What’s the future of beached fishing boat at Bodega Bay?
The 54-foot steel-hulled Verna A II has been stranded in the surf zone of South Salmon Creek Beach since it ran aground Sept. 11. For 51 days and counting, the green fishing vessel with its classic silhouette has become the muse of North Coast water color artists, amateur photographers and at least one Halloween costume creator. Stripped of fuels, batteries and other chemicals, the boat is no longer considered an immediate pollutant and there are no plans to remove it from the beach, officials from several agencies said. The boat rests on a Sonoma Coast State Park beach within the boundaries of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, purview of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The fate of the 33-ton commercial fishing vessel is in the hands of its captain, 57-year-old Roy Underwood, who had no insurance, according to federal and state agency officials. Underwood was arrested on a warrant out of Mendocino County shortly after his rescue, according to federal and state agency officials. He served 26 days for violating probation stemming from a burglary case and was released Oct. 11, jail records show. Read the story here 08:11
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