At the July meeting of the Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency, RBRA Harbormaster Curtis Havel reported that 88 vessels are currently anchored in Richardson’s Bay. His report continued:
There are currently 20 vessels that arrived after August 2019. Outreach case managers with the Downtown Streets Teams have made considerable progress performing 26 VISPDAT (Vulnerability Index—Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool) interviews. The Sausalito Police Department has notified the RBRA that funding is available to potentially locate up to 2 vessels in marinas through the Safe Harbors Program. Staff will work with Ritter Center staff and local marinas to search for space available. Funding associated with the RBRA’s Safe and Seaworthy program will be used to purchase safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, flares and first aid kits. Since the last RBRA Board Meeting, 3 vessels have arrived in the anchorage. All the recently arrived vessels were posted with notices and informed of the rules for anchoring in Richardson’s Bay, including but not limited to the 72-hour limit. The skippers of these vessels are aware of the rules for anchoring in Richardson’s Bay, and staff will be working with the Marin County Sheriff’s Office to issue citations and potentially impound these vessels if they refuse to depart.
The next RBRA public meeting will be on Thursday, August 12 at 5:30 p.m. It can be viewed on Zoom. The Webinar ID is 897 2370 7189 and the Passcode is 899921.
Among the items to be discussed is a proposed agreement between the RBRA and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). One of its provisions would require that only seaworthy vessels consistent with RBRA’s rules and regulations will be allowed to anchor in Richardson’s Bay after October 2026.
According to Marin Scope, the tentative settlement establishes milestones that RBRA must meet as well as provisions for eelgrass recovery and protection actions. In return, BCDC will refrain from threatened enforcement action against RBRA and will support RBRA’s efforts. While BCDC has sought firm actions to address illegally anchored vessels and protection of habitat conditions, RBRA has endeavored to balance these interests with a humane approach toward vulnerable residents on the water, especially in light of housing challenges and homelessness regionally and statewide.
Questions or comments can be submitted in advance to Harbormaster Havel. Please write “Public Comment” in the subject line.