Tag Archives: F/V Verna A II
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
Skipper of grounded vessel near Salmon Creek tried to flee, gave authorities two different names
The captain of a fishing boat that ran aground just this weekend south of Salmon Creek on the Sonoma Coast was jailed after his rescue because of a felony no-bail warrant for his arrest issued in Mendocino County, State Parks officials said. The boat, an uninsured 54-foot fishing vessel called the “Verna A II”, remained high and dry in the sand on South Salmon Creek State Beach while State Parks and other coastal authorities determine who might be responsible for retrieving it, State Parks Officer Tim Murphy said. The vessel was spotted by a surfer about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, marooned in about 5 to 8 feet of surf about 100 yards from the river’s mouth. After rescue swimmers brought him to shore, Roy Underwood, 57, gave authorities two different names and then gave them the slip, saying he was using a restroom but didn’t return, Murphy said. 4 images, Read the rest here 06:55
Coast Guard, partner agencies respond to fishing vessel aground near Salmon Creek Beach
The Coast Guard and partner agencies responded to a fishing vessel Sunday that ran aground in Bodega Bay, Calif. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Command Center watchstanders were notified at 1:24 a.m., that a 54-foot fishing vessel, the Verna A II, had run soft aground near Salmon Creek Beach. When the master’s efforts to refloat his vessel were unsuccessful, a motor lifeboat crew was launched from Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay, along with two swimmers and a crew aboard a personal watercraft from Bodega Bay Fire. The master was removed from the vessel and transported to the beach due to safety concerns. The vessel is aground near freshwater wetlands neighboring the highway one bridge. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund has been opened for $50,000 and Parker Diving and Salvage has been hired to conduct fuel and oil removal operations. Link 08:41
