Happy Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas.

While it was sad to say goodbye to summer sunsets and barbecues, challenging to step into “back to school” rou- tines, it’s time to express gratitude for our Veterans, families, friends, boats, and to celebrate the holidays. That’s what is so great about boating. Every season brings new and different opportunities to create memories, enjoy beautiful sunsets and view migrating and local sea life.

Here are just a few reminders to keep us safe while not sacrificing our holiday fun. Make sure you’re fully focusing while at the helm There will be more vessels in the water and some inexperienced boaters Lifejackets must be available and worn as directed Check the weather Designate a driver; do not drink and drive Have the dispatch non-emergency number in your cell phone 1-562-435-6711.

Soon you will see the parade of wooden Christmas trees as they are towed across Alamitos Bay, driven along Ocean Blvd and anchored in place at various locations throughout the City It’s time for the Second Annual Trees in the Bay photo contest. Between now and Christmas Day, photos of these Long Beach icons emailed to elvira.hallinan@long- beachgov will be entered in the contest The winning photo and photographer will be featured in the Jan/February 2022 issue of the Marina Reader and will receive a $50 Visa gift card Marine Advisory Commissioners will select a winner We are excited to see this year’s entries.

“Thank you,” to each of you on behalf of the Long Beach Marinas staff. We are grateful for your patronage, your gifts of home baked treats, lovely flowers, stories of your adventures and good wishes. These gifts fill our day with joy, and we are humbled by your generosity.

Only one piece of formal business this day. As you may recall, the City engaged Walker Consultants to make rec- ommendations for the Alamitos Bay Parking and Circulation Master Plan. Please join us on November 11, 2021, for a public presentation of the results and recommendations to the Marine Advisory Commission at 6 pm at the Seal Beach Yacht Club Learn about the changes to the way business will be conducted at Alamitos Bay parking lots Your feedback is important.

Earlier this month, I had the privilege to visit the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial in La Jolla. For those of you that have never heard of it, this is the only veterans memorial in the United States that honors both living and de- ceased veterans from the Revolutionary War to current day conflicts. Each plaque tells a beautiful story of the men and women who served I highly recommend a visit when you’re in the area I was brought to tears by many of the stories on the plaques. This year's keynote speaker for the Veterans Day Ceremony on November 13, 2021, is Rear Admiral Cynthia A. Kuehner, Commander of Naval Medical Forces Support Command and Senior Nurse in the United States Navy You can view the ceremony live online at www.veteransdaylive.org at noon.

I’m going to end this issue with a Veterans Day poem by Joanna Fuchs, titled “On Veterans Day.”

While we are here at home,
They traveled land and sea,
To make sure we stayed safe,
To protect and keep us free

Words are not enough;

To give them what they’re due

On Veteran’s Day please thank them
For their service, to me and you.

Elvira Hallinan
Manager, Marinas and Beaches
Marina Offices are open and accepting new vessel permit applications. To keep you and our staff safe from COVID-19 we are continuing window service at ABM and Shoreline offices. Note – Many requests can be readily handled by phone or email.

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.

Visit Your Vessel – As we enter the winter weather season remember to tighten down your canvas and address any aged or slack mooring lines. Attach an additional spring line to account for high winds. We also continue to see volume crowds in the Long Beach Marinas. We recommend you make routine visits to your vessel a habit to avoid becoming an easy target for opportunistic criminal activity.
DID YOU KNOW?

  • On November 3, 1957 Leika the dog, a stray found on the streets of Moscow, became the first living creature sent into space.
  • On November 30, 1782, a provisional treaty was signed between the new-to-be-formed United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain to commence an end to the War of Independence.
  • December 8, 1991 saw the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, known as the Soviet Union) fade into history as the political bloc was dissolved.
  • And finally, Sir Francis Drake set sail from England on December 13th, 1577 leading a voyage aroundthe-world.
We will be issuing 2022 parking passes Starting November 4 in Alamitos Bay and November 8 in Shoreline & Rainbow Marinas. In an effort to provide better customer service, and to limit your wait time, we will again be implementing a staggered pick up schedule. It would be helpful and will speed up your pass pickup if you could email your required documents to your marina office in advance. Please note, to meter the number of people at the office for pass pickup, you will not be able to obtain your parking passes until your scheduled week. Once your scheduled week has arrived you may pick up your pass at your convenience during that week or anytime thereafter. The schedules below will allow all customers to receive their passes prior to the January 31, 2022. Passes can be picked up from the marina office during regular business hours up to 30 minutes before closing. And be sure to have your required documentation:

  • Completed permittee information sheet
  • Current vessel registration/documentation
  • Current insurance certificate with valid P & I or watercraft liability coverage with limits of at least $300,000
It’s that season again… So Cal boaters do not normally store their vessels for a number of months as our weather can turn summer at any time. While we live in a moderate coastal environment and freezing temperatures are rare, there are some things you can do to help assure your boat will be ready to go whenever you need it. We recommend winterizing for the cold, wet and windy months with these tips:

Adding fuel stabilizer is a good idea as you may find your boat sitting without movement or the engine running for extended periods of time. Fuel stabilizers will help to lessen gum accumulation and water build up. Gum build up can cause gum to clog jets on smaller engines and injectors on larger engines. Water in your fuel can accumulate due to condensation and separate from untreated fuel causing corrosion and damages well beyond the low cost of adding a fuel stabilizer.

