Following a Floating Times report last week on a reduction in trash in Richardson Bay, a front-page article in the Sunday Marin IJ announced:
Restoration Work Creating New Era for Richardson Bay
Open Waters and vibrant setting thrive as anchor-outs move on
The article states: “Richardson Bay has had more transformation in the past 30 months than in the past 30 years. Three years ago, 62 abandoned and occupied vessels dotted the middle of the bay. In 2017, there were 220 such vessels. People lived rent free. Some boats were well-kept. Others were not or abandoned. Anchors tore up the eelgrass. Wastewater and bilge drained into the bay. Storms tossed debris overboard. Bay living was poetic but rugged.”
Thanks in part to a vessel buyout program offered by the Richardson Bay Regional Agency (RBRA) and a state-funded housing voucher program, only 11 vessels remained on the bay as of late August, according to Brad Gross, RBRA executive director.
The IJ notes: “Under a settlement with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission … boats that are not seaworthy cannot stay past Oct. 15. Two or three boats fit that description. The rest are seaworthy and can stay through October 2026 outside the eelgrass restoration zone.”
Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters told the IJ, “we are seeing more and more people kayak, paddleboard and otherwise explore and enjoy the bay.
“Aquatic wildlife — from seals to otters — are back in large numbers because the eelgras has been restored … And we were able to accomplish all this in a compassionate manner by relocating individuals living off their boats through a safe, empathetic and collaborative approach.”
Wayne Aleshire, president of the Open Water Rowing Center, noted: “What’s most impressive about Richardson Bay is the wildlife has returned dramatically. Brown osprey, black crowned night heron and seals are back. Farther offshore, porpoises feed in tidal change zones.”
“Sausalito’s waterfront is entering a new chapter,” said Curtis Havel, harbormaster at Clipper Yacht Harbor in Sausalito. When Havel was harbormaster of the RBRA, he made headlines by accusing an anchor-out of bear-spraying him when he tried to board her vessel.
Now, he says, “For the first time in years, there is a spirit of optimism among local marina operators who are now working with each other and the city to reimagine and revitalize our waterfront.”