Bay News

News, recent developments, and generally useful information from around the Chesapeake.

February 16, 2012

Channel 9

Follow that Flotilla!

Looking for a cruise of an entirely different kind this summer? Here's just the ticket. As you might have deduced, even without your smartphone calculator app, 2012 marks the bicentennial of the War of 1812. To mark the occasion, OpSail and the U.S. Navy, as well as dozens of other organizations worldwide, are determined to collect the largest fleet of tall ships and international navy vessels ever gathered for OpSail 2012. Five ports have been singled out for a visit in 2012 (the fleet will be on the Great Lakes next year): New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York and Boston-though many other cities like Cape Charles and Yorktown will benefit from tall ship visits, as well. These ports will have weeks of events surrounding the ship-gathering, with plenty of opportunities to visit, watch ship parades, listen to lectures and, of course, eat lots of food (hey, that's important!).

Sounds like fun, you say, but what has all this to with me and my boat? Just this: For the first time ever, the tall ships and navy vessels will hold a colossal parade up the Chesapeake . . . and you and your boat are invited to come too. The fleet will leave Norfolk on Tuesday, June 12, proceed in formation out of Elizabeth River, past Fort Monroe in Hampton and then head up the Bay to Baltimore. The fleet will be maintaining about 6 knots, which is doable for nearly everybody, power or sail, so all of us should be able to stay with the pack. We'll have lots more details for you in the next couple of issues, but we thought you might want to pencil this in on your summer cruise calendar now. We certainly are! Meanwhile, here are three websites to whet your appetite: www.opsailvirginia.com; www.opsail.com; and starspangled200.org.

Two For the Books

For some reason, this was a whale of a good winter for big fish. Correction, it was a whale of a good winter for catching big fish-the fish involved probably didn't look at it in the same rosy light. First off the mark was Charles Donohue of Philadelphia, who got the better of a 23-pound tautog on January 11, 12 miles east of Ocean City, Md. This broke the state record of 20 pounds 11 ounces set in 2007. Donohue caught his 33-inch fish over an artificial reef using a whole green crab as bait.

A few days later and a few miles farther south, Cary Wolfe of Prince William County, Va., landed a 74-pound rockfish off Cape Henry, Va. Wolfe fought the fish for 15 minutes before pulling it aboard. When certified, the big rock will break the existing Virginia record of 73 pounds set four years ago.

2012 Maryland Ghost Pot Retrieval Program

In March, the Maryland ghost pot retrieval program is scheduled to resume operations for the 2012 season. Conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Oyster Recovery Partnership, the program will remove thousands of abandoned crab pots and other debris from the Chesapeake Bay.

Maryland Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chesapeake Bay Office conducted side-scan sonar surveys several years ago and estimated that there were thousands of ghost pots at the bottom of the Bay and its tributaries. Crab pots become lost when buoy lines are cut by powerboat propellers or during storms when the lines may chafe through.

Target areas for the 2012 effort include the North East River, Fairlee Creek, West River, Rhode River, South River, Severn River, Magothy River, Patapsco River, Patuxent River, Upper Tangier sound, Lower Hooper Island, and the Big and Little Annemessex Rivers.

Maryland's ghost pot retrieval program was launched in 2010 as part of a federally-funded crab disaster recovery grant. In 2010, about 360 watermen removed more than 11,800 pieces of debris from Bay waters.

With one million dollars available, the 2012 program will expand on the 2010 effort, employing more watermen and targeting additional areas.

Source: MD DNR

February 13, 2012

Police Blotter

Illegal oystering charges and using false identity

On February 10, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) arrested Robert J. Benton, Jr., 44, of Stevensville, on conservation and criminal charges after he was caught illegally harvesting oysters and then tried to avoid the charges by using another waterman's identity.

On February 3, Benton was stopped while he was illegally diving for oysters in the Little Choptank River. When asked for ID, Benton gave NRP Officers a tidal fish license in another waterman's name, representing himself as that person.

Benton was charged with fraud, fraud to avoid prosecution, fraud to avoid payment greater than $500 and theft. Benton was also charged with taking oysters without a commercial license, failure to pay oyster surcharge and taking oyster for commercial purposes by diving in an area reserved for hand tongs. Benton faces penalties that range from $250 to $25,000 and 15 years in prison. Benton was jailed in the Dorchester County Detention Center on $10,000 bond.

Five charged with oyster violations

On February 10 at 7 a.m., NRP Officers charged five individuals with harvesting oysters in the Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary. NRP officers were aboard a Maryland State Police helicopter when they noticed three commercial fishing boats illegally dredging for oysters in the sanctuary.

Officers charged the following individuals with unlawfully harvesting oysters in an oyster sanctuary:
   1. Steven P. Benton, 43, from Deale Island, and Darin K. Ford, 46, from Princess Anne, aboard the Donna Lee.
   2. Andrew A. Benton, 37, and Ulyses Seawright Jr., 33, both from Wenona, aboard the Gentle Breeze.
   3. David T. Wheatley Sr., 47, from Wenona aboard the Just Faith.

NRP Officers seized Wheatley's oyster dredge from his boat. This was the second time this season that Wheatley was apprehended in the oyster sanctuary. His previous violation occurred on January 20.

St. Marys River violations

On February 9 at 3 p.m., NRP charged three individuals with removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary and possessing undersized oysters in the St. Marys River near Great Mills.

Officers charged Migdael A. Trujillo, 32, Lorenzo A. Regalado, 32, and Jose M. Vaquers, 42, all from Dameron, Md. A trial date of May 18, 2012 has been set for the District Court of Maryland for St. Mary's County.

February 3, 2012

Police Blotter

NRP charges five with oyster violations

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) on Friday, February 3, charged five watermen with oyster violations in Dorchester County.

At around 9 a.m., NRP officers observed Bryan R. Grimes, 36, of Chester, Edward E. Grimes, 61, of Stevensville, Mason T. Coursey, 19, of Centerville, and Christopher L. Marvel, 19, of Grasonville, illegally diving for oysters in a hand tong only area of the Little Choptank River.

The men were charged with catching oysters for commercial purposes by diving in an area reserved for hand -tonging. Officers seized four bushels of oysters and returned them to water.

At 9:30 a.m., NRP officers observed Nelson B. Goslin Jr., 42, of Cambridge, illegally power dredging for oysters in Fishing Bay. He also had undersized oysters (14 percent) on his boat. NRP charged Goslin Jr. with possessing unculled and undersized oysters and power-dredging in an area reserved for hand tongs. Three bushels of oysters were seized and returned to the water.

A trial is set for April 18 in the District Court of Maryland for Dorchester County.

January 23, 2012

Police Blotter

Five charged with oyster poaching

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged five watermen, on three boats, with power-dredging for oysters in the Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary.

On January 20, at 7:30 a.m., an NRP officer aboard a Maryland State Police helicopter saw eight commercial boats power-dredging for oysters within the sanctuary. The officer was able to identify and plot locations of three of the boats before they scattered among the other commercial vessels working outside the sanctuary.

NRP charged the following individuals with oystering in an oyster sanctuary;
John Earhart III, 32, and Jason Abbott, 30, both of Princess Anne, aboard Miss Terry.
David Wheatley, 47, of Deale Island, and Stephen Webster, 58, of Wenona, aboard Just Faith.
Daniel Benton, 49, of Deale Island, aboard Chantilly Lace.

January 17, 2012

Be Careful Out There; It Was a Deadly Year on the Bay

Maryland Natural Resources Police have identified the body found washed ashore yesterday morning at Chesapeake Harbor, just south of Annapolis, as that of 25-year-old Tyler Cordrey of Somerset County on the Eastern Shore. Cordrey had been missing since the afternoon of December 17, when the 18-foot Precision sailboat he was aboard with two others capsized and sank near the Sandy Point. Cordrey's girlfriend, 25-year-old Taylor Rogers, survived the accident, after being rescued and treated for hyperthermia. The couple's friend, 46-year-old Daniel Denike of Laurel, owner of the boat, was also rescued but later died in the hospital from complications of hypothermia.

This incident capped what had already been a very bad year in the way of fatal boating accidents in the Bay and its tributaries. In Maryland waters alone there were 25 boating fatalities in 2011, beginning with a pair of unusual watermen deaths last January-one who fell overboard in Fishing Bay and died of hypothermia, and another who was killed when his boat collided with navigation marker in the Gunpowder River. All others were recreational boaters and anglers and all were male-except for 14-year-old Olivia Constants, who drowned June 23 when she was trapped under her capsized Club 420 during a lesson with the Severn Sailing Association's Junior Sailing Program.

Things weren't quite as bad in the Virginia portion of the Bay, according the Tom Guess of the Virginia Department of Inland Game and Fisheries, who says there were 16 boating fatalities in the commonwealth last year-a little higher than the average number of recent years, but not as much of a spike as in Maryland. That's a total of 41 for both states, close to twice the typical annual number (20 to 25) over the last decade. It was the worst year in Maryland since 1992, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Maryland NRP spokesman Art Windemuth attributes the increase to the excellent boating weather of the 2011 season. "We started out with a bang and went right past spring to summer," he told the Sun in December. "It was one perfect weekend after another. With the increased level of activity came the fatalities."

January 2012

Channel 9

Fort Monroe Gets Its National Designation

WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN, PRESIDENT Obama in November acceded to the wishes of tens of thousands of southern Bay residents by declaring Fort Monroe a national monument. Immediately, more than half of the 570-acre former Army base was transferred to the stewardship of the National Park Service. The remainder will continue to reside with the Fort Monroe Authority, a state-run agency established after the Army declared it would be abandoning the facility in September 2011. A strong grassroots effort by local citizens, as well as statewide bipartisan support, proved strong enough to tip the scales in favor of national park designation. Presidents have the power to establish national monuments under the Antiquities Act of 1906.

Fort Monroe easily falls within that category, with a long, rich history. Long before the present fort was constructed, it was the site of the first landing in 1619 of a slave ship in the Colonies. Work began on the 63-acre fort shortly after the War of 1812 to protect against another invasion by an enemy. The fortress remains the largest stone fort in America and the only one surrounded by a moat. A young U.S. Army engineer by the name of Robert E. Lee was stationed there in the early 1830s. It became a refuge for slaves during the Civil War. Edgar Allen Poe, during his brief and weird military career, is said to have written the poem "Annabel Lee" within the fort's walls. Harriet Tubman worked in the fort's hospital, and after the war Confederate president Jefferson Davis was held in one of its cells.

The present-day facility includes the Casemate Museum and the historic Chamberlin Hotel, now an independent living facility, as well as a number of historic homes and churches. Of particular interest to boaters, Old Point Comfort Marina, once open only to military personnel, is now open to all and has transient slips available.

Fort Monroe National Monument's new website is www.nps.gov/fomr. The marina site is www.oldpointcomfortmarina.com.

Annapolis Gets a Spring Sailboat Show

HOORAY, IT'S A NEW BOAT SHOW! UNITED States Yacht Shows, which produces Annapolis's jumbo fall boat shows and the Bay Bridge Boat Show, announced in December that it was introducing a sailboat show to the spring schedule. This new show will follow the Bay Bridge Boat Show (a powerboat venue) by a week. While the Bay Bridge show will be held April 19-22 on Kent Island, the new sailboat show will follow April 27-29 in the usual Annapolis boat show location-the city dock, aka Ego Alley. There will be 2,000 feet of floating docks for up to 80 sailboats and vendors booths on the adjacent land. Admission will be $10. A Cruisers University will run in conjunction with the boat show, with classes and demonstrations in long-range cruising, such as diesel maintenance, navigation and electrical systems.

For more information on the spring show and Cruisers University, go to www.usboat.com or call 410-268-8828.

Canal Lock Closed

IT'S NOT LIKELY THAT YOU'LL BE PACKING the boat for a trip on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) in the next month or two, but just in case, we thought you'd better know that the Dismal Swamp Canal route is now closed, and will be closed for the next few months. The doors slammed shut on the alternate ICW route between Norfolk and Albemarle Sound, N.C., on January 4, for repair work on the South Mills Lock at the North Carolina end of the canal. While work is under way, the lock at Deep Mills, on the Virginia end, will remain closed as well. Repairs are expected to take 60 to 90 days, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The principal ICW route, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, will remain open.

Wenona Harbor Renovated

IT'S ALL GOOD NEWS FOR BOATS IN Wenona Harbor, after the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Somerset County completed work on the Wenona Harbor boating access facility, which includes a double-wide boat ramp, central boarding pier and 600-foot bulkhead. There is also a 200-foot pier and 12 slips with utilities. The $545,000 project was funded by Somerset County and DNR-administered State Waterway Improvement Funds.

Downtown Sailing Center Too

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAY, AND UP north, the newly renovated Downtown Sailing Center in Baltimore was completed this fall. The project took exactly a year to complete. The principal addition to the facility is a series of concrete piers, made from recycled material from the Inner Harbor Marina. The new docks are larger and allow easy wheelchair access to vessels and more space for larger boats. The Downtown Sailing Center provides boating opportunities to Baltimore-area young people and to people with disabilities. The $300,000 project was also paid for by grants from the DNR Waterway Improvement Fund.

And West Ocean City

THE DNR HAS BEEN BUSY THIS PAST year. A third project that reached its conclusion in 2011 was the rehabilitation of the West Ocean City boating access facility, which provides access to the Atlantic Ocean as well as Maryland's coastal bays, such as Sinepuxent and the Isle of Wight. The busy West Ocean City facility, which was last rebuilt in 1988, reopened with a six-lane boat ramp, ADA compliant floating docks and upgraded piers. The cost was $472,000.

Oak Creek Landing Just Under Way

JUST ONE MORE. THE $439,000 renovation of the Oak Creek Landing boating access facility will be under way throughout the winter and is scheduled to reopen this Memorial Day weekend. The facility is located off St. Michaels Road in Talbot County and gives boaters access to Oak Creek and the Miles River. In addition to ramp and dock work, this facility will also get a new pump-out station.

And Chesapeake Maritime Museum

OOPS, THERE IS JUST ONE MORE renovation in the works after all. And this is a big one. And also partially a DNR project. The Chesapeake Maritime Museum in St. Michaels is replacing a 600-foot section of rotted bulkhead along the museum's Navy Point and Miles River shoreline. The project is expected to take six months. The old wood bulkhead will be replaced and sheathed in vinyl. Also, a new finger pier and three mooring pilings will be added, and the electric and water service will be upgraded. A living shoreline will replace the rip-rap near the museum's harbor-side facilities. The bulkhead from Honeymoon Bridge to the Crab Claw and along Fogg's Cove was replaced earlier. The museum will remain open.

Menhaden Fishery Reduced

Annapolis Gets a Spring Sailboat Show

For more information on the spring show and Cruisers University, go to www.usboat.com or call 410-268-8828.

Menhaden Fishery Reduced

AFTER YEARS OF TALK AND MONTHS OF discussion, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to reduce the menhaden catch by 37 percent. The vote was a victory for those who have argued that the important feeder fish were being overfished. But Texas-based Omega Protein, the principal commercial menhaden fishery, called the vote "swatting a gnat with a sledgehammer." The company, which operates out of Reedville, Va., had called for a 23-percent reduction, and said the 37-percent cut would likely lead to job losses at the Reedville plant. Virginia is the only East Coast state that allows commercial menhaden fishing in its waters.

When it Rains . . .

Efforts to bring back the oyster industry on the Chesapeake had another setback this year-in the form of record rainfall lowered salinity levels in the upper Bay. The result was oyster bars full of dead oysters. A November survey of upper Bay oyster populations uncovered the loss. When biologists collected samples from 15 oyster bars north of the Bay Bridge, they discovered that the four northernmost bars on the Eastern Shore had suffered a mortality rate of nearly 80 percent, with no live oysters at all in the two bars farthest north. Higher than normal mortality rates were also found in the Western Shore oyster bars north of the bridge.

January 12, 2012

Police Blotter

Waterman Charged for Oyster Sanctuary Violations

Annapolis, Maryland (January 11, 2012) - On January 10, 2012 at 9:30 am, the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged three people for oystering with in the Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary. The Officers were on patrol in an 18 ft Boston whaler in the fog on Tuesday morning and found five commercial workboats in the oyster sanctuary. The foggy conditions enabled the Officers to get within about 200 yards of the vessels before the Officers were spotted. Upon seeing the patrol boat, the five vessels attempted to flee the area. Officers were able to stop two of the vessels and identify the occupants.

Officers identified the two occupants of the commercial vessel Lady Victoria as Thomas L. Ford, 51 and Ryan S. Ford, 32 both from Princess Anne. The second vessel was identified as the Miss Emily II and was operated by Albert Hoffman, 37 from Princess Anne. All three individuals were charged with oystering with in an oyster sanctuary and face a $3000 fine and a suspension of their tidal fish license. Five bushels of oysters were seized from each vessel and returned to the sanctuary. A trial date of March 13 has been set in the District Court of Maryland in Somerset County.

January 11, 2012

Bay News

Military ordnance, believed to be World War II-era, has been washing up recently at Newtowne Neck State Park in St. Mary's County, Md. Divers on Tuesday found even more bits of ordance just offshore.

DNR details here.

December 16, 2011

Search & Rescue

Good Samaritan rescues three near Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

A good Samaritan rescued three people near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on Thursday, December 15.

Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders were notified at 2 p.m. of three people were in the water after their vessel sank. The Coast Guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a crew from Coast Guard Station Little Creek aboard a 45-foot Response Boat - Medium.

The Good Samaritan aboard the fishing vessel Official Business was near the scene and able to recover everyone. The Coast Guard crew arrived on the scene and escorted the people aboard the Official Business to Coast Guard Station Little Creek to awaiting EMS.

Coast Guard searching for boater in Potomac River near Indian Head, Md.

The Coast Guard and local authorities on Thursday were searching for a 31-year-old man in the Potomac River after the boat he was aboard capsized about a half mile off the coast of Indian Head, Md.

A member of Charles County Fire and Rescue contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 6:20 p.m. reporting a boat capsized in the river with two people aboard. A Charles County boatcrew was able to rescue one of the men who went into the river.

A crew aboard a 25-foot Response Boat - Small from Coast Guard Station Washington, a Maryland Natural Resources Police boatcrew, crews aboard two Maryland State Police helicopters and a Charles County boatcrew responded to search for the other man.

Police Blotter

December 15, 2011

Waterman faces $28,000 in fines for oyster violations

On December 14 at 12:30 p.m., officers from the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Joshua T. Tieder, 23 of Taylors Island, Md., with numerous oyster harvesting violations near Wingate Harbor in southern Dorchester County.

Officers saw Tieder leaving the Wingate boat ramp with bushels of oysters in the bed of his truck and later placing them in a nearby marsh. After inspecting his catch, NRP found 13 of the 14 bushels were undersized. The percentage of undersized oysters in each bushel ranged between 42 to 55 percent. Tieder also exceeded his daily catch limit by two bushels and failed to tag the containers of oysters with their location of harvest. The maximum fine for each violation is $1,000.

NRP charged Tieder with 13 counts of undersized oysters, 14 counts of failing to tag oyster containers before leaving the oyster bar and one count of exceeding the daily oyster catch limit. A court date has been set for February 15, 2012 in the District Court of Maryland for Dorchester County.

