Centuries ago, fear of the sea was not uncommon. After all, it was home to mysterious dangers — real and imagined — that those on land were powerless to prevent.
Although marine emergency operations have vastly improved and the only sea monsters ocean-goers have to mind are sharks, whales and rays, today’s professional and casual mariners still face a variety of risks that can strike abruptly.
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Storms, dangerous currents, hostile marine fauna, medical emergencies and good old-fashioned equipment malfunction are all possibilities, and officials agree that simply making sure you know what you’re doing is key before venturing out on the water.
“Our biggest challenge and our most frequent challenge down here are coastal storms,” Mick Kronman, the Santa Barbara Harbor’s operations manager, told Noozhawk.
He said wind and swell conditions can cause boats in the harbor to break their berthing lines, smash into dock boxes or even snap pilings.
Before going out, boaters can call Harbor Patrol on VHF-FM marine radio channels 12 or 16 to check conditions, Kronman said.
If a boat, regardless of whether it set out from the harbor, is anywhere near port when a storm is blowing in, it should make its way over.
The Santa Barbara Harbor, Kronman said, is “a legislatively designated harbor of safe refuge” that will make room for any boat escaping dangerous conditions.
More extreme, albeit much rarer, than a storm is a tsunami. While those on land must get to higher ground to reach safety, Kronman said those on the ocean can go out to deeper waters to avoid the waves.
The catch, he said, is you would have to stay out there for a day or more. The ocean, he explained, is like a giant bathtub in which disturbed water will slosh back and forth between the sides — North America and Asia — before settling. Boaters would have to wait out more than one seismic sea wave, he added.
Prospective mariners can prepare to hit the high seas by taking boating courses and undergoing a vessel safety check with the Santa Barbara Sail and Power Squadron.
In any life-threatening situation, such as a shark attack or a medical emergency, anyone with the ability to call 9-1-1 should. The Harbor Patrol is the first responder to emergencies in its vicinity, but the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, its Air Support Unit and the U.S. Coast Guard handle many of the marine emergency situations.
While shark sightings here aren’t rare, the dreaded shark attack is. According to the University of Florida, Santa Barbara County has witnessed 11 confirmed, unprovoked shark attacks since 1926.
Generating the most calls for help for the county Fire Department are inexperienced swimmers, surfers and kayakers, according to Fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni. They typically get caught in unfriendly currents or wind that drag them too far out or too far down the coast, or paddle out on big surf days they’re unprepared for.
One of the most common dangerous currents is the rip current, which forcibly drags swimmers away from shore. Should swimmers be caught in one, they’re advised to swim perpendicular to the current to escape, rather than try to fight it, tire and risk drowning.
The Santa Barbara Channel also can be the scene of drug smuggling, which Kronman said falls under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard.
Last October, an abandoned panga boat suspected of trafficking drugs was found washed up near Mariposa Reina along the Gaviota coast and was linked to that month’s closure of Santa Rosa Island after “numerous bundles of marijuana” were found there.
“If people see boats behaving suspiciously, they should call Harbor Patrol at 805.564.5530, or contact them on VHF radio,” Kronman said.
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— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
