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It is not only a sunk vessel; it appears to be abandoned as well. A line off the bow seems to be attached to an anchor but the vessel is hard aground not in a navigable waterway. It is not leaking fuel or oil into the water so it will not get reported to the Coast Guard. |
There is a registration number and the county tax was paid last year. The information will be sent to Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management. If they locate the owners, they will be charged with removing the vessel. |
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| Judging by the condition of the deck it appears the machinery and anything of value had been removed prior to abandoning the vessel. In spite of its condition the hull and fixtures appear to be intact and for a while, at least, pose no immediate hazard to navigation.
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A closer inspection reveals another sailboat in the same area needing maintenance. It is safely anchored. Judging from equipment on the deck, repairs may be taking place. |
The seas had been calm for several days prior to June 22nd, the start of this scheduled Marine Safety and Environmental Patrol. Auxiliarists Otto Spielbichler, Ken Sommers, Ralph Vasquez and crew trainee Dorothy Moore planned to go out of Boynton Inlet, and proceed north along the beach looking for signs of immigrant landings or abandoned boats. After reentering at Palm Beach Inlet, the patrol would do a Harbor Safety Check in the Port of Palm Beach and then proceed south checking the status of ATONS and conditions on the waters in Lake Worth Lagoon. Highlights of patrol are described in the photographs.
Otto Spielbichler SO-MS Div 5, FSO-MS 54
Images courtesy Ken Sommers D-AA D7
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| Another part of a Marine Safety and Environmental Patrol is a Harbor Safety Check. Doing the check includes looking at load lines, looking for placards that identify hazardous cargo, welding on ships at dock or hot work of any kind. Port of Palm Beach is in the background. |
Ships in the port loading cargo. Others are fueling. Both activities require procedures that insure safe operations that can be checked during a Harbor Safety Patrol. |
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| Ships do maintenance while loading or unloading cargo. A crew member in this photo is chipping paint. He is in a dangerous position but is in a sling securely attached to the ship and wearing is wearing a life jacket. Both OSHA and the Coast Guard would probably be satisfied with the safety procedures. A container under him keeps paint chips from falling into the water. |
The Coast Guard Buoy Tender Hudson at work on a damaged marker on the ICW in Lake Worth Lagoon. The damaged ATON had been reported on a previous Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Patrol. |
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Crew trainee Dorothy Moore makes up a line. Our boat acted as a disabled vessel while members of another flotilla did a towing evolution. |
Heading for Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet to submit ATON reports and a sighting of an unmarked float anchored to the bottom near a bridge and for a lunch break. Auxiliarist Ralph Vasquez enjoys a pause in activities before continuing the patrol in the afternoon. |
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If you have photographs of interest along with a story of your units exciting activities, submit them to Ken Sommers at Assistant Webmaster .
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