December 14, 2011

Oyster violation charges

NRP has charged the following individuals for oyster violations.

On December 6 at 3:30 p.m., Richard N. Roe Jr., 32 from St. Michaels, was charged with possession of undersize oysters at the Nanticoke Harbor.

On December 9 at 11:16 a.m., Ralph L. Kraft Jr., 61 from Princess Anne, Md, was charged with possession of undersize oysters on the Middle Grounds Natural Oyster Bar in the Wicomico River.

On December 9 at 11:15 p.m., David T. Messick, 27 from Parsonsburg, was charged with possession of undersize oysters and commercially harvesting oysters without a license on the Middle Grounds Natural Oyster Bar in the Wicomico River.

Trial dates for the above cases have been set for February 7, 2012 at 1:30 pm in the District Court of Maryland for Wicomico County.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police would like to remind citizens to report conservation violation, maritime emergencies and criminal activities occurring on public lands to the Maryland Natural Resources Police Communication Center at 800-628-9944. Callers that wish to remain anonymous and be eligible for cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of a violator should call the CATCH-A-POACHER hotline at 800-635-6124.

December 11, 2011

Search & Rescue

Suffolk authorities have recovered the body of a 60-year-old boater who went missing over the weekend.

According to Debbie George, a spokeswoman for the city, the man's body was recovered around 2:53 p.m. An autopsy is going to be performed. While police did not provide the man's identity, friends at the scene said the missing man was Tim Davis, of Hampton.

December 9, 2011

Search & Rescue

A kayaker was pulled out of the waters of Long Point Channel, just off the Eastern Shore of Virginia early Friday morning after he fell from his boat and spent more than two hours in the water.

The man has been identified as 49-year-old Johnny Bussart, a Pennsylvania resident who was visiting a resort on the Eastern Shore. Bussert was airlifted to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition on Friday morning.

December 8, 2011

Police Blotter

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged the following individuals for oyster violations in the past two days.

* On December 6 at 11:45 a.m. in Deale Island Harbor in Somerset County, NRP charged Patrick B. Murphy, 49 of Tilghman, with possession of undersized oysters.

* On December 6 at 10 a.m. in Broad Creek in Talbot County, NRP charged George F. Pepper, 49 of Tilghman, with power dredging for oysters in an area reserved for hand tonging. A trial date has been set for January 19, 2012 in the District Court of Maryland for Talbot County.

* On December 6 at 12:30 p.m. in the Choptank River in Talbot County, NRP charged Alan R. Layman, 47 of Royal Oak, with possession of undersized oysters and failing to cull and return oysters to the natural oyster bar from which they were caught. A trial date has been set for January 19, 2012 in the District Court of Maryland for Talbot County.

* On December 7 at 11:30 a.m. in the Broad Creek in Talbot County, NRP charged David A. Hambleton, 47 of Bozman, with possession of undersized oysters. A court date has been set for January 19, 2012 in the District Court of Maryland for Talbot County.

December 9, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard searching for boater near Tangier Island, Va.

The Coast Guard and local authorities were searching for a 46-year-old man aboard a 30-foot sailboat approximately two miles south of Tangier Island, Va., Thursday, December 8. The boater contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 3:54 a.m. and reported that his boat had sustained damage, and that he was requesting assistance.

A crew aboard a 41-foot Utility Boat from Coast Guard Station Crisfield, Md., crews aboard two MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Cochito, homeported in Little Creek, Va., a crew aboard a Virginia Marine Resources Commission boat, members of the Tangier Island Fire Department and a crew aboard a Maryland State Police helicopter responded to search.

Coast Guard retrieving barge near Walsey Creek in Queenstown, Md.

The Coast Guard on Friday, December 9, was responding to a barge that broke away from a Coast Guard cutter during a storm Wednesday.

The 100-foot barge was alongside the Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin, which was anchored three miles north of the Chester River when it broke free at 10 p.m. and drifted toward Winchester Creek and Walsey Creek near Queenstown.

No one was injured during the incident. The barge is carrying 25 seasonal buoys and posed no threat to the environment.

The Coast Guard issued a safety marine information broadcast after the barge broke free and continues to broadcast the alert every 30 minutes on VHF-FM channel 16.

The crews of the Coast Guard Cutters Sledge, homeported in Baltimore, and William Tate, homeported in Philadelphia, were on scene responding to refloat the barge and take it in tow.

November 22, 2012

Police Blotter

Illegal oystering changed

On November 17, at 8 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Ben H. Marshall, 35, of Newcomb, Md., with power-dredging for oysters in an area reserved for hand-tonging and with possession of undersized unculled oysters. The incident occurred near Batchelor Point, on the Tred Avon River. The officers seized a bushel and half of undersized oysters and returned them to the water.

A trial date of January 19 has been set in the District Court of Maryland for Talbot County.

November 17, 2011

Police Blotter

Men charged with over-limit and under-size rockfish

On November 6, at 2 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Rene O. Pacheco, 29, and Edy N. Arias, 30, both of Riverdale, Md., Luis A. Rivera, 32, of Brentwood, Md. and Jose A. Hernandez, 41, of Manassas, Va., with possession of over limit rockfish, possession of undersize rockfish and possession of rockfish between midnight and 5 a.m.

The Defendants were found with 58 rockfish over the limit (the legal limit is two per person). Fifty-five of those fish were under the legal size of 18 inches.

The incident occurred on a vessel near the Ferry Bridge on the Honga River.

November 15, 2011

Bay News

Coast Guard investigates sunken boat at Norfolk marina

Coast Guard The Coast Guard is investigating a sunken boat at a marina located near the 4300 block of Colley Avenue in Norfolk, on Monday, November 14.

Norfolk Fire Rescue notified the Coast Guard at 9:45 a.m. that the 40-foot boat was partially submerged and releasing a sheen from residual oil products aboard.

Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads members of the incident management division assessed the situation, including the potential impact to the environment, and then placed a containment boom around the boat and the sheen.

The cause of the incident is under investigation by the Coast Guard.

November 14, 2011

Channel 9

A Boom in Baby Rockfish

Both Virginia and Maryland have reported that 2011 was a bumper year for young rockfish. Both states conduct annual young-of-the-year striped bass surveys from June through September at key sites on the Bay. The Maryland DNR said its survey found the fourth highest measure of rockfish spawning success in the survey's 58-year history. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), which conducts the Virginia survey, said that this year's results too show a significant increase in young-of-the-year populations over recent years, which had remained at average levels. Since rockfish are at the top of the food chain, their health is considered an important measure of annual and long-term trends for the Bay.
The Maryland survey also indicated an increase in young blueback herring and in juvenile white perch.

A New Honorary Spokes-Sailor

Actor and longtime sailor Morgan Freeman has been named the Chair of the Honorary Advisory Board of the National Sailing Center & Hall of Fame in Annapolis. Freeman fills the position left vacant by Walter Cronkite, who passed away in 2009. Freeman first sailed aboard a Lightning on a reservoir near Stowe, Vt., in 1967. But he soon moved up to bigger boats and to ocean sailing. The Hall of Fame inaugurated its first members in at San Diego Yacht Club. The ceremony was dedicated to Walter Cronkite.

A Chilling Bust in Baby Osprey

The survival rate for osprey chicks on the Chesapeake--at least in Virginia--has been anything but good this year. A biologist at the College of William & Mary reported in October that the although nine of every ten osprey eggs hatched, only four of every ten chicks survived to fledge. "Chicks were hatching, but they were starving in the nest," Bryan D. Watts, director of the college's Center for Conservation Biology wrote in a Richmond Times-Dispatch op-ed piece. Virginia biologists have connected the poor survival rate with the decline in the Bay's menhaden populations, which make up a large portion of the young osprey's diet.

Funding for Newtowne Neck Park

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has received a matching grant of $400,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to develop outdoor recreation facilities at one of the state's most extraordinary parks, Newtowne Neck. The 776-acre peninsula that makes up Newtowne State Park in St. Mary's County, Md., is some of the most beautiful, least disturbed land in the state's portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The peninsula is bounded by Breton Bay, St. Clements Bay and the Potomac River, with seven miles of waterfront. Maryland purchased the land, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, in 2009 from the Jesuits, who had held it since 1668, when they bought it from William Bretton for 40,000 pounds of tobacco.

The DNR will use the money to help fund construction of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, camping sites, mini-cabins, swimming, picnicking and shelter areas, as well as boat-access areas.
You can find more information on Newtowne Neck at www.dnr.state.md/publiclands/southern/newtowne.asp

Power to the Poultry

Meanwhile, Maryland is looking to its own back yard to boost energy production. As part of the its Clean Bay Power project, promoting the use of clean and renewable energy, the state has announced that it is looking for companies that will build a plant that uses animal waste to produce power. For the Eastern Shore, where poultry farms abound, that would mean burning some of the billion tons of chicken manure produced each year. Much of that byproduct has traditionally been used as farm fertilizer, but the nitrogen-rich run-off that can result from manured fields has been linked to the Chesapeake Bay's algae blooms and high bacteria levels. So a power plant that burns chicken manure would seem to be killing two birds with one stone (if you'll pardon the expression). However, the plan does have its detractors, who fear that the burning process may release excessive amounts of carbon monoxide into the air.

One company that may well be interested in taking the state up on its word is Fibrowatt LLC, which has operated two poultry-waste power plants in England for more than a decade and a turkey-manure power plant in Minnesota since earlier this year. Fibrowatt first proposed a chicken-manure plant on the Eastern Shore ten years ago, but the state was not then enthusiastic about the idea.

November 12, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard aircrew rescues two near Hooper's Island, Md.

The Coast Guard rescued two people aboard a 36-foot sailboat after they had run aground near Hooper's Island, Md., Friday morning, November 11.

A crewmember aboard the Little Star contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore at 5 a.m. and reported they were hindered by the weather and had run out of food.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., arrived on the scene and hoisted the two people aboard the helicopter.

The people were transported to Crisfield Municipal Airport in Crisfield, Md., and transferred to awaiting emergency medical personnel.

November 10, 2011

Bay News

New Menhaden Limits Pass

At yesterday's Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission meeting in Boston, states voted to set new limits on catching menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters. The target is to reduce the menhaden harvest by up to 37 percent and to "set a harvest limit that will ensure menhaden reproduce to at least 15 percent of its historic spawning potential," a goal that the Chesapeake Bay Foundation pushed hard for.

It will take another year of studying, debating and planning before new measures are implemented, but the commission intends for new regulations to be in place by July 1, 2013.
For the full story, visit http://hamptonroads.com/node/620997

November 7, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard coordinates rescue of adrift sailing vessel

The 5th Coast Guard District Command Center in Portsmouth, Va., coordinated the rescue of four people 180 nautical miles northwest of Bermuda with the assistance of a ship, Sunday evening, November 6.

The Rescue Coordination Centre Bermuda contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at 3 a.m., reporting that one person aboard the Elle had sustained injuries to his ribs and that the vessel had lost steering and was now adrift.

The Oleander, a vessel belonging to Bernhard Schulte Ship Management, was diverted to the Elle's location and at 11 a.m. rescued the four people aboard the Elle. The Oleander then set a course for Bermuda.

"The RCC Bermuda was the only agency that had good communications with the vessel," said Lt. Victor Almodovar, a search and rescue controller at the 5th District Command Center. "Without the coordination with the rescue center, we would not have been able to relay the information to the Elle."

November 5, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard suspends local mariner's license for negligence

Coast Guard officials have suspended the license of the operator of a commercial assistance towing vessel who was involved in a fatal boating collision last October.

The collision occurred Oct. 17, 2010, when the operator aboard the commercial Sea Tow vessel passed underneath the James River Bridge and upon exiting, collided with a recreational fishing boat.

Lance Brewer, 13, of Gloucester, Va., a passenger aboard the fishing boat, lost his life as a result of the collision.

The Coast Guard's investigation into the incident found that neither operator maintained a proper lookout or operated their vessels at a safe speed. As part of a settlement agreement approved by an administrative law judge, Wayne A. Espinoza, of Virginia Beach, Va., the operator of the Sea Tow vessel, has agreed to a 36-month suspension of his license and will attend a Coast Guard approved training course.

"The simple precaution of reducing speed when operating in the vicinity of the James River Bridge could have prevented this tragic accident," said Cmdr. Jerry Barnes, the chief of the prevention department at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads. "Mr. Espinoza failed to exercise the standard of care expected of a licensed operator and the due caution required under the navigational circumstances. It is my hope that this suspension will serve as a reminder to all licensed operators to maintain a safe speed and be ever vigilant."

Espinoza and Phillip E. Brewer, of Newport News, Va., the operator of the fishing boat, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter by the Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney's office and await trial.

October 24, 2011

Channel 9

What Comes Down in the Watershed . . .

We all knew nothing good was going to come of it. When Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee tagged-teamed us and left more than 30 inches of rain on some areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed within a period of a couple of weeks, all that water had nowhere to go but downhill . . . literally. Runoff from over-taxed urban sewers, from manured agricultural fields and from fertilized suburban lawns flowed into the Susquehanna River to create a torrent of nutrient-rich water--778,000 cubic feet of it per second by the time it reached the Conwingo Dam. It was the third-highest flow in the dam's history. At the Conowingo itself, the roaring water scoured out hundreds of thousands of tons of silt collected over the years behind the dam, pushing it into the Bay. Satellite images show where it went from there. Just how bad will this be for the health of the Bay? We won't really know until next spring and summer, but it's a good bet that more than a little damage was done.

. . . Leaves No Boater Unaffected

That's not to say that the storms have not already played havoc with life on the Bay. Take watermen, for example, particularly Maryland watermen. Not only were they hampered by the wasteland of debris that littered most of the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake, they suddenly had a hard time finding crabs, at least in the short-term. Whether the crustaceans had been buried by silt or had decided to pack up and leave town until things improved, the result was the same: Where there had been crabs before the storm, there were now few or none. Recreational boaters too saw their boating season cut short by dangerous debris, everything from natural gas tanks to the remains of ancient oaks.

Storm Loss Brings Interesting Discovery

Speaking of ancient oaks, the Mariners' Museum in Newport News suffered damage to about 40 of its trees during Hurricane Irene, including its oldest, a 335-year-old white oak, which was toppled by the high winds. In examining the fallen giant, museum personnel discovered long slabs of concrete about six inches inside the bark. Facilities director John Cannup speculates that the tree had been struck by lightening more than 100 years ago and repairs were made by pounding forged nails part way into the trunk then covering those with concrete. Over the years, the tree grew over the repair work, hiding it completely. Incidentally, the loss of 40 trees in the museum's 500-acre park was considered comparatively light damage. The park lost 3,000 trees to Isabel in 2003.

Attack of the Stinky Potatoes

One of the odder things to come out of Hurricane Irene was the sudden appearance of small green stinky tuber-like objects on Virginia beaches and even in a few inland neighborhoods. What were these things that looked like Yukon golds way beyond the edible stage? Scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science had the answer: they're called sponge potatoes. These marine animals make their home in the shallow waters of the southern Bay, filtering water for food and taking life as it comes. However, winds from Irene came along and dislodged a good number, pushing them up on beaches and then blowing them inland, where they soon began to smell like . . . well, rotten potatoes.

DNR Turns Attention to Recreational Anglers

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been busy this year going after commercial watermen who break the state's laws by poaching, catching fish out of season or undersize. Now the DNR has turned its attention to recreational fishermen who flout the law as well. This fall, the agency announced that it had begun proceedings to suspend the licenses of 60 recreational anglers. Among the infractions cited were taking undersize fish, fishing out of season or in closed areas and exceeding daily catch limits. The anglers have the right to a hearing before a judge before the suspension take effect. The action follows legislation pass in 2009 that allows the DNR to seek stiffer penalties for recreational fishermen. Licenses can be suspended from a month to a year.

AC 45s Around the World and on YouTube

While not exactly careening around the course with the speed of unlimited hydroplanes, the foil-wing AC 45 catamarans of the America's Cup World Series are putting on a darned good show as they travel around the world with their quick, close-in racing and speed matches--and, occasionally, spectacular crashes. All of this of course is leading up to the big-deal America's Cup race between the Louis Vuitton Cup winner and the last cup winner, Oracle Racing, in San Fransisco in 2013. The AC World Series began in Cascais, Portugal, then moved to Plymouth, England. From there it will move to sailing sites around the world, ending in Newport, R.I., which was home to the America's Cup races for many years.

Oracle has two boats in the Series, and traditional rival Emirates Team New Zealand is back, but young teams from Spain, South Korea and China, as well as a team composed of Olympic one-design racers are making the whole affair much more interesting. Which is the idea: to generate fan enthusiasm. Since the races are not televised in the

Audio Guide to the Bridge-Tunnel

Here is something that was developed for people traveling over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, but there's no reason that boaters shouldn't be entertained and informed as well. The folks at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Authority have put together an audio tour of this engineering wonder of the world that comes in two forms--east to west or west to east. And the audio is timed coincide with the average one-way driving time. If you're listening to this on you boat, however, you can make up your own itinerary. Download the mp3 files from the bridge-tunnel website, www.cbbt.com.

October 19, 2011

Navigation Update

Section of Lynnhaven channel to be dredged

The Army Corps of Engineers reports that the City of Virginia Beach proposes to dredge the Western Branch of the Lynnhaven navigation channel. The channel was originally dredged to a design width of 30 feet and to a depth of -4.0 feet MLW, with a -1.0 foot over-depth allowance. The new work dredging includes the removal of 15,000 cubic yards of material and the widening of the channel from 30 feet to 40 feet and deepening of the channel from -5.0 feet MLW to -6.0 feet.

October 18, 2011

Navigation update

Shoaling in Havre de Grace Channel

The Coast Guard has received reports of shoaling to a depth of 4.0 feet MHW across the channel between Havre de Grace Yacht Basin Buoy 4 (LLNR 27685) and Havre De Grace Yacht Basin Buoy 5 (LLNR 27690). Chart: 12274.

For more navigation updates, go to the Notices to Mariners page here.

October 17, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard rescues two near Smith Island, Va.

The Coast Guard rescued two kayakers Saturday night, after the group they were with reported them missing near Cape Charles, Va.

One person from the group called the Virginia Marine Police after the overdue kayakers failed to arrive at their designated meeting point before sunset.

A crew aboard a 25-foot Response Boat-Small from Coast Guard Station Cape Charles and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., were launched to assist the police in their search.
The Jayhawk crew located the couple near Smith Island, Va., at approximately 11 p.m.

The couple was transported to Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital in Nassawadox, Va., with no reported injuries.

October 3, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard and local authorities searching for 1 near Tangier Island, Va.

The Coast Guard and local authorities are searching for one person after an emergency broadcast was sent on Sunday, October 2, from the plane they were aboard eight miles off the coast of Tangier Island.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore received a call at 3:30 p.m. from an air traffic controller at Naval Air Station Patuxent River reporting that a single-engine aircraft was declaring an emergency and losing power. The pilot said he didn't think he would be able to make it to Tangier Island Airport.