If storing out of the water, either at your home or in our dry boat storage facility, make sure your boat has sufficient battery charge.

If you have an Outboard inspect lines for cracking or wear. Lines include both fuel and electrical. Also don’t wait till the busy Spring season to get that annual tune-up as mechanics will have less availability to service your engine.

Inboards are very easy to maintain in the off-season. Now could be a good time to change the oil, spark plugs and other basic tune-up items. For those of you with Stern Drives make sure to check your stern drive housing for any barnacles or other critter or plant life making their home there.

Lastly, make sure to properly secure canvas and inspect your bow and stern mooring lines. Add a spring line if you need to. Double check your dock mooring cleats to make sure your vessel can withstand any storm surge throughout the Winter season ahead.
Starting November 1 anchoring leeward of Island White will be a weekend only opportunity. An updated Island White Open Permit will be available to view online and at our Long Beach Marinas offices starting Monday, November 1.

Anchoring will still be allowed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Mooring opportunities are still available 7-days-per week with, Belmont Mooring Company, the City of Long Beach approved mooring vendor.

Leeward of Island White is within the Nearshore Ocean Area of the City of Long Beach and is subject to the Long Beach Municipal Code. Per the LBMC:

16.12.160 - Mooring or anchoring—Nearshore ocean area.

A. No person shall anchor any vessel, raft, barge, or float within the mouth of the Los Angeles River.

B. No person shall anchor, moor, tie or otherwise keep or maintain any vessel, raft, barge or float within the nearshore ocean area easterly of the line described in Section 16.12.070 without a permit issued by the Director.

C. Any vessel, raft, barge or float which is anchored, moored, tied or otherwise kept or maintained in said areas in violation of this Section may be removed by the Director and stored at the risk and expense of the owner of the vessel, raft, barge or float at such location as may be designated by the Director. The owner of any such vessel, raft, barge or float shall be civilly liable to the City for all costs incurred in removal and storage. The costs of removal and storage shall be a lien dependent upon possession upon the vessel, raft, barge or float or the proceeds of the sale thereof. If the vessel, raft, barge or float is not claimed by the owner thereof within sixty (60) days after notice to the owner, the vessel, raft, barge or float shall be sold at public auction in accordance with the provisions of Article 4, Chapter 2 of Division 3 of the Harbor and Navigation Code (commencing at Section 500 thereof).
Our Marina community will be happy to know that the four Brisbane Box trees planted this July are taking to their new home and doing well. Jeff King, Landscape Maintenance Supervisor for Beach Maintenance worked diligently to place the four trees at Basin 1 in Alamitos Bay to replace the two Myrtle trees that were poisoned in an egregious act of vandalism.
 
In an effort to promote open green space and encourage quality environmental stewardship the California Coastal Commission requires the replacement of removed trees at a ratio of two to one. With the planting of these four Brisbane Box trees the Marine Bureau met the state requirement standard. The plantings also enhanced the quality of natural habitat and green space along Marina Drive in Basin 1 at the Harbormasters’ office.
This summer proved to be especially busy for the Marine Patrol Detail. Our officers are routinely utilized to staff many of the special events that occur in or near the marina footprint. These events are staffed in addition to our regular daily staffing and run the gamut from the Big Bang on the Bay through permitted film shoots on the beach.
 
During the month of July, Marine Patrol officers were dispatched to 175 calls for service and assisted other officers on calls over 340 times. They initiated over 3,000 targeted patrols which include directed patrols of a specific area, dock-walks, and field investigations. Officers also took enforcement action and assisted LBPD on eight instances where an arrest was made with five of those resulting in felony charges.
 
We would also like to welcome the newest member of our Marine Patrol Detail, Officer Joseph Bruno. Officer Bruno is no stranger to the City as he comes to us with 19 years of service. His previous assignments include parking enforcement, public safety building front desk clerk, custody assistant within the jail, and he was most recently serving as a Special Services Officer - Field Training Officer at Long Beach City College. Needless to say, he has a wealth of experience and we are lucky to have him aboard.
The past few months have been very busy in and around the marinas and in turn, the Marine Patrol detail has also been busy. Aside from fulfilling our regular daily patrol duties, we provide a significant amount of support to the many special events that take place within the Long Beach Marinas footprint. Our largest event by far is the Grand Prix. Our officers staff upwards of forty different positions over the course of the three-day event. We provide logistical support to the Marine Bureau staff and mainly assist with parking and access control on the exterior of the venue. In addition to the Grand Prix we also support the marathon, various festivals, concerts, sporting events, and the multitude of permitted movie and photo shoots.

As the weather becomes cold and windy, the Marine Patrol encourages marina boat owners to remain frequent visitors to their vessels. If a crime should occur onboard your vessel during your absence, the likelihood of a successful investigation greatly depends on the time frame in which it took place. It would be much easier to pinpoint when a crime happened with a boat that was visited weekly as opposed to one visited once every three or four months. As a suggestion, use the buddy system. Team up with one or more of your dock mates to check on each other’s boat whenever you stop in and if you see something suspicious, please do not hesitate to report it by calling the LBPD non-emergency number at (562) 435-6711.

Lastly, we are excited to announce that we currently have four new officer candidates in the process of joining the detail. They have endured through the application and interview process and we hope to officially bring them aboard within the next several months. Introductions and bios forthcoming.
Please remember to boat safely this holiday season while enjoying your time on the water.