensure the safety of the public and response personnel, recover spilled materials, and protect environmentally sensitive areas.
Today, response teams will attempt to stabilize the vessel. Once completed, they will begin removing diesel fuel and cargo from the vessel to help salvage efforts and minimize environmental impact. In addition to those efforts, teams will deploy boom during the defueling and cargo removal operations to help contain any additional spillage.
Thursday, debris was removed from the water near the impact site, and teams conducted shoreline and vessel assessments to help plan and prepare for future fuel recovery and salvage operations.
The Unified Command consists of representatives from the Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Santa Barbara County, Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary and the responsible party, Ocean Angel VI LLC.
Diesel fuel is considered a non-persistent oil, compared to a heavier bunker or crude oil product, in even the calmest sea conditions, as it will lose 40% of its volume due to evaporation within 48 hours in cold weather.
No wildlife impacts have been reported/observed at this time, but crews are monitoring for them. Trained responders from the Oiled Wildlife Care Network have been put on standby and will be activated should they be needed.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.
Update by the U.S. Coast Guard
1:00 p.m., December 15, 2022
The Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response and Santa Barbara County established a unified command to continue its response to the 60-foot fishing vessel that ran aground on Santa Cruz Island Thursday morning.
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach watchstanders received a report from Vessel Assist Ventura that the fishing vessel Speranza Marie, a 60-foot fishing vessel with six people aboard and carrying roughly 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel, ran aground in Chinese Harbor on Santa Cruz Island at approximately 2 a.m.
The Unified Command is creating a pollution mitigation and removal plan.
Cleanup crews are on-scene containing and recovering the diesel fuel. Diesel fuel is considered a non-persistent oil, compared to a heavier bunker or crude oil product, in even the calmest sea conditions, as it will lose 40% of its volume due to evaporation within 48 hours in cold weather.
No wildlife impacts have been reported/observed at this time, but crews are monitoring for them. Trained responders from OSPR have been put on standby and will be activated should they be needed.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.
Photos by Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Richard Brahm / U.S. Coast Guard District 11 PADET Los Angeles
By the U.S. Coast Guard
6:00 a.m., December 15, 2022
The Coast Guard, state, and local agencies are responding to a fishing vessel that ran aground on Santa Cruz Island Thursday morning.
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach watchstanders received a report from Vessel Assist Ventura that the fishing vessel Speranza Marie, a 60-foot fishing vessel with six people aboard and carrying roughly 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel, ran aground in Chinese Harbor on Santa Cruz Island at approximately 2 a.m.
A good Samaritan fishing vessel responded to the incident and safely transferred the six crewmembers to their boat without injury and transported them to Ventura.
Vessel Assist is currently working on salvage operations.
The Coast Guard Cutter Blacktip is en route to monitor the situation and provide a safety zone around the incident.
The Coast Guard is working with local partners, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response and the responsible party to create a pollution mitigation and removal plan.
Cleanup crews are on-scene containing and recovering the diesel fuel. Diesel fuel is considered a non-persistent oil, compared to a heavier bunker or crude oil product, in even the calmest sea conditions, as it will lose 40% of its volume due to evaporation within 48 hours in cold weather.
No wildlife impacts have been reported/observed at this time, but crews are monitoring for them. Trained responders from OSPR have been put on standby and will be activated should they be needed.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.
So incredibly stupid. In the 21st century, there’s no excuse for commercial boats to not have depth monitoring devices with alarms.
Accidents happen. Cars, pedestrians, bikers, motorcycles, kids, kite surfers, hikers, paragliders, you name it. The ocean is very unforgiving.
It’s not enough that we’ve got boats stranding and wrecking on our mainland shores, but now we’ve got these yahoos with their boats running aground on the islands and polluting the waters there, too.
what? do you even have a boat? your comment sheds light on that answer….