One person was reported to have made it ashore alive, and the other is still missing.

A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station Crisfield, Md., a 41-foot Utility Boat crew from Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes, Md., an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Albacore, homeported in Virginia Beach, Va., a Maryland State Police helicopter crew and a Maryland Natural Resource Police boatcrew were searching.

September 29, 2011

Bay News

Coast Guard Cutter Eagle to visit Baltimore

The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle is scheduled to visit Baltimore Inner Harbor's west wall Friday at noon, marking the conclusion of the Fall Training Cruise.

During the training cruise, 63 officer candidates and 22 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Corps officers-in-training aboard the Eagle trained in five functional areas of shipboard life: deck, operations, engineering, damage control and support.

The Eagle will be open for free public tours on the following dates and times:

Sept. 30 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

At 295 feet in length, the Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service.
Constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German Navy, the Eagle was taken by the United States as a war reparation following World War II.
With more than 23,500 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging, the Eagle has served as a floating classroom to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience.

A permanent crew of six officers and 50 enlisted personnel maintain the ship and guide the trainees through an underway and in-port training schedule, dedicated to learning the skills of navigation, damage control, watchstanding, engineering and deck seamanship.

September 23, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard monitoring clean-up efforts after marina fire in Oxford, Md.

The Coast Guard is monitoring clean-up efforts following a three-boat fire at Bachelors Point Marina in Oxford, Md., on Wednesday, September 21.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Oxford received a call at 9:47 p.m. from local fire rescue reporting a boat fire with possible pollution in the water.

Members of the Oxford Fire Department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. Crewmembers from Station Oxford assisted the fire department in placing absorbent boom around the boat to prevent any fuel from spreading in the water.

Crews will continue to monitor the clean-up until it is complete.

September 20, 2011

Bay News

Former Virginia Beach man sentenced to seven years for conspiracy and making false distress signal

Larry L. Deffenbaugh, 59, formerly of Virginia Beach, Va., was sentenced Monday, September 19, in Norfolk federal court to a total of seven years in prison for his conviction for conspiracy and communicating a false distress signal to the Coast Guard.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Capt. Mark Ogle, commander of the Coast Guard's Sector Hampton Roads, made the announcement after Deffenbaugh was sentenced by United States Senior District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Deffenbaugh was previously convicted by a Norfolk federal jury on May 12.

"Mr. Deffenbaugh faked his own death to flee from the law, but it was only a matter of time before the law caught up to him," said MacBride. "This is a just sentence for a man who imperiled the life of his own brother and the lives of those responding to his distress signal - all to escape responsibility for his own actions in court."

"Making false distress calls is illegal, and it endangers first responders," said Ogle. "It pulls Coast Guard and other rescuers from legitimate cases, thereby putting lives at risk while costing the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. This conviction helps stress how seriously this offense is taken."

According to trial documents and testimony, Deffenbaugh, also known as "Mike Meyers," was boating on the Chesapeake Bay on May 10, 2009, with his brother when he led his brother to believe that he had fallen from the boat and into the Bay, thereby causing his brother to contact Coast Guard authorities seeking help. As a result of the false distress call, the Coast Guard deployed resources in an effort to save Deffenbaugh's life, even though he was not in any peril. Despite an extensive search, the Coast Guard search team could find no trace of Deffenbaugh. Deffenbaugh was scheduled to appear in Calvert County Maryland on a probation violation on May 12, 2009. Deffenbaugh failed to appear. In February 2010, Deffenbaugh's story was broadcast on the television program, "America's Most Wanted." Based upon a viewer's tip, Deffenbaugh was located in Baytown, Texas, living under the assumed name, "Mike Meyers."

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Chesapeake Region. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph L. Kosky prosecuted the case for the United States.

September 17, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard responds to grounded barge, boats near Little Creek, Va.

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of a grounded barge and boat near the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek on Friday, September 16.

Crew of the vessel Cape Charles contacted Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads Command Center watchstanders at approximately 11:45 p.m. Thursday to report the Skanska-owned barge 1208, the tug boat Ranger and crew boat Cape Charles going aground in the sand.

The company Skanska refloated the barge, and boats and towed them into Little Creek Inlet.
No injuries or signs of pollution have been reported. Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.

September 16, 2011

Bay News

Can anything good be said for the recent storm run-off?

If there was any good thing to be pulled murky waters of the upper Bay this week, it is the fact that the deluge of rain from Irene and then Lee came at the end of the Bay's growing season. But that was nearly the only glimmer of good news in a week filled with bad news for the fragile Chesapeake estuary. The rest of the story is a litany of bad news:

First, enough fresh water entered the Bay over the period of several days to replenish the entire supply. And fresh water is no friend to much of the Chesapeake's food crops such as clams and oysters. Then there is the fact that the fresh water is "fresh" in name only. As it ran through farm fields, as well as urban areas, covering thousands of square miles on its way to the Bay, the fresh water picked up untold amounts of phosphorous, as well as petroleum products, and the toxic chemicals that are the byproducts of our modern way of life. In addition, as this torrent of runoff descended the rivers on its way to the Bay--most notably the Susquehanna--it scoured tons of silt built up behind behind manmade structures such as dams--most notably the Conowingo Dam, in the case of the Susquehanna--and then deposited that in the upper Bay.

While the amounts of both water and scoured silt are not as great as the near-catastrophic amount produced by Hurricane Agnes in 1972, they are nonetheless sufficient to cause enough damage to aquatic vegetation--and thereby aquatic animal life such as clams, oysters--to set the recovery of the Bay back on its heels for years to come. We won't know how much damage until next year.

But here we return to our one piece of good news. Because we are at the end of the growing season and the waters of the Bay will soon be cooling, the algae blooms caused by the nutrient runoff generally associated with the warm water and sunshine will probably not get a really good foothold. And that means that the blooms won't have a chance to increase the already record-setting dead zones that occurred this year because of heavy spring rains that sent extra fresh water and nutrients into the Bay. One piece of mildly good news in a sea of bad--and we haven't even mentioned the boat-banging, water-clogging junkyard of debris that came along for the ride. Or the squadrons of water-bred mosquitoes that are making life miserable for man and beast, especially in the lower Bay.

Channel 9

Twenty Fatalities by August

Let's get some bad news out of the way. This August--well before the end of the boating season--the number of deaths from boating accidents in Maryland waters rose to a disconcerting 20. That's the highest number in more than a decade, and officials are at a loss to explain why, since there is no common thread to explain them--though most (18), but not all (2), of the victims were not wearing a life vest at the time of the accident. Alcohol too apparently played a part in some, but by no means all, of the fatalities. Also there were several cases in which the victim was boating alone when the accident occurred. Currents played a role in at least three of the deaths.

As bad as this number seems, however, it is far better than the fatality numbers in decades past, when the total could be two or three times as high. And no one anticipates that this year's numbers are the start of a trend up. New safety rules and improved rescue services have had a large and lasting impact on boating safety on the Bay.

Channel 9

The First of the Best

The National Sailing Hall of Fame in Annapolis may not yet have an actual hall in which to hang its hat, but it does have its first class of inductees. After polling sailors nationwide this spring, the selection committee came up with the first 15 sailors to be named to the hall of fame, including Annapolis sailor Gary Jobson. The class will be officially inducted later this month at the San Diego Yacht Club in California.

Here they are: Betsy Alison (Newport, R.I.), five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year; Hobie Alter (Laguna Beach, Calif.), surfboard and catamaran pioneer; Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.), 1998 Whitbread winning skipper; Dennis Conner (San Diego, Calif.), four-time America's Cup winning skipper; Ted Hood (Portsmouth, R.I.), naval architect and America's Cup winning skipper; Gary Jobson (Annapolis), sailor, author and commentator; Buddy Melges (Zenda, Wis.), Sailing Olympic gold medalist; Lowell North (San Diego, Calif.), Star Olympic gold medalist and founder of North Sails; Ted Turner (Atlanta), America's Cup winning helmsman and four-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. Posthumous inductees are: Charles "Charlie" Barr (Marblehead, Mass.), transatlantic record setter; Nathanael G. Herreshoff (Bristol, R.I.), naval architect; Emil "Bus" Mosbacher Jr. (Greenwich, Conn.) two-time America's Cup winning skipper; Joshua Slocum (San Francisco), first ever solo circumnavigator and writer; Olin Stephens (Hanover, N.H.), yacht designer; and Harold S. Vanderbilt (New York), three-time America's Cup winning skipper.

Channel 9

Walk All the Way From the Boat? Never!

We just can't wait for our next boat trip to Oxford, Md. Why? Because as soon as we tie up we're calling for a cab to take us to dinner. Not just any cab. We mean the 1958 Austin FX3 London taxi cab owned by the Oxford Inn and dubbed the Pope's Mobile after the inn's Pope's Tavern. Chef Lisa MacDougal and her husband Dan Zimbelman put the big black hack into service to transport guests and diners from Oxford marinas to the inn. After our taxi ride, we'll order the tavern's new Black Cab cocktail, made up of gin infused with blackberries, English blackberry tea, blackberry liqueur and fresh lemon juice, with a twist and a blackberry. Smashing!

Post-Hurricane Irene Information

August 29, 2011

Navigation hazards

The Coast Guard has received reports of shoaling at the entrance to the Chesapeake between buoys "9" (LLNR 7075) and "10" (LLNR) 7080. No indication of the depth, however.
Also noted in shipping channel, these buoys are reported to be off-station:

# Chesapeake Bay entrance lighted whistle buoy "CH" (LLNR 405)
# Chesapeake channel lighted bell buoy "2C" (LLNR 7035)
# Chesapeake Channel lighted buoy "14" (LLNR 7110)

We'll post all navigation hazards as we receive notice.

As of this morning, all ports on the Bay have reopened to marine traffic.

Hurricane Irene Storm Alerts

August 27, 2011

Coast Guard sets Port Condition Zulu for Hampton Roads

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port was scheduled to set condition Zulu at midnight Friday for the Port of Hampton Roads due to severe weather.
The COTP is establishing a safety zone that will close the port to all vessel traffic, including vessel transits within the port. Vessel movement is not authorized without prior approval from the COTP.

The COTP anticipates remaining in condition Zulu until severe weather ceases. All mariners are advised to be extra vigilant as the port can expect sustained gale force winds greater than 39 mph during the next 36 hours. Cargo handling operations at all facilities shall be terminated during this time period.

The Coast Guard requests that the public listen to weather information available from other sources and not call the Coast Guard for weather information. For additional information on the storm, visit the National Hurricane Center Web site at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

The Port of Hampton Roads Maritime Heavy Weather Contingency Plan explains all port conditions and is available at http://homeport.uscg.mil/mycg/portal/ep/portDirectory.do?tabId=1&cotpId=26

August 25, 2011
4 p.m.

Maryland drops crab time limits for crabbers to prepare for storm

Effective immediately, the Department of Natural Resources will not be enforcing the times for removing crabs from commercial crab pots from Thursday, August 25, 2011 through Monday, August 29, 2011. Licensees may keep crabs removed from crab pots during this period. All other regulations pertaining to the commercial harvest of crabs remain in effect. The purpose of this action is to allow fishermen to prepare for Hurricane Irene by removing their gear from waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Coastal Bays of the Atlantic Ocean. Enforcement of times will resume at 11:59 pm Monday, August 29.
Virginia has also dropped its time constraints temporarily (see below)
August 25, 2011
11:30 a.m.

Upper Bay now under Port Condition Whiskey

The Captain of the Port of Baltimore has set the condition to Whiskey for the northern Chesapeake Bay, including tributaries and ports along those tributaries due to the expectation that gale force winds generated by Hurricane Irene may arrive within 72 hours.
The ports are currently open to all commercial traffic and all transfer operations may continue while Whiskey remains in effect.

Threatening winds between 39 and 54 mph from a hurricane-force storm are possible within 72 hours.
Pleasure craft are advised to seek safe harbor. Drawbridges may not be operating if sustained winds reach 25 mph or when an evacuation is in progress.

Port facilities are advised to review their heavy weather plans and take all necessary precautions to adequately prepare for the expected conditions.

August 26, 2011
11:15 a.m.

Coast Guard sets port condition X-ray for Hampton Roads

As predicted, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port has set Hurricane Condition X-ray for the Port of Hampton Roads in preparation for Hurricane Irene. Hurricane Condition X-ray is set when gale force winds are expected within 48 hours.

During the next 24 hours the Coast Guard will identify and track all vessels in port, establish contact with emergency management agencies at the local, state and federal levels, and work closely with port and industry officials to minimize damage in the event the storm impacts Hampton Roads.

Pleasure craft are advised to seek safe harbor. Drawbridges may not be operating if sustained winds reach 25 mph or when an evacuation is in progress. Mariners can view the latest port updates for Hampton Roads on the Coast Guard's Homeport site.

Port facilities are advised to review their heavy weather plans and take all necessary precautions to adequately prepare for the expected conditions.

If and when port readiness condition Yankee is set, meaning hurricane force winds are expected within 24 hours, vessel movement shall be restricted and all movements must be approved by the Captain of the Port.

10:30 a.m. August 25, 1011

Here are storm preparation updates from the lower Bay:

Time of day restrictions on the commercial harvest of crabs have been lifted for the next three days to give crabbers enough time to remove their gear from the water, a news release from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission said. Typically commercial crabbing is limited to 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Port conditions in Hampton Roads will change beginning at noon today (see update above), according to the Coast Guard. As winds rise and port conditions are accelerated, mariners will no longer be able to take shelter in port in order to keep vessel inventory at a minimum. Commercial oceangoing vessels and barges over 500 gross tons have been told to make plans to leave.

The Navy has made the decision to take its ships out of port. Fifty-five ships are either headed out to sea or steaming for safer harbors. The move was prompted by predictions of winds of at least 55 mph sustained and a storm surge of 5 to 7 feet.

August 24, 2011

Hurricane Irene Storm Alerts

Coast Guard sets port condition Whiskey for Hampton Roads

The Captain of the Port for Sector Hampton Roads has set port condition Whiskey at noon for Hampton Roads due to the expectation that gale force winds generated by Hurricane Irene may arrive within 72 hours.

The ports are currently open to all commercial traffic and all transfer operations may continue while Whiskey remains in effect.

Threatening winds between 39 and 54 mph from a hurricane-force storm are possible within 72 hours.

Pleasure craft are advised to seek safe harbor. Drawbridges may not be operating if sustained winds reach 25 mph or when an evacuation is in progress. Mariners can view the latest port updates for Hampton Roads on the Coast Guard's Homeport site.

Port facilities are advised to review their heavy weather plans and take all necessary precautions to adequately prepare for the expected conditions.

Mariners can anticipate the Coast Guard setting port readiness condition X-ray when gale force winds from Hurricane Irene are within 48 hours of landfall.

If and when port readiness condition Yankee is set, meaning hurricane force winds are expected within 24 hours, vessel movement shall be restricted and all movements must be approved by the Captain of the Port.

For information on how to prepare your boat or trailer for a hurricane, please click here.

For information on Hurricane Irene's progress and hurricane preparedness, please visit the National Hurricane Center's web page at the following link - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

August 23, 2011

Preparing your Boat for a Hurricane

Here is a very useful document from Boat U.S. about how to secure your boat before a storm.

/Media/Hurricanes.pdf


Hurricane Irene Storm Alerts

Coast Guard advises preparation for Hurricane Irene

The Coast Guard urges mariners and residents to begin planning and preparing for Hurricane Irene.

Tropical systems acquire a name when they reach tropical storm strength with sustained winds reaching 39 mph. They become hurricanes when winds reach 74 mph and become major hurricanes when winds increase to 111 mph.

As storms approach, the Coast Guard urges people to remember these guidelines:

    # Stay informed: The public should monitor the progress and strength of the storm through newspapers, the Internet, and local television and radio stations. Boaters can monitor its progress on VHF-FM channel 16. Small craft advisories and warnings are also available on VHF-FM channel 16.

    # Evacuate as necessary: Mandatory evacuation orders should be obeyed. Coast Guard personnel and other emergency responders may not be able to evacuate people in danger during a storm.

    # Secure your boats and boating equipment: Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to inland marinas where they will be less likely to break free of their moorings or to be otherwise damaged. Boats that can be trailered should be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding. Those mariners who leave their boats in the water are reminded to secure life rings, life jackets and fenders.

    # Be cautious of hazardous materials: If you have hazardous materials on or near the water, you are responsible for any spills that may occur. Take the necessary precautions to secure these materials prior to any foul weather.

   # Stay clear of beaches: Even the best swimmers can fall victim to the strong waves and rip currents caused by storms. Swimmers are urged to stay clear of beaches until local officials say the water is safe. Rip currents and undertows can drag swimmers away from their boat or the beach and lead to death by drowning when they attempt to fight the current and become exhausted.

Mariners are reminded that drawbridges along the coast may deviate from normal operating procedures prior to a storm. They are generally authorized to remain closed up to eight hours prior to the approach of gale force winds of 32 mph or greater and whenever an evacuation is ordered. Because of the uncertainty of weather movements and related bridge closures, mariners should seek early passage through drawbridges well in advance of the arrival of gale force winds.

For more information on hurricane preparedness, please visit the National Hurricane Center's Web page at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

NRP advises preparations be made for Hurricane Irene

Here is some good storm preparedness advice from the Maryland Natural Resources Police:

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are asking mariners to make plans to safe-guard their vessels from Hurricane Irene. The recent activity in the Atlantic Ocean should cause boaters to make plans to safe guard their property and lives.

Planning is the key to minimize injury and loss of life. Boaters should make plans well in advance of the storm so that definite docking, mooring or hauling out of the vessel arrangements can be performed quickly and without delay.

When deciding on storm preparation plans, mariners need to consider size, type of vessel, and location. Current locations may not offer protection from high winds or tides. Boaters should consider the following when making arrangement for their vessels:

# Removing valuable equipment from your vessel to protect it from damage.

# Consider removing your vessel from the water to reduce damage from storm surge.

# Vessels on land should be properly stored or tied down to prevent being damage by winds. Small open vessels can be filled with water to lessen the effect of the wind.

# Vessels that remain in the water should be moored in safe areas or berths.

# Lines should be doubled and high on pilings. Remember storm surges can cause tides over the pilings.

# Install fenders to protect vessel from pilings, piers or other vessels.

# Ensure that bilge pumps work properly and that the batteries that run them are fully charged.

# Seal all openings to make the vessel watertight.

# Collect all documents, including insurance policies. Take photographs of vessel and equipment for insurance

# Do not stay aboard vessels during storms.

NRP reminds boaters that advance planning can save property and lives. These actions should take place at least 48-72 hours before the event to accommodate unforeseen problems. During the storm, occupants should be off the water and in safe shelters. Remember, storm conditions could exist that delay or prevent response from emergency personnel.

Additional information on hurricane preparedness may be found at http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/index.shtm and http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/prepared_week.shtml

August 22, 2011

Police Blotter

Possession of undersize crabs conviction

On August 19, in the District Court of Maryland for Worcester County, Vernon Edward Bailey Jr., 42, of Salisbury, and Ellis M. Barton, 40, of Westover, were found guilty of possessing undersize male hardcrabs. Bailey was found guilty of 2 counts and Barton of one count. Each man was ordered to pay $1,000 fine for each count. The Maryland Natural Resources Police stopped Bailey and Barton on June 11 in Marshall Creek off of Chincoteague Bay with 1,211 undersize male hardcrabs.

