The New Year holiday is universally recognized as a time of renewal, change and transition. I would definitely say that our Long Beach Marinas team is experiencing each of these to the fullest degree. In recent months we have seen the retirements of two of our management team leaders in Elvira Hallinan our Bureau Manager since 2014 and Kimarie Vestre our long-time Alamitos Bay Marina Supervisor.

In November I was appointed as Interim Marine Bureau Manager while the City works to hire a permanent manager via a nationwide open bulletin search. I have found the manager role to be equal parts complex, difficult, invigorating and exciting depending on the time of day. I want to thank both of our Maintenance Superintendents – Cory and Eric – for their dedication to the job and continued support. I also want to recognize all of our Long Beach Marinas staff that keep our marinas, beaches and waterways operational and active 24/7/365. Thank you for all you do and your continued dedication to the Long Beach waterfront in all its forms.

Much like any industry these days the Long Beach Marinas has had a heck of a time maintaining our work force staffing levels. The good news is that we are moving expediently to fill position vacancies across Beach Maintenance, Marine Maintenance and Marina Operations. By end of January 2023 we will have onboarded four Maintenance Assistant II positions, four Marine Aides, one Provisional Marina Agent I, one Provisional Marina Agent II, and will be holding interviews to fill a number of other roles in each of our maintenance and operations divisions. If you see a new face in a City of Long Beach uniform on your dock please be sure to say hello and welcome one of our new employees to the Long Beach Marinas.

Our 5-Year Capital Improvement Projects Plan remains in full gear and you will begin to see activation on parking lot revitalization at Shoreline Marina in the months ahead. This project will be a full re-do of the boatowner parking lot which is going to require some creative management of boatowner parking availability in the coming months. We will be sending out notification to affected boatowners via email before the project starts. It will be done in phases to limit the closure of parking stalls to sections at a time. We also continue to move forward on our ABM Restroom rebuild project and look to take the project out to bid for construction of the first two restrooms in 2023.

Lastly, thank you to each of you, our boatowners and permittees, for your continued patronage of the Long Beach Marinas. From me and each of our Long Beach Marinas employees we wish you and yours well and good tides in 2023. Happy New Year!

Be well and safe boating,

Todd Leland
Interim Marine Bureau Manager
Marina Offices are open and accepting new vessel permit applications. To keep you and our staff safe from COVID-19, Flu and other illnesses we are continuing window service at ABM and Shoreline offices. Note – Many requests can be readily handled by phone or email. 

REMINDERS - Operating a boat under the influence of alcohol (BUI) is illegal. The legal limit for operating a boat is .08% blood alcohol level, the same as the limit for driving under the influence (DUI). In many cases, you’re considered legally drunk even if you only feel “buzzed.” You could reach .08% level with less drinks if you’ve taken certain medications, haven’t eaten, are dehydrated or have a metabolism that doesn’t process alcohol efficiently. Penalties for boating under the influence can include large fines; jail time; loss of operating privileges for your boat, car or both; financial restitution for damages or injuries; felony conviction; and completion of an alcohol program or boating safety course.

Dock Carts have been and still are high value theft targets. Our Marine Patrol has begun focused efforts to locate and retrieve dock carts that have been removed from our Marina footprints unlawfully. As a permittee you can help maintain our cart inventory – PLEASE return carts to the head of the gangway after every use. Leaving dock carts in the parking lots leave them exposed to easy theft. 

Unauthorized commercial activity is ILLEGAL IN LONG BEACH – Please do not engage in unauthorized commercial activity at, on or near Long Beach Marinas property. Violators can and will be cited and punished to the full extent of applicable law. Reminder – Unauthorized Commercial activity will put your slip permit in jeopardy of cancellation.
 
DID YOU KNOW. January is not just a month. It is also part of the name of Brazil’s second biggest city. When the Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos landed on the coast of South America in 1502 the date was January 1. So the Portuguese named the place Rio de Janeiro (River of January). January 1 is New Year’s Day in the Gregorian calendar used by most around the world. Some cultures and calendars, however, celebrate their new year on different dates. The Christian Orthodox New Year is celebrated on January 14, because that church follows the Julian calendar. The Chinese calendar is lunar/solar. Chinese New Year is celebrated between January 21 and February 21 based on the phases of the Moon and Sun.
Like most things we own, boats have a lifespan. At some point, an old vessel will be in a state of such minimal monetary value that it is not worth the cost of upkeep and storage. Proper disposal of a vessel is an integral aspect of responsible boating. There are environmental hazards associated with vessels, including fuel/oil, solvents, batteries, and other toxic wastes that can create environmental catastrophe in our marinas and coastal waters. It is important that boat owners dispose of their vessels at the right time in the appropriate manner.

Never abandon or sink a vessel to dispose of it. Not only does it pose an environmental and navigational hazard in our marinas and waterways but it is also illegal. The costs for removal and demolition of an abandoned and or sunken vessel can be immense. The legal penalties are also substantial. Those caught abandoning a boat face the possibility of stiff fines, liens on your property and even jail time.

Over the past two years abandoned vessels in our Long Beach waterways have become a major problem as they have created navigation and environmental issues. The pollution that comes from these abandoned and sunken boats-oil, fuel, antifreeze and many synthetic and often toxic materials are harming our local marine habitat and our Marina infrastructure. Each year our Long Beach Marinas staff works tirelessly to remove more and more derelict, sunken or abandoned vessels from our local waters.

Unfortunately, the registered or documented owners of these vessels are left to deal with tremendous financial burden when the final bill comes due on hazardous material/environmental clean-up, salvage, storage, haul out and demolition costs. 

If you have a vessel that is nearing the end of its days there are options for proper vessel disposal: the no-cost Division of Boating and Waterways Surrendered Vessel Program, recycling/dismantling, or disposing at a local landfill site are a few options available to all boaters. You can get more information on disposal programs by visiting Surrendered and Abandoned Vessel Exchange (SAVE) (ca.gov) .
Our Beach Maintenance Landscape team led by Landscape Supervisor Jeff King has brought a pop of color to our Long Beach Marinas this winter. Each year Jeff works with his landscape team comprised of Albert Estrella and Roberto Quinones to plant Snapdragons in many of the planter beds in the Alamitos Bay, Shoreline and Rainbow marina areas.

Snapdragons are part of the Antirrhinum genus of plants commonly known as dragon flowers or dog flower because of the flowers’ resemblance to the face of a dragon or dog when squeezed. Snapdragons are perennial plants that survive well in cold seasons but are often replanted and considered annual plants. They do best in full or partial sun. They grow during their peak seasons of April to June and August to October in the Northern Hemisphere and bloom in a variety of colors ranging from: white, yellow, orange, red, purple, pink and some multicolored patterns.

Jeff, Albert and Roberto plant the Snapdragons in the latter part of each year as temperatures in Long Beach drop but our days of sunshine remain. They utilize the inherent strengths of the Snapdragon to bring a boost of vibrant color to our Marinas in the otherwise cold and drab winter months.