Personal watercraft accident on Port Tobacco River

On August 20, at 2:48 p.m., NRP responded to investigate a personal watercraft accident that occurred in the Port Tobacco River. The investigation revealed that Norman Linwood Vassar Jr., of Waldorf, Md., was operating the vessel when he struck a wave and lost control of the vessel. Vassar was thrown from the vessel and then struck by it. He was flown to Prince Georges Hospital and treated for chest injuries.

August 21, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard Station Annapolis assists boat taking on water near Chesapeake Bay Bridge

A rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Annapolis assisted three people north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge after their 23-foot boat began taking on water Saturday afternoon, August 20.

The boaters contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 12:50 p.m. reporting that they were taking on water, but were able to keep up with the flooding at the time.

Two 25-foot Response Boat-Small crews from Station Annapolis, Maryland Natural Resources Police and Anne Arundel Fire Department launched to assist.

The RB-S crews transferred three members and a dewatering pump onto the sinking boat to assist in dewatering while the other RB-S crew began towing the boat to Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis.

There were no reports of injury.

Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City crew rescues two near Oregon Inlet, NC

The Coast Guard rescued two people after the 43-foot recreational boat they were aboard sank 45 miles east of Oregon Inlet, N.C., Saturday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a call at 1 p.m. from a crewmember aboard the Reel Escape, from Glen Allen, Va., stating that they were taking on water and were in need of assistance.
The boater's call dropped, but watchstanders began receiving an emergency position indicating radio beacon transmission near the reported location.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., arrived on the scene and hoisted the two people aboard the helicopter.

"The Coast Guard wants to stress to all mariners both recreational and commercial that having a properly registered EPIRB aboard saves lives as happened with the Reel Escape," said Geoffrey Pagels, a watchstander with the Coast Guard's 5th District Command Center.

The boaters were transported to Air Station Elizabeth City. The crew aboard the Reel Escape was travelling from Cape Hatteras, N.C., to Rudy Inlet, Va., when they began to take on water.

August 18, 2011

Police Blotter

Two boating accidents; one fatal, one serious

The Natural Resources police are investigating two boating accidents that occurred Thursday, August 18.

The first boating accident occurred at 1:20 p.m. on the Marshyhope Creek, near Federalsburg, Md. NRP's investigation revealed that John Miller, 63, of Bridgeville, Delaware, was fishing by himself on a 16-foot vessel. Miller was thrown overboard when the vessel surged forward after he started his outboard engine with the motor in gear and the throttle wide open. Miller was struck two or three times by the boat and motor as the vessel circled around him. Eventually, Miller was able to swim out of the path of the circling vessel and was retrieved by a Good Samaritan vessel.

Miller was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical center with propeller injuries to his head, neck and arms.

The second boating accident occurred at 3:41 p.m. in the Chesapeake Bay just south of the fishing pier at North Beach Calvert County. NRP's investigation revealed that William Thomas Cole, 42, of North Beach, Maryland, was operating a 10-foot personal watercraft (PWC). Witnesses stated that Cole was jumping waves with the vessel when he was knocked off his vessel by the waves. Cole yelled for assistance and then was covered by breaking waves. Coles was then observed unconscious on the water. The sea condition at the time of the accident was 2 to 3 foot waves and winds estimated at 15 to 20 knots.

Cole was picked up North Beach Volunteer fire Company and transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Cole was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. Cole's body is transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy. NRP's Special Operations Division is continuing the investigation into the accident.

August 18, 2011

Bay News

Update: Coast Guard suspends its response to Anacostia River material

The Coast Guard on Monday, August 22, suspended its response to the Anacostia River, based on initial lab results that conclude the reported spill is not petroleum-based or hazardous material.

"We believe, based on the initial lab results as well as expert analysis of the results, that it is not a threat to public safety or the environment," said Lt. Cmdr. Randall Brown, the chief of the response department at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore.

Agencies continue response to unknown substance in Anacostia River

An overflight by a U.S. Park Police aircrew and a District Department of the Environment (DDOE) official along the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., traced an unknown substance in the river on Wednesday.

Members from the Coast Guard, the DDOE, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Environmental Protection Agency, the District of Columbia Fire Department and the U.S. Park Service have been working together to identify the unknown substance and its source.

Investigators will use the results of the overflight to attempt to locate the potential source of the substance.

Water samples have been taken from several areas along the river and sent to separate laboratories for testing to identify what the substance is.
"We are working to minimize the impact on the environment," said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Randall Brown, the chief of the response department at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. "There have been no reports of negative impact on the environment or wildlife at this time."

The spill was first reported Monday evening and initially thought to be an oil spill. Testing however determined that it was not oil, nor even likely petroleum-based. The material is not coating plants or wildlife and is traveling just below the surface. Booms have been put out in a number of locations across the river to try to capture the substance, which is worst in a two-mile stretch between the 11th Street bridge and New York Avenue in Washington, D.C.

August 17, 2011

Search & Rescue

Update: Body of missing boater recovered

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) recovered the body of missing boater from Tenthouse Creek on August 17, at 7:30 a.m. The boater was identified as Dean Dixon, 52, of Harwood, Md.

Dixon's body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy. NRP Special Operations Unit is conducting the investigation into the incident.

August 16, 2011

Search & Rescue

Search for missing boater

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) were searching for a missing boater in Penthouse Creek, in the area of the 4700 block of Bayfield Road, Galesville, Md.

On August 16, at 3 p.m., NRP received a call that an unoccupied vessel had been found on shore. NRP's investigation revealed that Dean Dixon, 52, of Harwood, Md., was crabbing from his vessel and had spoken to his family by cell phone at approximately 11 a.m. that morning. Dixon has not been heard or seen since that time.

NRP, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, and Anne Arundel County Aviation were searching for Dixon by vessel, air and with the help of divers. The search teams are employing side scan sonar to aid the search for Dixon.

The NRP Special Operations Unit is conducting the investigation into the incident.

August 16, 2011

Channel 9

Mill Creek Residents Learn Hard Lesson about Abandoned Boats

AN ABANDONED 45-FOOT BOAT MADE itself at home on the bottom of Mill Creek in Solomons, Md., this summer, taking on water July 8, and striking bottom the next morning. Unfortunately, this was not an unheard of occurrence on Mill Creek, which hosts several abandoned boats.
"Everybody knew it was going down; it was just a matter of when," said Tom Kody, whose waterfront home is near the sunken boat. Those living and working on the creek had noticed that the boat was vacant at anchor for weeks. The owner of the boat allegedly abandoned it to avoid the costs of storage and upkeep.
Sonney Forrest, a charter boat captain who lives and runs his business on Mill Creek, noticed that the boat was listing to starboard on July 8 and called the U.S. Coast Guard's Baltimore Sector to report it. On Saturday, he called the Coast Guard again, only to be told that they could do nothing about it unless it began leaking oil or impeded navigable waters. Forrest and Kody then called the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, who said they could not act until the boat had been there for 30 days.
When Forrest contacted the county government later that weekend, the local fire department responded by placing a sock around the area to contain any leakage. However by that time, material from the boat had already released onto the water and formed a 100-yard-wide sheen on •the water.
"It's amazing to me that in this day and age something like this can happen," Kody said. "After 30 days, all the environmental damage will be done."
-- Lizzy McLellan

August 16, 2011

Channel 9

Queen of the Show

HE WASN'T EXACTLY DUMPSTER DIVING, but when Chris Troy caught wind of an old Matthews double-cabin cruiser that was headed for a North Carolina scrap pile, he smelled an opportunity and jumped on it. He and his two brothers, Phil and Mike Troy of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Richfield, Conn., respectively, were hard on the trail of a project boat, and this one sounded almost too good to be true: 40 feet of solid mahogany and white burr oak, built in 1941 by the Matthews Company in Port Clinton, Ohio. This was back in 1993, and the Charlotte, N.C. lawyer convinced his brothers to chip in a third each to rescue the boat and haul her up to their family place on the Little Wicomico River.

Now, after nearly twenty years, the Carina is a head turner anywhere she goes. "Working on the Carina has kept us in touch as a family," Mike says, "given three aging brothers something to work on together." More than that, it has pulled them even closer into the maritime community of Reedville, Va., where three generations of Cockrells from the Cockrell Marine Railway, legendary in its own right, have chipped in to lend a hand or offer advice as needed.

"There was one time when we were puzzling over how to replace a curved white oak toe rail," Mike says. "Old Dandridge Cockrell [senior Cockrell and founder of the railway, now deceased] was rocking in his chair by the potbelly stove, and we said to ourselves, 'I bet he can tell us what to do.' When we asked him about it he laughed and said, 'I've been watching you. Wondered when you'd come around to asking.' He told us what to do all right, and plenty of other stuff besides. We've learned more about boats and the Bay just by listening to Dandridge."
The Carina is just one example of the meticulously restored vessels that will be on display during the 8th annual Antique & Classic Boat Gathering at the Reedville Fishermen's Museum on Saturday, September 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The boat parade on Cockrells Creek begins at 3 p.m. For more information, go to the museum's website at www.rfmuseum.org or call 804-453-6529.
--Jane Meneely

August 16, 2011

Channel 9

Red Carpet for a Manatee

ON THE OTHER, FRIENDLIER END OF THE welcome wagon, the return of Chessie the manatee this summer was greeted with front page stories and nostalgic editorials. Chessie was first spotted around Kent Narrows way back in 1994. At that time, there was concern that the warm-water native wouldn't be able to survive the Chesapeake's cooling fall water temperatures. So Chessie was repatriated to Florida by the Coast Guard. A few years later, however, Chessie bypassed the Bay in favor of chilly Rhode Island, and in 2001 vacationed on the Sassafras River in the northern Bay. Now the peripatetic manatee is back, spotted off Calvert County shores in July. Although he lost his tracker device years ago, Chessie was identified from photos. It's estimated that Chessie is 20 years old, which is about twice the life expectancy for a wild manatee.

August 16, 2011

Channel 9

John Smith's National Water Trail

SPEAKING OF BOTH PERIPATETIC (SEE Chessie the manatee) and John Smith (see Point Comfort), if we put the two together we get the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, which is a mouthful anyway you look at it. It's also a trail that spans the Chesapeake and many of its tributaries. That's a lot of territory. So where do you begin a visit? Enter another John, this one Chesapeake naturalist, fishing expert and CBM contributing editor John Page Williams, who--with ample help from some spiffy web designers--has put together a snappy and eminently useful boater's guide to the trail. This hundred-some page guide, available only as a downloadable .pdf file, contains live links to charts for each access point to the trail, information on what you'll find when you get there, suggested itineraries, history, natural history and practical information about the tides, currents and other considerations. The guide also explains which kinds of boats will work best for each section. You'll find the guide at www.smithtrail.net.

August 13, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard seeks assistance in identifying Newburg hoax caller

The Coast Guard is seeking the public's help to identify individuals responsible for possible false distress calls in the Newburg, Md., area.

Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders received a mayday call reporting a 25-foot pleasure craft with three people aboard taking on water in the lower Potomac River near Morgantown Point July 18. The caller stated there was only one life jacket aboard, and they may have to abandon the vessel.

The watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a 25-foot Response Boat - Small crew from Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes, Md., and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., along with a Maryland State Police helicopter, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Charles County Fire Department, Charles County Sheriff and Virginia Marine Police.

Agencies arrived to the reported scene of distress and found no vessels in the area or any signs of distress. The Dolphin helicopter crew logged approximately nine hours of flight time, and the RB-S crew was underway for approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes in response to the distress call.
False distress calls limit the Coast Guard's ability to respond to actual emergencies. They also unnecessarily endanger the lives of responders and waste thousands of tax payer dollars annually.

Making a false distress call is a felony punishable by law. The maximum penalty for making a false distress call is five to 10 years in prison, a $5,000 civil fine, a $250,000 criminal fine and reimbursement to the Coast Guard.

Assistance in identifying individuals such as this have resulted in convictions in the past, as in May 2011, a Norfolk, Va., federal jury convicted Larry L. Deffenbaugh, 59, formerly of Virginia Beach, Va., of conspiracy and communicating a false distress signal to the Coast Guard.
Anyone with information regarding the distress calls are asked to contact the Coast Guard at 410-576-2630.

August 2, 2011

Police Blotter

Two boating accidents on South River under investigation

Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) officers are investigating two boating accidents on the Chesapeake Bay in the South River area.

On July 30, at 5:30 p.m. NRP received a call concerning an overturned vessel in the South River near Annapolis. The occupants of the vessel were picked up by a passerby and taken to Thomas Point Lighthouse Coast Guard Station, where one victim was flown and one victim was transported by ambulance to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Unit in Baltimore. NRP is still investigating the cause of the accident. There was no update on the condition of either victim.

In the second incident, NRP officers responded to a boating accident in the South River near Harness Creek at 12:10 a.m. on Sunday, July 31, after a sailboat and a powerboat had collided in the middle of the river.

Three victims were transported to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Unit in Baltimore. Two victims were flown by MSP Medivac and one victim was transported by ambulance.

NRP officers are still investigating this accident. There was no update on the condition of the victims.

Body recovered in Stony Creek

At about 5:15 p.m. on July 30, Charles Ryder, 48, of Glen Burnie, Md., jumped from a moving Sea Ray vessel into Stony Creek off the Patapsco River, but did not surface.

The Maryland Natural Resource Police, Anne Arundel Fire and Rescue, the Coast Guard, Maryland State Police Aviation, and the Baltimore City fire boat were notified and searched for Ryder until nightfall. The search resumed on the following morning, with NRP and Anne Arundel units conducting the search with side scan sonar and divers.

Ryder's body was recovered at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 31.

July 26, 2011

Search & Rescue

July 26, 2011

Search & Rescue

Update: Coast Guard, local agencies end search; missing man near Rappahannock River had returned home safely

Coast Guard, state and local agencies ended their search for a 24-year-old in the vicinity of the Rappahannock River near Sharps, Va., who went missing Monday evening, July 25.

Missing was Richard Davis. Davis had becomes separated from his vessel and returned home safely at approximately 3:30 a.m.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C. MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, personnel from the Virginia Marine Police, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries as well as Richmond County emergency medical services and good Samaritans were involved in the search.

Coast Guard, local agencies, searching for missing man near Rappahannock River

Coast Guard, state and local agencies were searching for a 24-year-old man in the vicinity of the Rappahannock River near Sharps, Va., Tuesday, July 26. Missing is Richard Davis.

Davis's boat was found abandoned on the shore with all its life jackets inside. Davis is a white male with blond hair, 5 feet 10 inches tall and approximately 150 lbs. He was reported to be last seen wearing a T-shirt and cutoff shorts.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., MH-60 rescue helicopter crew, good Samaritans, and personnel from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and Richmond County emergency medical services are currently on scene involved in the search.

Searchers are requesting that anyone with information on the whereabouts of Davis call the Coast Guard at 757-638-6641.

July 25, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard suspends search for missing man in Sassafras River

Coast Guard crews on Sunday evening, July 24, suspended the search for a 34-year-old male, who went missing in the Sassafras River between Ordinary Point and Kentmore Park.

Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders were notified by the Maryland Natural Resources Police at 9:45 p.m., Saturday of the missing man.

The man was reported to be on an 8-10 foot vessel, wearing blue swimming trunks, no shirt, and no life jacket. A good Samaritan reported finding the vessel adrift and unmanned.

A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station Stillpond, a Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., HH-65 rescue helicopter crew, aircraft crews from the Coast Guard Auxilliary and Civil Air Patrol, a Maryland State Police helicopter crew along with personnel and a dive team from Maryland NRP were on scene searching for the man.

The Coast Guard searched 43 square miles in approximately 11 hours for the man.

July 20, 2011

Channel 9

Boat Ramp App

Smart-phone apps nowadays are like stones in a New England field after a rain, they just keep popping up. And sometimes it's tough to tell the diamonds from the duds until you've used them for a while. Here's one that looks pretty good so far, and it has the added benefit of being free: the Boat Ramp app from the Let's Go Fishing folks. You can search for ramps by your current location or a specific area. You can also limit the distance and number of results. The app will then produce the list--closest boat ramp first--and give you basic information like lat and long, and map it for you. This is great for trailer boaters, of course, but also for boaters with pets, since public ramps make easy dinghy stops for Spots in need. Search for "Boat Ramps" at the app store. The only problem we've found is how to get back to the app from the map.

July 20, 2011

Channel 9

Smart Buoys App

Buoy, this is a great way to see what's actually happening out on the Bay before you even leave the dock! All season long, the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoys are busy collecting real-time data of all kinds while they bob back in forth in their assigned spots. The beauty is that boaters can see that information instantly on their computers or phones. The information has been available for a couple of years on the Interpretive Buoy System website, but this has been redesigned to make accessing the information easier, and there is now a free downloadable app developed with Chesapeake Conservancy. The website is www.buoybay.noaa.gov or search "Smart Buoys" on your smart device's app store. Oh, yes, you can still just pick up the phone and get the information at 877-286-9229.

July 20, 2011

Channel 9

Gov Cup Adds Class

As we mentioned last winter, [see Channel 9, February 2011] the Governor's Cup, the Bay's oldest overnight race, has been getting a little creaky lately, attracting fewer boats and costing sponsoring St. Mary's College of Maryland more money than it presently cares to spend. To combat those issues, a race planning committee has come up with some changes.
Chief among these are the addition of a more informal cruising class and a 3 p.m. starting time for slower boat classes, to ensure that they make it down to the finish in time for the party. In the past, dying morning winds have left many boats becalmed near the mouth of the St. Marys River. Faster boats will continue to start at 6 p.m. At St. Mary's, there will be more bands, more food vendors and more family events. The Annapolis to St. Mary's race starts on Friday, August 5. For registration information, see www.smcm.edu/govcup.

July 19, 2011

Police Blotter

Man charged with crabbing on suspended license . . . again

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) has charged Joseph B. Janda Jr., 25, of Wittman, Md., with crabbing on a suspended license, possession of paraphernalia and possession of suspected heroin. On July 15 at 12:30 p.m., officers observed Janda using drugs and crabbing from a 20-foot homemade boat in Harris Creek.

This is the second time NRP has caught and charged Janda since his tidal fish license was suspended for five years January 13, 2010. Janda was also charged with possessing undersized crabs on June 19. Janda's vessel has been seized pending a trial.

Crabbing charges made against Rock Hall man

NRP has charged Travis Lee Cannan, 30, of Rock Hall with crabbing without a commercial license, tidal fish license not available for inspection, failing to display crabbing day off, failing to display tidal fish license on his vessel and possession of undersize crabs. On July 13, officers seized four bushels of hard crabs from Cannan's boat in the Chester River in the area of Durbins Creek. A trial has been set for 1:15 p.m. on August 23 in the District Court of Maryland for Kent County.

July 18, 2011

Search & Rescue

Tug boat and fishing boat collide in James River near Hopewell, Va.

The tug boat Lisa Moran and a 24-foot recreational fishing boat collided while in the James River near Hopewell, Va., at 3 a.m., Thursday, July 14.
The two men aboard the fishing vessel were ejected as a result of the collision. The crew aboard the tug successfully recovered both men, neither were injured.

Members of the Henrico County Police and Fire departments responded to the scene. Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads received a call from a member of the Henrico County Police reporting the incident.

Coast Guard inspections and investigations personnel have responded to investigate. There have been no reports of pollution.

July 15, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard, VMRC respond to boat collision near Deltaville, Va.

A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven, Va., responded to a report of a collision near Deltaville, Va., Thursday, July 14.

Crewmembers from station Milford Haven received a call at approximately 10:30 p.m., from a good Samaritan who heard the collision from land between a 46-foot motor yacht and 47-foot sail boat in the Piankatank River.

A 25-foot Response Boat - Small boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven and members of the Virginia Marine Police responded to the scene. Members of both agencies conducted a joint boarding of the boats.
There have been no reports of injuries or pollution, but there was a report of damage to the vessels.

Virginia Marine Police took the operator of the motor yacht into custody and is investigating the incident.

July 13, 2011

Bay News

This alert was just issued by BoatU.S. on possibly interference to GPS frequencies from a broadband wireless provider:

Boaters Stand to Lose Critical GPS Navigational Aid
Voice Your Opinion: Comment Period Closes July 30

As a result of a proposal by a private company to use radio frequency bandwidth right next to the existing GPS radio bandwidth, the future reliability of the GPS system across the United States is now in question. The nation's largest recreational boaters group, BoatUS, says boaters could have a hard time avoiding treacherous shoals or simply finding their way home if GPS signals are interfered with, and is urging boaters to speak out during a 30-day comment period.

"This is a remarkably short comment period for an issue that has such dire consequences for America's boaters and every other GPS user in the country," said BoatUS Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich.

At issue is an unusual conditional waiver granted in January by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to a broadband wireless communications provider, LightSquared, to permit the dramatic expansion of land-based use of mobile satellite spectrum. This spectrum, or frequency bandwidth, is directly adjacent to the frequencies used for Global Positioning System (GPS) communications.

The company has proposed to build 40,000 ground stations. LightSquared's high-powered ground-based transmissions from these stations have shown to cause interference in hundreds of millions of GPS receivers across a wide range of uses, including aviation, marine, emergency response and industrial users such as delivery and trucking companies. A new report requested by the FCC says, "all phases of the LightSquared deployment plan will result in widespread harmful interference to GPS signals and service and that mitigation is not possible."

Recreational boaters lost their only other viable navigation system, LORAN, when the Department of Homeland Security shut the system down last year. At that time the US Coast Guard urged mariners to shift to GPS-based navigation systems. Boaters rely on GPS-enabled chart-plotters to steer clear of navigation hazards, keep them in the safety of deep-water channels, or even get them home when storms shut down visibility. "They are a critical piece of safety gear," said Podlich. "What will boaters do if they are unreliable, and how will the US Coast Guard's new emergency search and rescue system that stands watch over 36,985 miles of coastline, Rescue 21, remain effective, since it relies on GPS?"

Boaters and other GPS users are urged to speak up now by going to www.BoatUS.com/gov to send their comments to the FCC and their members of Congress.

BoatUS is a member of the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which works to resolve this serious threat to the GPS system.

July 7, 2011

Search & Rescue

Update: Body of missing man recovered from Magothy River

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) recovered the body of James Robert Kane, 25 of Pasadena, Md. at 7:23 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6, from the Magothy River near Dobbins Island.

Kane had been the object of search since he went missing on July 4 after a boating accident. Kane and a passenger were ejected into the water after steering their 17-foot boat too sharply to the left. The passenger was picked-up uninjured by another vessel.

Kane's body was recovered by officers during the search and was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy.

July 4, 2011

Search & Rescue

Man dies in Magothy River boating accident, NRP reports

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred on July 4 at 4:30 p.m. on the Magothy River near Dobbins Island.

NRP units responded to the area after receiving a report of a missing person who had been thrown from a vessel. Preliminary investigation by NRP revealed that James Robert Kane, 25, of Pasadena, Md., and a friend were thrown from a 17-foot Carolina Skiff after the vessel suddenly turned sharply. The friend was picked up by another vessel but Kane could not be located.

NRP Officers, Anne Arundel County Fire Boat, and Coast search the area until sunset for Kane. NRP's Underwater Operation Unit used divers and side scan sonar to search for the victim. Aviation units from the Maryland State Police and the Coast Guard search the area by air. The search for Kane will resume tomorrow.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police Special Operations Division is investigating the 13th fatal boating accident of the year.

July 4, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard rescues man forced to abandon ship during boat fire

A fire forced a boat owner to abandon his 41-foot vessel, Resolute, and jump overboard into the water 16 miles east of Fisherman Island, on Sunday July 3.

The boater contacted the Coast Guard at 5:07 p.m. via VHF-FM channel 16, before abandoning his boat, and kept in constant communications while in the water with a hand-held radio. Sector Hampton Roads launched an HH-60 helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City and a 25-foot Response Boat - Small crew from Station Cape Charles. Station Cape Charles crew arrived on the scene and pulled the man from the water.

A Virginia Beach fire boat took the man back to shore, and salvage operations are pending.

June 29, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard rescues 3 near Ocean City, Md.

The Coast Guard rescued two adults and one child after their 22-foot recreational boat began taking on water 60 miles east of Ocean City Tuesday, June 28.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received a call at 8:26 a.m. from a crewmember aboard the Real Deal, homeported in Ocean City, reporting they were taking on water and sinking.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., arrived on the scene and hoisted the three people aboard the helicopter.

The people were transported to Ocean City Airport in Ocean City and transferred to awaiting emergency medical personnel.

June 27, 2011

Statement from Severn Sailing Association

Here is the statement issued by the Commodore of the Severn Sailing Association, following the tragic death of junior sailor Olivia Constants in a sailing accident on Thursday afternoon, June 23, when her Club 420 capsized in the Severn River off the Naval Academy.


Severn Sailing Association, 26 June 2011

The last several days have been notably some of the most challenging of my life. As the Commodore of Severn Sailing Association, I am faced with great responsibilities relating to the loss of a fellow sailor. Even more difficult for me, as a father of three children, are the haunting emotions and sympathy I feel for the grieving family of Olivia Constants, a young sailor on our junior race team who lost her life in a sailing accident last Thursday.

I can only reflect on this tragedy with disbelief. Surely we all often think of the dangers of the sea as we venture from the dock. Seldom, though, do we hear of a life-threatening event occurring in our local sailing community. In general, accidents of this magnitude are rare and this one involved experienced sailors and competent instructors.    However, the rarity of such an accident is no comfort to me or any other parent.

My understanding thus far is that the 420 capsized to windward while sailing downwind, and then rolled into a "turtled" position (mast pointing downward). The coach immediately approached the boat, radioed for additional assistance, and worked diligently to dislodge Olivia, who at that moment appeared to be unconscious. Concurrently, another instructor phoned 911. Once she was retrieved from the water, coaches immediately performed CPR and proceeded to the Naval Academy's seawall,which was the nearest point of land,to meet the emergency response team. Unfortunately, Olivia could not be resuscitated.

At this point the exact cause of Olivia's drowning is unknown and under investigation by Maryland DNR.

Conditions at the time were excellent for training, and both sailors have sailed, and capsized, in much rougher conditions. Both Olivia, her skipper, and all coaches were wearing their PFDs, in accordance with our Junior Program Rules.

The Severn Sailing Association's junior sailing program has a history of over 50 years of producing world-class sailors, from local champions to Olympic sailors; with thousands of students having safely completed the program. The current junior program, consistent with our past programs, is committed to making sailing accessible to the public and to help those wanting to pursue higher levels in the sport. Our sailing program director and his coaches have a passion to teach, and hold safety as a top priority.

As a result of this incident we are reviewing and critiquing our safety procedures and equipment. As with any incident such as this, a greater light is shown on safety and with this focus good safety measures can be made even better. As this incident has had far reaching impact within the greater junior sailing community, we have reached out to other junior programs to both tell them our current safety thinking and to glean any additional information they may have to contribute.

We intend to have an independent, expert, organization perform a safety review of our junior program equipment and procedures and will share our findings with the greater sailing community.

I have been in contact with the Constants family and they are very appreciative of the outpouring of support and love expressed for Olivia. I am grateful for the outpouring of support from the community. There has been a clear message encouraging the club to continue with the current program and its positive contributions to youth instruction and the promotion of sailing. We appreciate your support of our program, and particularly to our staff.

Olivia will be greatly missed by everyone. Our thoughts and prayers remain with her family. For any further information or questions, contact me at 410-279-2525 or commodore@severnsailing.org

   Hal Whitacre, Commodore, Severn Sailing Association

June 26, 2011

Police Blotter

Man Dies in Boating Accident

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) are investigating a fatal boating accident involving a 45 year-old man from Westminster, Md.

Officers were dispatched to the Chesapeake Isles Community along the Elk River on June 25 to investigate a capsized vessel and persons in distress. The vessel had taken on water before capsizing in a mooring area near the private community. The operator and three passengers were pulled from the water by witnesses. The witnesses found the operator unconscious and administered CPR until the arrival of EMS. The victim was transported to Union Hospital in Elkton, where he was pronounced dead.

The three passengers were uninjured during the mishap. The victim's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Saturday's incident is the 11th fatality in Maryland waters this year.

June 26, 2011

Search & Rescue

Multiple agencies search for missing man in Bush River, Md.

Coast Guard, state and local agencies were searching for a 55-year-old male in the Bush River in the vicinity of Aberdeen, Md., Saturday, June 25.

Hartford County 911 dispatch called Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 6:24 p.m. reporting that the man had fallen overboard from a pontoon boat while crabbing and had not resurfaced.

A rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Stillpond, a Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., HH-65 rescue helicopter crew, a Baltimore County Police helicopter crew along with personnel from Maryland Natural Resources Police and Aberdeen Proving Grounds Police Department were on the scene to search for the man.

Coast Guard suspends search for missing teen in Rappahannock River

The Coast Guard suspended its search at 6:53 p.m. Saturday for a missing 14-year-old Boy Scout who had fallen into the river from a sandbar in the vicinity of Suggetts Point, Va.

Crews from the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and local response agencies searched approximately 17 miles for more than six hours. Involved in the search were personnel from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven, Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Fish and Game, Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Richmond County Fire Rescue, Richmond County Sheriff Department, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Mattaponi Volunteer Dive Team.

Richmond County Emergency Services and Virginia State dive team was to continue operations Sunday morning.

June 25, 2011

Police Blotter/Search & Rescue

Fatal boating accident in Chesapeake City

The Maryland Natural Resources Police are investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred on June 24 at 8:25 p.m. at the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, Chesapeake City.

The preliminary investigation revealed that Robert Vernon Baron, 27, of Bear, Delaware, fell into the water after jumping from a docking vessel onto a pier. Two people from the vessel jumped into the water and could not locate Baron.

Baron's body was recovered at 10:15 p.m. by the Susquehanna Hose Company Divers. Baron's body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police Special Operations Division is continuing the investigation into the accident. Baron is Maryland's tenth boating fatality of the year.

June 23, 2011

Police Blotter

Clamming violations

On June 17,at 8:40 a.m., Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) officers observed Edward Bruce Lowery Jr., 45, from Tilghman on the commercial vessel Miss Marley II operating a hydraulic clam dredge in the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) protection zone in Cooks Point Cove, Choptank River near Twin Point Cove Road. The operation of a hydraulic clam dredge is prohibited in SAV areas, which are set aside for the restoration of submerged aquatic plants.

A trial date has been set for September 14 at 1:30 pm in the District Court of Maryland for Dorchester County.

Possession of undersize crabs

The NRP charged Vernon Edward Smith Jr., 41, of Salisbury, Md., and Ellis Matthew Barton, 39, of Westover, Md., with 13 counts of possessing undersize crabs. On June 11, officers boarded a commercial fishing boat in Marshall Creek off of Chincoteague Bay, and found Smith and Barton with 1,211 undersize crabs in 13 bushels of crabs.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of $1,000 for each count. A trial date has been set for August 12, 2011 in the District Court of Maryland in Snow Hill.

June 20, 2011

Police Blotter

Boater discovers remains near Bay Bridge

On June 19, at 11:42 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) was notified that a boater had discovered human remains in the Chesapeake Bay south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Anne Arundel County.

Units from the NRP and the Coast Guard responded to the scene. The Coast Guard located the remains and turned them over to NRP. The remains have been sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy. Due to decomposition of the body, the age, gender or race of the victim could not be identified. NRP's Special Operations Division is investigating the incident.

June 14, 2011

Bay News

Oyster Thieves in the Night?

It now appears that one of the major reasons oyster numbers remain low, despite $50 million dollars spent annually in restoration efforts, may be that the young oysters are being illegally harvested. And not just a few of them. Some Bay biologists believe that up to 80 percent of the oysters on managed reserves and sanctuaries are being poached. Donald Meritt is one of them. Meritt, the oyster hatchery director at Horn Point Laboratory near Cambridge, Md., says he bases his 80-percent estimate on the appearance of the oyster beds, which are checked frequently. Larry Simns, however, says the number is much lower. Simns, president of the Maryland Watermen's Association, agrees that oysters are being illegally harvested, but puts the number at closer to one-third. Ken Paynter of the University of Maryland's Paynter Labs also puts the number at about one-third. Whether it's a loss of one-third or three-fourths, it's a significant loss the restoration effort. And to the health of the Bay, since older oysters can filter many times more water than young ones.

Why the problem? Many point to the dramatic reduction in the staff of the Natural Resources Police since 1990 (down by more than 50 percent). Others say that the fines for getting caught are too low. The Maryland legislature this year moved to raise fines, but not to increase funding for NRP personnel.

June 14, 2011

Bay News

The Patter of Tiny Sturgeon Feet?

There was cause for rejoicing on the James River after watermen near Newport News recently netted a 7-foot, 200-pound female sturgeon that was full of eggs and nearly ready to spawn. This was the first time in decades that a sturgeon ready to spawn had been found in the river. Ironically, the watermen who caught the sturgeon were taking part in a study of ways to keep sturgeon out of fishing nets. The mother-to-be was quickly equipped with a transmitter and returned to the water. Scientists hope they'll be able to determine where she goes to spawn. The James, like many of the Bay's tributaries, were once full of sturgeon, and scientists and federal and private groups are working to bring the big fish back.

June 13, 2011

Search & Rescue

Two kayakers rescued from James River

A Coast Guard boat crew rescued two kayakers from the water near Riverside Beach in Newport News, Monday evening, June 13.

One kayaker had called 911 after their kayak had overturned. Newport News dispatch called Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders, who launched a 25-foot Response Boat-Small from Station Portsmouth. The rescue boat crew located the two kayakers. Both were safe, and neither had any health concerns.

Both kayakers and their kayaks have been safely transferred to a Newport News fire boat that was also dispatched for the rescue.

Also responding were the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and Isle of Wight County rescue boats.

June 13, 2011

Search & Rescue

Capsized boat claims one life, five rescued near Ocean City, Md.

One boater died and five were rescued by the Coast Guard in the vicinity of Ocean City Inlet after their boat capsized Saturday morning, June 11.

A good Samaritan contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at 9 a.m. and reported that an 18-foot pleasure boat had capsized at the mouth of the inlet and that the people went in the water. Two rescue boat crews from Station Ocean City responded and recovered all six people.

One of those recovered was unconscious and unresponsive. The crew performed CPR until they transferred him to emergency medical services personnel waiting at Station Ocean City. He was taken to Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, Md., where he was pronounced dead.

Rescue crews also responded from the Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater, Maryland State Police and Maryland Natural Resources Police.

Maryland State Police are investigating the cause of the incident.

June 10, 2011

Search & Rescue

Update:

Coast Guard suspends search for missing man near Annapolis

The Coast Guard suspended its search for James Schmidt at 6:50 a.m. Thursday. Schmidt was reported missing in the waters of the Chester River at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after he jumped in to rescue his nephew, who was swept away by the current. The nephew was rescued by a Maryland Natural Resources Police officer who responded to the emergency call from Schmidt's father, who remained on the boat.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Annapolis, two MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., along with personnel from the Maryland Natural Resources Police, Kent County and Queen Ann's fire departments, Maryland State Police were on scene conducting the search for Schmidt.

June 9, 2011

Search & Rescue

Officer rescues child in Chester River; child's uncle still missing

On Wednesday, June 8, at 4:10 pm, Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) Corporal Chris Pavon rescued 7-year-old Aiden Smith after he was swept away from his vessel by the currrent in the Chester River near Chestertown.

Smith was with his uncle, James Joseph Schmidt, 47, and his grandfather, Charles Blevins, 64, both of Millington, who were fishing from a boat on the Chester River near Buckingham landing when the incident occurred.

According to the NRP, Aiden went into the water to cool off from the hot sun and was holding onto the swim platform of the vessel when the current of the Chester River swept him away from the vessel. James Schmidt jumped into the water to retrieve Smith and was also swept away by the current. Charles Blevins immediately dialed 911 to call for assistance.

Corporal Pavon heard the distress call and responded in the NRP patrol boat located in Chestertown. Pavon arrived on the scene within ten minutes of hearing the call. He quickly located Aiden, who was having trouble keeping his head above water, about three-quarters of a mile down river from the vessel. Pavon took Aiden to shore where he was transported to Chester River hospital as a precaution.

NRP, Coast Guard, and fire companies from Chestertown, Kennedyville, Crumpton and Kent County continued until sunset to search for Schmidt. The search resumed at first light Thursday morning. The search consisted of surface searches by vessel and air, NRP K-9 search, and divers from the fire companies.

NRP's Special Operations division is continuing the investigation.

June 8, 2011

Bay News

Mostly sunny with periods of snowy grouper

Roger Burnley of Virginia Beach, Virginia has established a new state record for snowy grouper with a 70-pound, 7-ounce fish caught May 22. The record fish was weighed and certified on a digital scale at the office of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, located in Newport News. The digital scale registered 70.48 pounds, but the weight was converted and listed as 70 pounds and 7-ounces as the state record.

The record-setting grouper bested the existing state record, set by Jere Humphrey of Norfolk on August 17, 2008, by nearly 2-1/2 pounds. Burnley is filing an application with the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) for acceptance of his catch as the IGFA All-Tackle Record for snowy grouper. Humphrey's 68-pound snowy grouper currently holds the IGFA All-Tackle Record.

Burnley caught his grouper "deep-dropping" near the Norfolk Canyon in 98 fathoms of water while fishing aboard the private boat Healthy Grin, skippered by Ken Neill, III, of Seaford. The fish had a length of 48 inches and a girth of 37 inches. The record fish was caught on a Shimano Trevala rod, mated with a Daiwa Saltist LD40 reel and spooled with 70-pound test Daiwa Saltiga Boat braided line. The record-setting grouper hit a custom made two hook bottom rig baited with squid and cut fish.

Snowy grouper was added to the list of species eligible for state record recognition by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament Committee at their fall meeting in 2006 and carried an initial qualifying weight of 38 pounds. Roger Burnley of Virginia Beach registered Virginia's first qualifying snowy grouper, at 49 pounds, 9 ounces, on April 29, 2007. Burnley's record was eclipsed within days, on June 10, 2007, by Bob Manus of Ark, Virginia, with a 65-pound, 8-ounce grouper. Manus' record status held until Chris Boyce of Hampton caught a 66-pounder later that year December 2007. Boyce's record grouper lasted for 8 months before Humphrey landed his 68-pounder. The last three fish were later certified as IGFA All-Tackle Records for snowy grouper. The four prior record snowy grouper were caught in the general vicinity of the Norfolk Canyon "deep-dropping" in over 50 fathoms of water and using either whole or cut fish for bait. Additionally, five of the six state record grouper were caught aboard the Healthy Grin skippered by Ken Neill.

June 8 2011

Police Blotter

Maryland NRP charge two with rockfish catch violations

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged two commercial fisherman with rockfish violations during the commercial hook-and-line and pound-net season. The pound-net season opened June 1, and the commercial hook-and-line season opened June 7.

On June 7, at 7 a.m., NRP charged Dolan Lee Hurley, 67, of Cambridge, Md., with failure to tag rockfish within 200 yards of his pound net. While patrolling the area of Cooks Point in the Choptank River, officers boarded a commercial fishing vessel that was stopped more than 1,000 yards from the pound net, and located 500 pounds of untagged rockfish.

On June 7, at 7:45 a.m., NRP charged Robert Hodge Newberry, 52, of Crumpton, Md., with possessing undersize rockfish, fishing for rockfish without a commercial hook-and-line allocation card and possessing untagged commercially caught rockfish. While patrolling the area of the Chesapeake Bay near Sharps Island, officers boarded the commercial fishing vessel Open Ticket and located 13 untagged rockfish and two undersize rockfish.

Both men are scheduled for trial August 17 in the District Court of Maryland for Dorchester County.

June 8, 2011

Search & Rescue

One dead and one injured in boat collision near Naval Station Norfolk

A Coast Guard crew from Station Portsmouth, a good Samaritan and local agencies responded to a boat collision that resulted in a death and injury near Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on Tuesday, June 7.

At 1 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads received a report of the collision between a 15-foot pleasure boat with two people aboard and the 40-foot fishing vessel Just One More.

The 15-foot boat capsized, trapping one person underneath. A good Samaritan aboard the fishing vessel jumped into the water and pulled the trapped person from below.

The injured boater was taken aboard a Norfolk Police Department boat, where crews performed CPR en route to emergency medical services. A crewmember from Coast Guard Station Portsmouth went aboard the Norfolk Police Department boat to assist with CPR. The boater, however, did not survive.

The second boater who had been aboard the pleasure boat was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Crews from Station Portsmouth, Virginia Marine Police, Norfolk Police Department and a naval security boat responded.

The Virginia Marine Police is investigating the cause of the accident.

June 6, 2011

Search & Rescue

UPDATES:

Maryland NRP recovers body of missing boater

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) on June 2 recovered the body of Mark Allen Harvison about a mile south of the Chesapeake Bay bridge on the shoreline in Queen Anne's County.
Harvison, age 40 from Pasadena, Md, had been the object of a continuous search since he was reported missing on Saturday, May 28, at 4 a.m. Harvison was reported to have fallen overboard near Thomas Point Light in the Chesapeake Bay.

Harvison's body was transported to the office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy. NRP's Special Operations Division is continuing the investigation into the accident.

Disabled sailing vessel back in port after Coast Guard rescue

The Coast Guard has towed the sailing vessel Lancastrian 370 miles to Cobb's Marina in Little Creek, Va., arriving Sunday, June 5. The boat's operator, David Chatburn, had called the Coast Guard 5th District command center on Wednesday, June 1, to request assistance after becoming confused about his position.

"One of the best pieces of equipment that Mr. Chatburn had onboard the sailing vessel Lancastrian was his emergency position indicating radio beacon," said Lt. Scott Farr, a command duty officer at the 5th District Command Center. "After he made his way through adverse weather and remained awake for four days without any adequate rest, he became confused and provided conflicting positions. With the help of his EPIRB, which we directed him to turn on, we knew exactly where he was."

Chatburn was traveling from Little Creek, Va., to Scotland when he encountered bad weather and was forced to turn back after his sailing vessel sustained steering damage. The Coast Guard launched an HC-130 Hercules rescue aircraft crew to maintain communication with the sailing vessel, while a good Samaritan crew aboard the merchant ship Master also kept radio communication with the Lancastrian until the Coast Guard vessel Tampa made its way to the boat.

The Tampa towed the vessel 330 miles and then was relieved by a crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Cochito off the coast of Cape Henry.

Coast Guard suspends search for missing boater

The Coast Guard and local responders suspended their search Sunday, June 5, for a man who went missing Saturday after sailing from Western Branch Diesel in Portsmouth on his way to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach.

Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders were notified at 7:30 a.m. by a caller from Old Point Comfort Marina in Hampton that a good Samaritan discovered a 28-foot sailing vessel adrift near the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel in the vicinity of Willoughby Bay.

Coast Guard crews aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., Coast Guard Cutter Ibis, and from Coast Guard Station Portsmouth were launched to search. Members of the Virginia Marine Police, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Portsmouth Fire Department, Newport News Fire Department, Norfolk Police Department, Hampton Fire Department and the Navy Sewell's Point Harbor Patrol searched for Jeff Harwood for approximately more than sixteen hours in an area of 465 miles.

Harwood had filed a float plan and intended to sail from Western Branch Diesel and arrive at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach at approximately 9 a.m. Saturday.

June 4, 2011

Search & Rescue

Successive accidents on single boat claim two lives in Rappahannock River

Coast Guard and local agencies responded Friday, June 3, to the scene of a boating accident near the entrance to the Rappahannock River where a pleasure boat struck a break wall at Windmill Point.

The operator was fatally injured in the accident, and the passenger died while rescuers attempted to save her.

At approximately 10 p.m., Middlesex County sheriff's office received a call from a boater in the vicinity of Broad Creek stating that he had struck something with his 25-foot boat and that his female passenger was injured.

Coast Guard Station Milford Haven was notified by Middlesex County and was en route to respond to the initial call. Before Station Milford Haven arrived, however, the boater left the scene of the reported collision and then struck the break wall at Windmill Point.

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Central Middlesex Volunteer Rescue Squad also responded to incident.

Members of Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries are investigating the cause of the incident.

June 4, 2011

Search & Rescue

Search underway for boater near Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel

Coast Guard and local responders are searching for a missing boater near the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel after his boat was found by a good Samaritan Saturday, June 4.••Missing is Jeff Harwood, described as being in his mid-50s with dark hair and beard, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 190 to 200 pounds.

Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders were notified at 7:30 a.m. by a caller form Old Point Comfort Marina in Hampton that a good Samaritan had discovered a 28-foot sailing vessel adrift near the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel in the vicinity of Willoughby Bay.••Harwood had filed a float plan and was reported to be sailing from Western Branch Diesel to Portsmouth on Friday night then arriving at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach at approximately 9 a.m. Saturday.

Coast Guard crews responded from Station Portsmouth, Air Station Elizabeth City and the Coast Guard Cutter Ibis. Crews from Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth Police Departments and the Navy Sewell's Point Harbor Patrol are also assisting with the search.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call Sector Hampton Roads at 757-638-6637.

June 2, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard responding to lost, disabled sailing vessel

The Coast Guard responded on Wednesday, June 1, to a call from the operator of the sailing vessel Lancastrian, approximately 340 miles east of Atlantic City, N.J.

The boat's operator called the Coast Guard 5th District command center to request assistance after becoming confused about his current position.
The owner was traveling from Little Creek, Va., to Scotland when he encountered adverse weather and was forced to turn back after his sailing vessel sustained steering damage. The Coast Guard launched an HC-130 Hercules rescue aircraft crew to maintain communication with the sailing vessel. A good Samaritan crew aboard the merchant ship Master has also been keeping radio communication with the Lancastrian.

May 31, 2011

Search & Rescue

Search on for missing boater near Annapolis

On May 28, at 4 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) responded to the area of the Chesapeake Bay between Thomas Point Light and the Severn River to search for a missing boater. Mark Allen Harvison, age 40 from Pasadena, disappeared from a vessel and it is presumed that he fell overboard.

NRP, MSP aviation, the Coast Guard and Annapolis City Fire Boat began searching for Harvison after they were notified by the operator of the vessel, Charles Martin Carlson, 3rd , age 41 from Riva, Md. Carlson said that he had last seen Harvison walking toward the stern of the vessel.

Harvison is described as a white male, 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, tan pants and fluorescent green shoes.

Currently, NRP has three patrol boats, and Coast Guard has one vessel and a helicopter engaged in the search for the victim.

NRP's Special Operations Division is investigating the incident.

May 23, 2011

Bay News

Blue Angels practice and performance in Annapolis canceled

An eerie silence will fall over Annapolis tomorrow and Wednesday. The Blue Angels practice and performance runs, which had been scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, have been canceled. Instead, the Navy's precision flight team has been sent back to Pensacola, Fla., for further training and assessment after a maneuver this weekend in Lynchburg, Va., was made at a lower-than-normal height. The performance at the Lynchburg Regional Air Show on Sunday was halted and the team sent back to Pensacola. Ordinarily the Blue Angels practice over the Severn River in Annapolis on Tuesday and perform at the U.S. Naval Academy's graduation ceremonies on Wednesday.
The Blue Angels will not perform at next year's graduation either because of a scheduling conflict.

May 23, 2011

Police Blotter

Man dies in fall from boat as it leaves dock

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) Special Operations Division is investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, May 20, at the Tidewater Marina on the Susquehanna River in Havre De Grace.

A preliminary investigation found that a 44-foot sailboat was leaving the dock area of the marina when one of its passengers, an 81-year-old man, fell into the water. The man was not wearing a life jacket.
After being pulled back onto the boat and brought to shore, the man was transported to Harford Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death is yet to be determined, and the victim's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

May 17, 2011

Search & Rescue

Update 2:

One dead and one missing in late-night sailboat accident on the James River

This is what we know about the tragic accident that took the life of 23-year-old Tyler Lorenzi on Friday, May 13, in the James River.

At about 11 p.m. the preceding evening, Lorenzi and nine others left a party they had been attending to take a late-night sail aboard a 22-foot sailboat. About half-an-hour later, the boat capsized near Old Ghost Point, north of Smithfield, Va., dumping the six men and four women, all in their 20s, into the water. None of them was wearing a life jacket.

According to a spokesman John Bull of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), five of the people decided to swim the two- to three miles to shore; they came ashore at Aberdeen Farms in Smithfield at about 4 a.m. They awakened a nearby resident, who called 911. The others apparently stayed near the boat, clinging to items that had broken free, like an inflatable fender and a gas can.

Meanwhile, at about 3:30 a.m., the tug Robert Burton, which was traveling down the James, hit the unlit capsized boat and alerted the Coast Guard. It happened that a number of different rescue agencies were already in the area to conduct maritime response exercises, so they were reach the scene quickly to begin the search for survivors. Rescuers were able to four out of the water, but were unable to locate the fifth. The search for him continued throughout the night and next day before it was called off.

Lorenzi, one of those pulled from the water, died Friday afternoon at Riverside Regional Hospital. Lorenzi, who had been on the sailing team at Northwestern University, was an associate research engineer at the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) in Hampton, and worked at NASA Langley. Six of those onboard were graduate students at NIA.

The boat was towed to a nearby marina and impounded for the investigation. Conditions that evening were described as good, with a light breeze and seas less than a foot.

May 16, 2011

Bay News

Enter a Snakehead to Win!

But enough of this, let's get on to something really interesting: snakeheads! Yes, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a contest for you. Catch one of these illegal aliens of the Potomac with hook and line, then kill it (you have to kill it, in fact, because it's against the law to be in possession of a live snakehead), then snap a photo of it next to a tape measure and post the photo on the DNR's Angler's Log. You will automatically be entered in the Kill a Snakehead Contest (we just made up that title . . . it may not have an actual name) and be eligible to win valuable prizes (really), like a $200 rod and tackle package or a free fishing license.
"We do not want snakeheads in our waters," said DNR Inland Fisheries Director Don Cosden in announcing the contest. "This initiative is a way to remind anglers that it is important to catch and kill this destructive species of fish."
Here's the Angler's Log website: •dnr.Maryland.gov/fisheries/fishingreport/log.asp

May 16, 2011

Bay News

Tiffany Yachts mourns passing of its founder

Tiffany Randolph Cockrell, founder of Tiffany Yachts in Burgess, Va., died Friday, May 13, at his Virginia home. He was 89.

Much of his youth was spent harvesting seafood from the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Here he developed his love of boats and the water. Early in life, he and his father, Otis C.W. Cockrell, built Chesapeake Bay deadrise workboats.

Cockrell served in the Navy from 1942 to 1945, becoming a chief carpenter's mate and learning boat repair and the design of planing hulls. Recalled during the Korean conflict, he was an instructor at the Damage Control School in Philadelphia. He completed his military service in the Coast Guard Reserve.

After he returned from World War II, Cockrell began building pleasure boats, using the knowledge he gained during his Navy career. In the ensuing years, he and his company built more than 150 yachts, many of which are still used and loved today. While Cockrell loved to work in wood, he kept pace with technology and modern methods. In later years, hel was joined in his business by his children and grandchildren.

Last year, a fire destroyed the main shop he had spent a lifetime building, but fortunately he lived to see a new modern facility completed.
He was a member of Fairfields United Methodist Church of Burgess and mentored many youngsters in boat repair and construction.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Lee Jones Cockrell; a son, T. Randolph Cockrell Jr., and his wife, Hoppie; a daughter, Rebecca C. Jones, and her husband, Rex; a son, Odis B. Cockrell, and his wife, Ruthie; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

A memorial service was held Sunday.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the RGH Cancer Center Swift-Walker Fund, 101 Harris Drive, Kilmarnock, Va. 22482 or Fairfields Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 656, Burgess, Va. 22432.

May 14, 2011

Search & Rescue

Update:

Coast Guard suspends search for missing boater near Smithfield, Virginia

The Coast Guard and local rescue agencies have suspended its search for a man missing in the capsize of a sailboat in the James River after searching about 25 square miles over a 14-hour period.

The operator of the tug Robert Burton early Friday morning had reported to Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders that the tug had collided with what appeared to be an abandoned unlit sailboat in the James River Channel approximately six miles north of the James River Bridge.

Subsequently, the Coast Guard responded to a 911 call from one of the people who swam to shore after the 22-foot sailboat capsized. The person stated that some of the passengers swam ashore, their sailboat was adrift and several members remained unaccounted for.

The cause of the incident is under investigation by Virginia Marine Police.

May 13, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard, local agencies search for missing boater near Smithfield, Virginia

Coast Guard and local rescue responders are searching for a missing male who entered the water after the sailboat he was on capsized with nine others aboard at approximately midnight Thursday, May 12, in the James River near Smithfield, Va. Five of the boaters swam ashore, and four were rescued by responders at the scene.

The operator of the tug Robert Burton reported to Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders at 3:43 a.m. that they had collided with what appeared to be an abandoned, unlit sailboat in the James River Channel approximately six miles north of the James River Bridge. Subsequently, the Coast Guard responded to a 911 call from one of the people who swam to shore after the 22-foot sailboat capsized. The person stated that some of the passengers swam ashore, that their sailboat was adrift and that several members remained unaccounted for.

Crews responded with the Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater, the CGC Chock, a 25-foot Response Boat-Small and a 41-foot Utility Boat from Station Portsmouth, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City, as well as crews from local agencies, including Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Newport News Fire and Police Departments, Isle of Wight Department of Emergency Response, Suffolk Police Department, Hampton Fire Department, Norfolk Police and Fire Departments, Smithfield Police Department, Virginia Beach Fire Department and the Chesapeake Police Department.

"The Coast Guard recently conducted a joint agency Search and Rescue Forum in March to inform and educate response agencies on what to expect when involved in search and rescue missions with Coast Guard boats and helicopters," said Lt. j.g. Kristen Jaekel of Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. "The success of the forum resulted in flawless communications to rapidly direct the boats to the people in the water ultimately leading to their rescue."

The boaters were taken to the Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, Va.
The cause of the incident is under investigation by Virginia Marine Police.

May 5, 2011

Police Blotter

NRP completes recovery of illegal gill net

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) located 1,400 yards of illegal anchored gill net containing more than 3 tons of dead rockfish.

On May 1, NRP responded to the Chesapeake Bay near buoy 82, west of Tilghman Island for a report of an illegal anchored gill net. Officers located the net but were unable to retrieve it due to the weight of the dead fish. On May 2, the S. V. Sandusky, the DNR ice breaker/buoy tender, was dispatched to retrieve the net. Sea and wind conditions prevented the crew from pulling in the net.

On May 3, with much improved sea conditions, the crew of the Sandusky and NRP officers were able to retrieve 1400 yards of anchored gill net which contained approximately 450 striped bass weighing 6,750 pounds.

Nearly all of the fish were dead and had to taken to the landfill. The net appeared to have been out since January and February due to the condition of the net and fish.

NRP is encouraging anyone with information on this incident, please call the Natural Resources Police Communication Center at 800-628-9944.

Charges result in fight over cell phone on sailboat

NRP arrested and charged George Lee Vansickle, 42, of Solomon's Island with second degree assault, operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol and operating a vessel while impaired by a combination of alcohol and drugs. Ashley Lynn Denningham, 28, of Solomon's Island was also arrested on a failure to appear warrant.

On May 3, at 4:30 p.m., NRP had responded to the report of an assault occurring on a sailboat in the Chesapeake Bay near Drum Point in Calvert County. The officers located the 29-foot sailboat and an investigation revealed that the owner/operator of the sailboat, Vansickle, had assaulted and grabbed the throat of Denningham during an argument over a cell phone.

Both subjects were transported to the Prince Frederick Detention to await appearance before a court commissioner.

Body of Wicomico County boater found

On May 3, NRP recovered the body of a boater who went missing on April 29 after his aground sailboat was found unoccupied.

Edwin Thomas Smullen, 59 of Tyaskin, Md., was found in the Nanticoke River near the location where his sailboat was found. Smullen had been the object of an intense search by land, water and air that was conducted by NRP, Coast Guard, Maryland State Police, Westside and Allen Volunteer Fire companies. NRP's search employed side scan sonar, K-9 cadaver dogs and dragging operations.

Smullen's body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy.

Body of missing houseboater found near Swan Creek

On May 1, at approximately 3:00 p.m., NRP responded to the area of Swan Creek near Tantallon Marina after they had received a report of a deceased person in the water.

NRP's investigation revealed that George Albert Goins, 61, of Fort Washington was living on a 50 foot house boat in Swan Creek and was last seen on Friday, April 29. When friends were unable to contact Goins, they went to look for him on his house and found him unresponsive, face down in the water. Goins' body was sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy. NRP is continuing the investigation.

May 4, 2011

Bay News/Police Blotter

NRP pulls up stinking mess of illegally caught fish

Thanks to a tip from recreational fishermen, the Maryland Natural Resources on Sunday, May 1, discovered a large illegal gill net between Tilghman Island and North Beach, Md. But finding it was the easy part. The first NRP officials to respond to the tip were unable to haul the heavy and tangled net, weighted down as it was with tons of dead and rotting fish. After several hours, they gave up.

The NRP returned with a bigger hammer-one of its ice breakers, the Sandusky, complete with industrial-sized crane. Even then, fighting high winds and heavy seas, the NRP struggled to retrieve hundreds of feet of twisted net and fish. Even then, the crane was unable to haul up the stinking mess.

The net was located by the fishermen about midway across the Bay after their lines became snagged. The net was not only illegally weighted to the bottom of the Bay it was left far past the end of the rockfish gill-net season.

In the end, the crew of the ice breaker attached a large buoy to the remaining net to warn boaters and fishermen away from the spot. They plan to return in better weather to finish retrieving the net and fish.

The NRP continues its investigation, started earlier this year when a series of illegally weighted gill nets were discovered, to find the poachers.

April 29, 2011

Search & Rescue: Special notice

Coast Guard seeks information on vessel found near Orchard Beach

The Coast Guard is seeking any information regarding a pontoon vessel that was found with its engine running at a residential pier in the vicinity of Orchard Beach, Md., on Stony Creek at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, April 28.

If anyone has any information regarding persons missing in the vicinity of Orchard Beach and Stony Creek, please contact Coast Guard Sector Baltimore Command Center at 410-576-2525.

For any information regarding the vessel please contact Maryland Natural Resources Police at 800-628-9944.

April 27, 2011

Search & Rescue

Man rescued near Smith Island after boat runs aground

A Coast Guard rescue helicopter crew rescued a 70-year-old man near Smith Island after his 39-foot sailing vessel, Hornblower, ran aground Tuesday night, April 26.

Rescued was William Bayliss. Bayliss contacted watchstanders at Sector Hampton Roads at 11 p.m., requesting assistance. A rescue boat crew from Station Cape Charles was launched at 11:19 p.m., but was unable to help because of the breaking surf and shallow water.

At 11:45 p.m. a Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew launched from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C. Upon arrival, a rescue swimmer was lowered to help safety hoist Bayliss aboard the helicopter.

Bayliss did not require medical attention and was taken to Norfolk International Airport.

April 25, 2011

Search & Rescue

Four rescued near Breezy Point

Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is investigating a boating accident that occurred near Breezy Point in the Chesapeake Bay on Friday, April 22. Four people were located and transported to Calvert Memorial hospital. Three were in critical condition, one in stable condition.••At 12:15 p.m., NRP received a call from Calvert County 911 about a vessel that had capsized near marker "79A' in the Chesapeake Bay. The four known passengers of the vessel were located and brought to shore.

The vessel was reported to be between 23 and 28 feet and was not immediately located. Responders included NRP, Maryland State Police aviation and Calvert Fire Department.

The incident is still under investigation and information limited because of the critical condition of the victims.

April 22, 2011

Police Blotter

Boating accident under investigation

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is investigating a boat accident that sank a vessel and left the three passengers with minor injuries. At 7:30 p.m. April 14, NRP responded to Smith Creek off the Potomac River after a VHF radio call reported a capsized vessel.

A preliminary investigation revealed that three men were traveling 40 mph in a 16-foot vessel when it stopped suddenly. The men were thrown into the windshield and sustained lacerations to hands and arms. The vessel sank within seconds of the accident, with extensive damage to the transom, motor and aft, which detached.

Five rescued by Good Samaritan

Five men were recently rescued by a Good Samaritan and NRP after their boat capsized near Bloody Point Light in the Chesapeake Bay. At 8:10 a.m. on April 17, NRP responded to a report of a vessel sinking three miles northeast of Bloody Point Light during a storm with 25 knot winds.

The five passengers of the vessel were picked up by a Good Samaritan fishing vessel, which then began experiencing difficulty staying afloat when the waves began filling it up due to overloading. NRP was able to locate the Good Samaritan vessel and remove the five individuals. The Good Samaritan vessel was able to make it to shore under its own power.

The men, Philip Schlotzhauer Jr., 35, of Centreville; Brian Board Sr., 31, of Denton; Bernard Hajek, 21, of Federalsburg; Christopher Hajek, 20, of Federalsburg; and William Schein III, 23, were transported to the Queens Anne County boat ramp at Matapeake.
Anne Arundel Fire Department, Coast Guard, and Maryland State Police Aviation assisted in the search for the vessel.

April 19, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard rescues two near Breezy Point, Md.

A Coast Guard crew rescued two people aboard a 19-foot motorboat that was taking on water while fishing near Breezy Point, Md., on Sunday, April 17.

Rescued were Brenda Scott and Ricky White, both of North Beach, Md.

White contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore at 9:42 a.m. by marine radio, reporting that their vessel had begun taking on water while they were fishing east of Breezy Point. Rescue crews from Coast Guard Station Oxford, Maryland Natural Resources Police and Calvert County Fire Rescue launched rescue boat crews to assist.

At 10:32 a.m., the 27-foot Utility Boat crew from Station Oxford arrived on scene and began assisting the passengers. The Coast Guard crew transferred Scott onto the rescue boat while White remained aboard to continue dewatering the vessel. The vessel was reported to be taking on one gallon of water per minute. The rescue crew put the vessel in tow and transported it to the Breezy Point Marina in Chesapeake Beach.

There are no reports of injuries.

April 13, 2011

Sailing Names Needed

It was bound to come sooner or later. After all, it's called the National Sailing Hall of Fame for a reason. And now the time is here. After locating a home city (Annapolis), establishing an education program and attracting a lot of support from yacht clubs, sailors and boatbuilders across the country, the Sailing Hall of Fame is ready to find its first 15 inductees. So search your brain and sharpen your pencils because the floor is open to nominations until June 1. Nominees should be American citizens, 45 years and up, who have made a significant impact on the growth and development of sailing-in design, racing, cruising, coaching, administration or any other area of the sport. Strictly speaking, non-citizens are also eligible, if they have had a particular impact on the American sailing community. Posthumous nominations are also permitted. The first inductees will be honored on October 23 at the San Diego Yacht Club. There will be 15 inductees each year until 2013; after that, there will be not more than five each year. For more information on the nomination process, go to www.nshof.org.

Clean Boating Act Input
The EPA is holding listening sessions and conducting webinars about the Clean Boating Act. The listening sessions will be held in Annapolis on March 18 and April 29.
They are seeking input from boaters and other concerned parties in order to develop new regulations to reduce water pollution and stop the spread of invasive species in the nation's rivers, streams and bays. The Clean Boating Act specifically empowers the EPA to develop management practices for recreational vessels. Input received at the listening sessions will be taken into consideration in the development of management practices for boat discharges, such as bilgewater, graywater and deck runoff.

April 12, 2011

Police Blotter

Three found guilty of oyster poaching

On April 6, in Queen Anne's County District Court, Judge Douglas Howard Everngam presided over three Maryland Department of Natural Resources cases with the following outcomes:

Brandon Howard Mende, 22, of Centreville, Md., was found guilty of removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary and oyster fishing without a commercial license. He was fined $800 and placed on 18 months probation.

Benjamin Shaffer Byers, 21, of Bozman, Md., was found guilty of removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary. He was fined $500 and placed on 18 months probation.

Brian Todd Hambleton, 24 of Bozman, was found guilty of removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary. He was fined $500 and placed on 18 months of probation.

April 11, 2011

Sailing News

Neutrogena sails into Barcelona, Spain, to a fifth-place finish.

Breymaier and Herrmann finish fifth in Barcelona World Race

Ryan Breymaier (Annapolis), with co-skipper Boris Herrmann (Germany) aboard Team Neutrogena, is back in Barcelona, Spain, after 99 days at sea in the Barcelona World Race. Breymaier, in his first-ever circumnavigation of the globe, took fifth position in the rankings after the keel hydraulic system broke down when rounding Cape Horn.

"We did exactly what we set out to do," said Breymaier. "We said we wanted to be fifth, and we were, and if we hadn't had this keel problem I'm pretty certain we would have actually been third, and that would have been a huge accomplishment."

Team Neutrogena started the competition against an original field of 14 IMOCA Open 60 boats in the 25,000 nautical mile (46,300 km) race, which included 2,000 hours of non-stop competition across three vast oceans, two hemispheres and around three famous Capes.

"I am certainly very happy with where we finished and very happy to have been able to compete against some of the best names in sailing, and against people that I respect very much."

April 8, 2011

Bay News

Watermen rehabilitating hundreds of acres of oyster habitat

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) will again this year be working with watermen on oyster bar rehabilitation. The program is a part of a plan to help mitigate the economic impact of regulations enacted in 2008 to help rebuild the blue crab fishery, while also helping to restore the Chesapeake Bay.

The program uses the watermen's experience and equipment to increase the amount of viable oyster bar habitat in the Bay. The rehabilitated areas will create oyster shell habitat for a natural spat set and/or hatchery seed plantings in both sanctuaries and public shellfish fishery areas. The program also provides watermen with income for helping with oyster restoration.

More than 750 Maryland watermen will restore 23 oyster bars over the next four weeks across parts of the Bay to reclaim more than 1,000 acres of buried oyster shell. A number of the oyster bars slated for rehabilitation are located within new sanctuary areas recently established by the Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan. These areas include Harris Creek, Eastern Bay, and the Little Choptank, Nanticoke and Manokin Rivers.

Watermen must have paid the 2011 annual oyster harvester surcharge to participate in the program. The captain and crewman cannot have any significant natural resource violations since 2008. The daily rate for captains is $500 with a guarantee of nine days work. A single crew member will receive $150 per day of work.

April 6, 2011

Bay News

Coast Guard warns fisherman of illegal charter boats

The Coast Guard is advising passengers who pay to go fishing in the Chesapeake Bay during the 2011 fishing season to avoid boats that do not have licensed captains, and in some cases, have not been inspected by the Coast Guard.

According to Coast Guard investigators, the number of vessels reported to be illegally charging to carry people has increased over the last two years and is most frequent in the areas of Kent and Tilghman Islands, Rock Hall, Annapolis and the Potomac River in Charles County.

Illegal charter boats are uninspected vessels or are operated by a captain without a mariner's license, or in some instances both. The operation of a charter vessel without the required vessel documents and operator license is a violation of federal law, and if caught, the operator could be subject to criminal or civil liability. The regulations are in place to help ensure the safety of passengers. When all regulations are met a Certificate of Inspection is given, showing that a vessel has met the Coast Guard safety standards in regard to fire extinguishing systems, vessel de-watering capabilities, life saving and navigation equipment requirements.

A boat a captain must also have a mariner's license in order to legally operate a charter. Coast Guard-issued mariner's licenses show that the operator of a commercial vessel has met proficiency requirements in navigation, seamanship as well as steering and sailing rules.
The Coast Guard advises people to ask the boat's captain to show them his or her original Coast Guard license. If the boat is carrying more than six passengers, it is required to be inspected by the Coast Guard, and the Certificate of Inspection should be displayed in an area accessible to passengers.

To verify a captain's license or the inspected status of a vessel carrying more than six passengers, or to report an illegal charter operation, call Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, Monday through Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 410-576-2558.

March 22, 2011

Police Blotter

Oyster violations

On March 19 at 1 a.m., The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Joseph Walker Benton, 21, of Centreville, Md., with removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary, operating a vessel without proper navigational lights, possessing oysters on a vessel more than two hours after sunset and two counts of catching oysters without a commercial license.

NRP officers had received a tip from a waterman on March 18 that a person was poaching oysters at night from the Sawmill oyster sanctuary, located in Prospect Bay. Officers set up a surveillance detail on the Sawmill Sanctuary and observed a vessel not displaying navigational lights dredging for oysters. NRP identified Benton as the operator of the vessel as it docked in the Kent Narrows harbor. Officers seized five and a half bushels of oysters from the vessel and returned them to the sanctuary.

Benton was already under investigation by NRP for a March 3 incident in which he was observed oystering and presented an oystering license to NRP that proved to be invalid.

A trial has been set for May 4 in the District Court of Maryland for Queen Anne's County.

Gill net charge

On March 19 at 2:30 p.m, NRP charged Travis Lee Cannan, 20, and Benjamin Leonard Reihl, 23, both of Rockhall, Md., with harvesting fish with a drift gill net without a commercial license and possession of undersize white perch.

The charges originated after NRP received a tip from watermen that unlicensed people were gill netting fish in the area of Skinner Landing Wharf. Officers located Cannan and Reihl at Skinner Wharf Landing taking 1,150 pounds of white perch from a gill net that had been set in Queenstown Creek. The two men had 20 undersize white perch in their possession. Reihl and Cannan both admitted to not having a commercial license.

A trial has been set for May 17 in the District Court of Maryland for Kent County.

March 21, 2011

Search & Rescue

Coast Guard rescues woman in Georgetown Channel

Coast Guard Station Washington, D.C., crewmembers rescued a woman from the Georgetown Channel near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Washington, D.C., after her single-person vessel capsized Sunday.

Rescued was Jenie Upchurch, 61, from Arlington, Va.
D.C. Metro Police contacted Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders at 11:56 a.m. to report that a woman had fallen from a scull near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Georgetown Channel and was struggling to stay afloat.

A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Station Washington, D.C., that was conducting training in the vicinity of the 14th Street Bridge received the notification and diverted to the scene along with D.C. Metro Police and D.C. Fire Rescue. At 12:05 p.m. the Coast Guard crew located Upchurch, who was being assisted by another scull. The rescue crew threw a life ring and pulled her aboard their vessel. The crew then placed the scull in tow and transported Upchurch to awaiting EMS personnel at Thompson Boat Center in Washington, D.C.

There are no report of injuries.

March 16, 2011

Clean Boating Act Input

The EPA is holding listening sessions and conducting webinars about the Clean Boating Act. The listening sessions will be held in Annapolis on March 18 and April 29.
They are seeking input from boaters and other concerned parties in order to develop new regulations to reduce water pollution and stop the spread of invasive species in the nation's rivers, streams and bays. The Clean Boating Act specifically empowers the EPA to develop management practices for recreational vessels. Input received at the listening sessions will be taken into consideration in the development of management practices for boat discharges, such as bilgewater, graywater and deck runoff.

A Pretty New Jetty for Sandy Point Park

By the time mid-April rolls around, the Bay's chilly waters will be moderating and so will the temperatures. Out in the garage, all those neatly stowed rods and tackle will be singing their siren song: time to go fishing! Happily for legions of shoreline fishermen, mid-April also means that work should have been completed on Sandy Point State Park's new and improved fishing jetty. The bigger, better version of the pier, located at the south end of the park, will be 18-feet wide and three feet higher than the old one--a jumble of haphazardly spaced riprap. After a winter of work and the expenditure of $548,490 in Waterway Improvement funds, the new stone jetty should be a significant improvement.

Felt-Soled Waders or Boots? Chuck 'em!

Beginning March 21, felt-soled waders and boots will no longer be legal fishing gear in Maryland waters. Studies have determined that the invasive and destructive non-native algae named didymo (also known by the unpleasant but descriptive name of rock snot) can easily be spread through the mud carried from stream to stream by anglers' waders and boots--even those without felt soles. However, the algae can be removed from non-felt boots by immersion and a thorough scrubbing in a saline solution. Not so those with felt soles. Even long immersion in the salt solution does not pene-trate the inner felt layers to kill the algae.

New Zealand was the first to ban felt-soled boots in 2008, after its streams became badly infected with the yellow-brown slime, which multiplies quickly and carpets rocks and stream bottoms, smothering habitats and destroying native life. Alaska and Vermont have joined Maryland in banning felt boots from their streams.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has placed wader-scrubbing stations at popular access points along the Gunpowder--where didymo has been found--as well as the Savage River and Big Hunting Creek to prevent its spread.

A Fish By Any Other Name

No question about it, Virginia Beach fisherman Kevin Wong had landed a world record fish. The funny thing was, he nearly got the record in the wrong category. When Wong brought his Norfolk Canyon catch in to be weighed and measured, it was identified as a Darwin's slimehead, a charming fish that looks like a giant goldfish with serious complexion issues. (Another variety of slimehead has found fame and a drastically overfished population under a new name: orange roughy.) As a Darwin's slimehead, Wong's 8-pound 5-ounce example easily topped the existing record of 7 pounds 8 ounces set in 2008. An official of the International Game Fish Association happened to see a photo of Wong's fish and realized that it was not a slimehead of any variety, but rather an alfonsino, a giant gold-fish with better skin. As luck would have it, the IGFA had just approved the alfonsino as a record-worthy fish. So Wong got his record, just for a different kind of fish.

Don't Count Gov Cup Out

After landing on the fiscal chopping block last year, the Governor's Cup now looks as if it may receive a stay of execution--with some modifications. The venerable overnight race between Annapolis and St. Mary's City came under scrutiny by sponsor St. Mary's College of Maryland because it has lost money over the past few years. A planning group of college trustees, staff and members of the sailing community was formed and came up with some changes to make the event stronger and financially sustaining.
Among the proposals are: (1) Participation would be expanded with the addition of a cruising class. (2) The start would be reversed with the slower classes leaving first to allow them more time to enjoy the activities at St. Mary's--and perhaps avoid the race's notorious mid-morning doldrums on the Potomac and St. Marys rivers. (3) Activities at the college site would be increased, with kayaking, a moon bounce, misting tent and more musical entertainment. (4) The number of food vendors would be increased and the formal dinner eliminated. (5) The registration fee would be increased from $75 to $100 a boat. For a look at all of the proposals and to comment on them, go to www.smcm.edu/govcup

March 4, 2011

Police Blotter

Tug captain charged with assault

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) arrested and charged William Daniel Ailsworth II, 46, of Deltaville, Va., with first and second degree assault. On February 23, at 12:04 a.m., officers responded to the Wicomico River, Salisbury, for a report of an assault that occurred on a tug boat south of the Port of Salisbury. Officers interviewed Keith Isadore Lippman, 57, of Newport News, Va., who stated that Allsworth, the captain of the tugboat, had struck him on the head with a metal pipe during an argument. Ailsworth was taken to the Wicomico County Detention Center and held pending bond. Lippman was treated at the scene by Salisbury Emergency Medical Services.

Unattended perch gill net

NRP has charged John Robert Abner with failure to remain in his boat and within two miles of his drift gill net. On February 26, at 8:56 a.m., officers observed Abner set a gill net for perch in the South River and then leave the area. The unattended net remained out all night and Abner returned the following morning to retrieve it. A trial is set for March 18 in the District Court of Maryland for Anne Arundel County.

Unattended gill net

NRP charged Steven Allen Reynolds, 54, of Chesapeake Beach, Md., on February 25 with failing to attend his drift gill net during the commercial rockfish season. Officers observed Reynolds set a rockfish gill net in the area of Breezy Point, near Chesapeake Beach and then return to the dock. Reynolds then drove to Anne Arundel County and set a perch net in the South River over twenty miles away. A trial has been set for March 7 in the District Court of Maryland for Calvert County.

February 24, 2011

Police Blotter

NRP charges six with removing oysters from a sanctuary

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) has charged six men with removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary in the Corsica River.

Benjamin Shafer Byers, 20, of Bozeman; Brandon Howard Mende, 22, of Centreville; Brian Todd Hambleton, 24, of Bozeman; Jeffrey Lee Anthony, 29, of Grasonville; Michael Karlis Murphy, 26, of Queenstown; and Christopher Lee Marvel, 18, of Grasonville were all charged with removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary. Additionally, Marvel and Mende were charged with oystering commercially without a valid license.

On February 21 at 11:15 a.m. officers observed two boats hand-tonging for oysters in the Possum Point Oyster Sanctuary in the Corsica River, Queen Anne's County. As NRP attempted to follow the individuals to harbor, the violators dumped the oysters into the river in an effort to avoid being caught. They were apprehended a short time later at the Centreville Warf.

Currently, the maximum penalty for removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary is a $3,000 fine and suspension of tidal fish license for six to twelve months. Under a new bill introduced by Senator Brian Frosh to the State Legislature, the tidal fishing license could be permanently revoked by DNR after a hearing.

The men are scheduled for trial April 6 at 1:15 p.m. in the District Court of Maryland for Queen Anne's County.

February 23, 2011

Bay News

DNR will open rockfish gill-net fishery for two days only

With an estimated 200,000 pounds of the State's February quota remaining, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will reopen the February striped bass gill net fishery on Friday, February 25, and Monday, February 28; all normal harvest restrictions will remain in effect. The fishery has been closed since February 4, after 10 tons of illegally captured rockfish were confiscated from the Chesapeake Bay south of Kent Island. In all, 12.5 tons of illegally captured rockfish have been found by Natural Resources Police this month.

"While we continue to aggressively search, we have not found any additional illegal gill nets since last Wednesday, and at this time, we are not sufficiently close to the quota to justify penalizing the honest watermen who depend on this fishery during the winter months," said DNR Secretary John Griffin. "That said, those who continue to violate the public trust should be forewarned: We will be stepping up patrols on the water and at check stations as we continue to vigorously investigate these crimes. And, once apprehended, we will prosecute these offenders to the fullest extent of the law."

Maryland's commercial striped bass fishery is managed on a quota system, in cooperation with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission; commercial and recreational restrictions are used to keep the harvest at or below a target fishing mortality rate. Maryland's commercial gill net quota for February is 354,318 pounds; the State's annual commercial quota is 2 million pounds.

"During these two days, Natural Resources Police operations will be stepped up significantly through increased patrols, additional staff at check stations, and the use of our new electronic monitoring capabilities," said Col. George Johnson, Natural Resources Police Superintendent.

State Senator Brian Frosh has introduced a bill that would allow DNR to revoke a license for a specified offense related to unlawfully taking striped bass or crabs. DNR is stepping up law enforcement operations and working with stakeholders to develop and propose further regulations and increased penalties to better address under-reporting of harvest at check stations and illegal markets for untagged and unchecked striped bass, in addition to the use of illegal gill nets.

February 14, 2011

Bay News

Natural Resources Police located additional illegal nets

Reward for Information Now Up to $20,000

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) located additional illegal anchored gill nets on Friday evening, February 11. Two 900-yard strings of illegal anchored gill nets were located in Eastern Bay. One net was found about a mile south of Bloody Point Light and the second net was found about 2 miles northeast of Bloody Point Light in Eastern Bay.

A total of 3,879 pounds of rockfish were removed from the anchored gill nets. Those fish will be sold and the money will be used for natural resources law enforcement. NRP patrol boat GPS track lines indicated that the area where the nets were found had been previously searched the week before. At that time, there were no indications of nets in the area.

Discovery of the illegal gill nets comes less than two weeks after NRP confiscated more than 10 tons of illegally caught striped bass from four illegally anchored gill nets near Bloody Point Light, south of Kent Island in the Chesapeake Bay. After the initial find, DNR was forced to shut down the striped bass gill net season.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of poachers involved in illegally catching the first 10 tons of rockfish DNR, its partners and private citizens are putting forward $10,000 and the Chesapeake Bay Savers is matching that money with another $10,000.

February 11, 2011

Search and Rescue

Lifejackets Save Fishermen After Boat Capsizes

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) credited life jackets for saving the lives of three fishermen after their vessel capsized at 8 a.m. on Thursday, February 10, at the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant discharge.

"The life jackets kept the men afloat in the frigid water until the nearby vessel could respond and essentially save their lives," said NRP Sergeant Shawn Garren.

NRP's investigation revealed that a 21-foot center console boat capsized after a four- to five-foot wave came over the stern while the men were fishing. The occupants of the vessel, Kevin Lynn Gladhill, 32, of Boonesboro, Md., Michael George Krall, 35, of Keedysville, Md., and Russell Uger Neff III, 55, of Boonesboro, were thrown into the 30-degree water.

A nearby fishing vessel responded to the fishermen's calls for help. Dennis Charles Fleming, 51, of Mechanicsville, Md., and Grady Terry Warhurst, 64, of Upper Marlboro, Md., were at the scene within ten minutes and retrieved all three men from the water. The rescuing party transported the fishermen to Flag Harbor Marina in St. Leonard, where they were taken to Calvert Memorial Hospital and treated for hypothermia.

"The affects of hypothermia were quickly affecting the victims muscles, speech and their mental awareness. One of the victims could not even remember what happened to him," Garren said. "They wouldn't have made it much longer."

NRP reminds boaters that wearing life jackets saves lives. Most accidents happen too quickly for life jackets to be an afterthought. Put on a life jacket prior to leaving the dock and wear it continually throughout the trip.

It is also important to check the vessel and its equipment before departure. The cold weather affects battery life, ices fuel lines and vessel surfaces, and clogs bilge pumps. It also numbs a person's senses, making reaction time much slower.

February 9, 2011

Bay News

NRP seize an additional half-ton of illegally caught rockfish

Reward now stands at $10,000

On February 7, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) confiscated more than 1,100 pounds of illegally caught striped bass. The discovery came within a week of pulling more than 10 tons of illegally caught striped bass from four illegally anchored gill nets near Bloody Point Light, south of Kent Island in the Chesapeake Bay.

NRP seized the latest 1,159 pounds from 1,200 yards of illegally anchored gillnet at the mouth of Eastern Bay, a mile south of the previously located Bloody Point gill nets. Officers also found 600 yards of illegally anchored gill net near Poplar Island that contained about 300 dead horseshoe crabs and a few live striped bass, which were released back into the Bay.

DNR and stakeholders, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Humane Society of the United States, Coastal Conservation Association, the Maryland Watermen's Association, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association and the Maryland Charter Boat Association, have come together to offer a reward of $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a person or persons responsible for setting these anchored gill nets in the vicinity of Bloody Point Light. Funding for the reward will come from dedicated funding as well as contributions from these stakeholder groups.

Information on this crime may be called into the Natural Resources Police Catch-a-Poacher Hotline at 800-635-6124. Callers may remain anonymous.

Aid to Navigation Team heading for Thomas Point Lighthouse

February 8, 2011

Bay News

Coast Guard finds SAD state of affairs at Thomas Point Lighthouse

On Monday, February 7, Coast Guard Baltimore received a low-voltage alarm from the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse near Annapolis. The Guard's Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) was promptly dispatched to diagnose the problem aboard a 41-foot utility boat.

On arrival, the technicians checked the voltage levels, inspected wiring and tested the electrical equipment, but found the light to be working properly. They determined that the alarm may have been caused by lack of sunlight on the solar panels that charge the lighthouse's batteries. In other words, the lighthouse system was suffering from a kind of Season Affective Disorder (SAD).

The low voltage alarm was sent through the Coast Guard's aid control monitoring system, which uses cell phone technology to send messages from the lighthouse to a computer at ANT Baltimore. The system regularly sends status updates and can be "pulled" by technicians to check electrical levels and send commands to the light, such as to reset itself.

The Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, originally built in 1875, is one of only 10 lighthouses to be named a national historic landmark, the highest recognition that a historic structure can receive. The lighthouse is also the only screw-pile light on the Chesapeake Bay still in its original position.

February 8, 2011

Bay News

Happiness on the half-shell:

Oyster reproduction survival rates at highest levels since 1997
Trends indicate population may be developing resistance to disease

Finally, there is some good news for Crassostrea virginica, the Bay's native oyster. According to the Maryland's recently completed fall oyster survey, the number of spat or baby oysters in Maryland waters is at its highest level since 1997. The survival rate for young oysters is also up.

Since 1939, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and its predecessor agencies have monitored the status of Maryland's oyster population via annual field surveys-one of the longest running such programs in the world. The survey tracks three critical components of the population: spatfall Intensity, which measures reproduction levels (recruitment) and offers a window into future population levels; disease infection levels; and annual mortality rates of oysters.

The 2-month 2010 fall population assessment, which encompassed 260 oyster bars and 399 samples throughout the Bay and its tributaries, concluded on December 18. At nearly 80 spat (baby oysters) per bushel, the 2010 spatfall is the highest since 1997, and about 5 times the 25-year average of 16.

Eleven of the 53 oyster bars included in this index had their highest or second highest spat counts since 1985. The elevated spatfall was a coast-wide phenomenon, with other mid-Atlantic states also reporting better than average numbers.

Equally encouraging was wide distribution of spat throughout the Bay and its tributaries: While the heaviest counts were in the lower Bay's higher salinity areas, where reproduction is typically more successful, a moderate spatfall also occurred in lower salinity areas that generally receive little to no spat sets at all. These included the upper Bay as far north as Pooles Island and the upper reaches of the Chester, Choptank and Patuxent River tributaries. Due to reduced disease pressure, oysters historically have good survivorship in these areas, some of which are now protected sanctuaries under the State's new oyster plan.

Even more encouraging news for the beleaguered oyster is that the frequency and intensity of diseases remains low, based on December's interim report from the Paul S. Sarbanes Cooperative Oxford Lab. Of the two diseases that have devastated populations for decades, Dermo, although still widely distributed, remains below the long-term average for the eighth consecutive year, and MSX appears to again be in retreat after an advance in 2009.

The survey indicates that oyster survivorship-the percentage of oysters found alive in a sample-was at 88 percent, the highest level since 1985, before diseases put a stranglehold on the population; this is more than double 2002 when record disease levels left only 42 percent of Maryland's population alive. Scientists are hopeful that favorable mortality in recent years may reflect an increase in disease resistance.

"These moderate levels of natural oyster mortalities during recent years may reflect increases in disease resistances among oysters and their progeny that survived the severe disease pressures of the 1999-2002 drought," said Chris Dungan, manager of oyster disease research at the Oxford Lab. "Those same disease-selected oysters are the parents that spawned to produce the significant spat set of 2010."

"In this new reality, where disease mortality sometimes exceeds natural and fishing mortality, recruitment has become of singular importance," said DNR Fisheries Service Assistant Director Mike Naylor. "While challenges remain and recovery-particularly development of disease-resistance-will take decades, if the present trend in below average mortalities continues, the combination of the great 2010 spatset and low mortality should bode well for Maryland's oyster population and fishery well into the future."

Since 1994, the Chesapeake Bay oyster population has languished at 1 percent of historic levels. Over the past 25 years, the amount of suitable oyster habitat has declined by 80 percent-from 200,000 acres to just 36,000 acres. Maryland's annual oyster harvest has fallen from an average of 2.5 million bushels in the late 1960s to about 100,000 bushels a year since 2002, while the number of oystermen working Maryland's portion of the Bay has dwindled from more than 2000 to just 550.

DNR sorting captured rockfish.

February 7, 2011

Bay News

Maryland shuts off gill net season after Illegal striped bass seizure

DNR, stakeholders offer reward for information leading to rockfish poachers' arrest

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has shut down the February striped bass gill net season after Natural Resources Police (NRP) confiscated more than 10 tons of illegally caught striped bass in two days. NRP seized the 20,016 pounds of rockfish from four illegally anchored gill nets found near Bloody Point Light, south of Kent Island in the Chesapeake Bay.

"Wanton illegal behavior cannot, will not be tolerated," said Secretary John Griffin. "The people of Maryland have invested far too much time, effort and money into restoring striped bass, our state fish."

Maryland's commercial striped bass fishery is managed on a quota system, in cooperation with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission; the commercial gill net quota for February is 354,318 pounds. When the illegally harvested striped bass confiscated by the NRP were deducted from the quota, DNR was forced to immediately shut down the fishery. The fishery will remain closed until DNR can determine the extent of illegal nets out on the Bay and the amount of striped bass caught in those nets.

"Watermen are allowed to catch about 300 pounds of rockfish per day. We seized 20,000 pounds. That means these poachers are stealing 66 days of work from honest watermen," said DNR Fisheries Service Director Tom O'Connell.

The State, along with the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), The Maryland Watermen's Association, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association and the Maryland Charter Boat Association, is offering a reward of more than $7,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a person or persons responsible for setting these anchored gill nets in the vicinity of Bloody Point Light. Funding for the reward will come from dedicated funding as well as contributions from these stakeholder groups, who are publicly denouncing these crimes.

"Today's announcement demonstrates that illegal fishing that steals the resource from all Marylanders will not be tolerated," said CCA Maryland Executive Director Tony Friedrich. "We look forward to working with the Department and other stakeholders to insure that the penalties for these types of crimes are strengthened and those responsible are held fully accountable."

"The Maryland Watermen's Association is here to protect the honest fisherman," said Association President Larry Simns. "We'd like to do anything in our power to catch the person responsible for this and we'd hope they'd lose their license."

"The Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association is extremely disheartened and outraged over the events of the past several days," said Executive Director Dave Smith. "This type of flagrant disregard for the law and our vital resource must end. The MSSA is working with the Department and other stakeholder groups to put in place deterrents and meaningful consequences for these types of crimes."

The NRP found the first anchored gill net on Monday, January 31 at 2 p.m., the day before the February striped bass gill net season opened. Officers began a surveillance detail and after 17 hours without activity officers pulled up the net, which was full of rockfish. Officers continued pulling the net and offloading the fish until 9 p.m., when 6,121 pounds of fish were taken out of the 900 yards of illegal anchored gill net; 400 pounds were given to state biologists for use in an expanded gender sampling survey, and 5,721 pounds were sold.

Officers located another net at about 9 p.m. near the first net and began to pull it up immediately. NRP continued to load the net and fish into patrol boats throughout the night. While loading the second net, officers found two additional nets. The NRP worked until 5 p.m. Wednesday evening, landing an additional 13,895 pounds of illegally caught fish.

Officers also recovered 2,100 yards of anchored gill net from the Choptank River on Sunday, January 30, and 100 yards of anchored gill net from the mouth of the Chester River on Thursday. These nets had a few fish that were released alive.

Information on this crime may be called into the Natural Resources Police Catch-a-Poacher Hotline at 800-635-6124. Callers may remain anonymous.

February 3, 2011

Search and Rescue

Coast Guard, local agencies searching for missing sailboat operator

Coast Guard and local agencies were searching for a missing person on Thursday, February 3, after a good Samaritan reported finding the sailing vessel Wampeter adrift in the vicinity of Little Creek Inlet off Virginia Beach with no one aboard.

At 8:20 a.m., Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads Command Center watchstanders received a report from a crewmember aboard the fishing vessel Markim II that he had seen a sailboat, about 40-feet in length, drifting toward the rocks with its lights on and engine running.

Two 25-foot response boat crews, a 45-foot response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Little Creek and a Coast Guard HH-60 rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., were initially dispatched to the scene. Crews from Hampton Fire Rescue, Norfolk Police Department, Virginia Marine Police, Virginia Beach Police Department and Virginia Beach Fire Department were assisting in the search.

To report any information regarding this case, please contact the Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads Command Center at 757-638-6635.

January 29, 2011

Bay News

Update: Coast Guard continues response to oil spill in Potomac River

The Coast Guard and local agencies are continuing to respond to a mineral oil spill that occurred Sunday, January 23, in the Potomac River near Alexandria, Va.

Approximately 1,500 gallons of an estimated 5,500 gallons have been recovered from the waters of the Potomac River after a transformer at the Pepco substation began leaking Sunday, with a remaining 4,000 gallons currently unaccounted for.

Coast Guard Sector Baltimore's Incident Management Division members, who were notified Sunday by the National Response Center, have been working with Pepco and the hired contractors, Triumvirate Environmental and Clean Harbors, to continue efforts to contain and collect the oil.

Currently 2,000 feet of hard containment boom, 1,700 feet of absorbent boom and 750 feet of sweep, which consists of pads strung together, have been deployed to the affected area.

The oil sheen is reported to extend approximately 2,000 yards north of the Pepco substation and as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

"At this point, what we can see out there is mostly oil sheen," said Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony Matulonis a marine science technician at Sector Baltimore. "When oil spreads out, it starts to become unrecoverable because the surface area is too thin. The good news is that over time, nature will start a biodegradation process, which is basically when sunlight, wave action and wind naturally remove the oil."

January 25, 2011

Bay News

Coast Guard responds to Potomac River oil spill

The Coast Guard and local agencies are responding to a mineral oil spill in the Potomac River near Alexandria, Va.

Pepco employees notified the Coast Guard Sunday at 12:40 p.m. on Sunday, January 23, that about 5,000 gallons of mineral oil were believed to have leaked from a transformer at the Pepco substation in Alexandria. It was also reported that an additional 500 gallons had leaked into the Potomac River.

Coast Guard Sector Baltimore's Incident Management Division personnel arrived on the scene at 2 p.m. Sunday and conducted a shoreline assessment of the area.

Triumvirate Environmental and Clean Harbors have been hired by Pepco to contain and dispose of the oil. The oil that reached the waterway has been contained by boom.

The cause of the spill is under investigation.

January 21, 2011

Police Blotter

Waterman charged with dredging oysters in illegal area

On January 19, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged two Dorchester County watermen with illegally power dredging for oysters in Fishing Bay.

On December 31, NRP officers observed two vessels, the Lauren Taylor II and the Mary Grace, power dredging for oysters in a restricted area. An officer aboard an NRP patrol boat ordered the vessels to stop dredging in the restricted area. The officer attempted to obtain license and identification from the occupants of the vessels.

The captain of the Lauren Taylor II, Gary David Hayden, 42 of Toddville, attempted to leave the area after he was asked for his oyster license and identification. Taylor was repeatedly ordered to stop his vessel, however he did not. The Lauren Taylor II was later found tied to a dock in Farm Creek in Dorchester County.

The officer was able to obtain the required information from the captain of the Mary Grace, Jason Bernard Spencer, 34 of Wingate.

Both Spencer and Hayden are charged with power dredging for oysters in a hand-tonging area. Hayden is also charged with obstructing and hindering a police officer, failing to obey a lawful order and failure to have a tidal fish license available for inspection. A trial has been set for March 14 in the District Court of Maryland for Dorchester County.

Go to Page 2 of Bay News.