More Mermaid Muppet Mayhem!
Getting Ahead Of Operation Dry Water
Boat slams into gazebo in Berkeley: Operator charged with DWI
7:32 PM, Jun. 19, 2011 |
Ann Schuld stands where a boat ran aground. / PETER ACKERMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Written by Michelle Gladden andAmanda Oglesby | Staff Writers
BERKELEY — A 40-foot boat traveling at a high speed careened off the Toms River Saturday night and into the yard of a township home. The boat came to a stop yards from the water, destroying a gazebo outside of the Cove Road West home of Ann and George Schuld.
Neighbor Angela Rattigan said she heard a loud swooosh sound at about 10:30 p.m.
“It's funny in a way because no one got hurt,” Rattigan said. “We're all in shock.”
Ann Schuld’s sister Louise Zuber said the couple was not home at the time of the accident.
“We were up the street and passed by moments after it happened,” Zuber said. “The boat smashed into the gazebo and landed in my sister's side yard. It's the most amazing thing ever.”
Zuber immediately called her sister’s cellphone to tell her of the accident, she said.
“It's a beautiful boat,” Zuber said. “It doesn't look like it's really damaged.”
State Police charged the boat’s driver, David M. McDermott — whose age and hometown were not immediately available — with driving while intoxicated, said Sgt. Julian Castellanos, spokesman for the State Police.
A View From The Helm (editorial):
Boating under the influence is a growing problem among the boating community but it seems that unless the authorities get serious about treating it on the same level as operating a motor vehicle under the influence and assess the same penalties it will continue to be an issue that puts not just the inebriated operator and his or her passengers in jeopardy but the others that are enjoying the same areas on the water or in the case of the story posted above, those that are on land.
It is time to take off the gloves, so to speak, and treat BWI or BUI the same as DWI or DUI and tie the operation of vessels on the water to the vessel operators driver's license.
How Did You Spend Your Father’s Day?
Police Boat Rescued From Niagara River By Helicopter
8:12 AM, Jun 20, 2011 Written by Chelsi Zash
Niagara Falls, NY — A pilot spent Father's Day recovering a boat from the scene of Saturday's dangerous rescue mission.Pulling almost 10,000 pounds out of the powerful Niagara River isn't easy.Williamsville native Eric Fritz, who joined the Army National Guard 11 years ago, spent this Father's Day flying a massive Chinook helicopter just upstream from the raging Horseshoe Falls.New York State Parks Police say they called the military to help them remove their partially submerged rescue boat that had been stuck on rocks overnight. The boat got stuck on Saturday when two Parks Police officers got lost in the fog, during a rescue mission.
On Saturday, a Canadian helicopter successfully pulled the officers to safety. Sunday, a local Army pilot helped rescue the vessel.
Fritz's step-father Gary videotaped Sunday morning's hour long mission, which wasn't easy. Fritz says these massive choppers can carry up to 20,000 pounds, so once the boat was out, he knew his crew's mission was a success.
CBS Newspath
Time To Give Up The Ship!
Newport Beach man fights to keep 42-ton yacht in his
yard
Orange County News Thursday, June 16, 2011
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — The city of Newport Beach plans to take a resident to court for refusing to remove a 72-foot, 42-ton yacht from his yard.
“She's the love of my life,” said yacht owner Dennis Holland. “She's just so amazing. When I first saw her, I was 8 years old and I fell in love with her right off the start.”
Holland adores his yacht, but some neighbors find it a nuisance.
“It's huge,” said neighbor Dalia Lugo. “It's bigger than my house. It is taller than my house.”
Holland had permission from the city to bring the vessel to his yard initially. But since then the city has changed the rules, forbidding boat building in residential neighborhoods.
“Originally when it came in it wasn't anticipated to stay long, and he kept it there,” said City Attorney David Hunt. “Now he says it will take 10 to 15 years to complete it, and that's simply far too long to have a vessel inside of a residential neighborhood.
The yacht has been in the neighborhood for six years, and in January the city started fining Holland every week. So far, he's refused to pay.
“That's an admission of guilt, because by standards I'm not guilty of anything,” said Holland. “They're making the laws up to incriminate me.”
Holland has supporters in the neighborhood.
“We're a boating community,” said neighbor Alan Payne. “And people should be interested in a 100-year-old boat.”
But Lugo says she's not interested in seeing it from her bedroom window for half a decade, and says other neighbors feel the same way.
“If you are looking at property values and you want to sell anytime soon, it is something that is affected,” said Lugo. “I love the project, as long as it's elsewhere.”
Citing problems with privacy, debris and the sheer size of the yacht, the city has filed a civil suit to have the vessel removed.
But until that happens, Holland will keep living with the love of his life.
Simply Carrabelle
There are few places in Florida where you can experience solitude on an abandoned beach while watching the sun set over the Gulf. However, a small town on the Forgotten Coast is just the place if you're looking to get away from the crowds, traffic and endless displays of Florida t-shirts. Carrabelle is located about an hour south of Tallahassee, along Highway 98. Recently we decided to take a look for ourselves and see if this small fishing village had anything to offer. With the boat in tow, we made the 4-hour trip from Jacksonville with no preconceived notions.
Carrabelle is not exactly forgotten, it's just not talked about much. (Its claim to fame is the world's smallest police station.) Why does this quaint little town seem removed from the mainstream of Florida’s tourism industry? Is it the fact that it was a haven for pirates who ambushed ships in St. George Sound in the 1700s? Or maybe it's because captains avoided the area in the 1800s due to rumors of bears, wildcats and other life-threatening animals? Whatever the case, Carrabelle is still one of Florida's best kept secrets.
For our lodging, we chose a condo at Pirate's Landing. The three story, one bedroom unit with twobalconies and a screened porch was more that I could have hoped for. Not to mention the price tag!
Ranging from $99-150 a night, the accommodations couldn’t be beat. The property next door is a full service marina, which makes this an outstanding choice for the boating enthusiast. Carrabelle River Marina and Fish Camp provided just the atmosphere we needed for a weekend getaway. There's great boat ramp, gas, dockage, ice, bait and a restaurant that will even prepare you a box lunch for your day on the water. The staff was friendly and made us feel like part of the community. We never even took the car out of the garage. Everything we needed was accessible by water.
Of course, as a writer for Florida By Water, my task is not just to explore the town but also to experience the water. Boating in the area is some of the best I have found. Fishing is abundant, whether it be inshore, near shore or offshore. Every location could be accessed within minutes. The beautiful emerald
green water and white sands along the beaches were alive with activity. Personally I'm not much of a fisherman, and even I managed to catch a fish or two in this bountiful habitat.
If you're more into cruising or spending an afternoon anchored in a secluded cove, this is your place as well. The first island you should explore is Dog Island. Accessible only by boat, Dog Island is located about 3.5 miles from the mouth of the Carrabelle River. The island is about 1/2 mile wide and 7 miles long, and serves as one of the barrier islands between the Gulf of Mexico and St. George Sound. Places like Skipper’s Cove or Tyson's Harbor are just the spots to spend an afternoon relaxing, swimming or just walking along the shore. Also, a few more active boaters seemed to find this a great place to pull a tube around and entertain the kids.
Across the channel to the west, you will find the sixth best beach in America (rated by Dr. Beach, 2011).
St. George Island State Park is the ideal beach for solitude. On our visit, we anchored on the Gulf side and waded a few feet to shore. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in June, we found ourselves to be the only ones on the beach. No foot prints but our own dotted the seashore. Nature watching and shelling were were great activities for this location.
Carrabelle, Florida is truly not what I expected. It was much less — and that’s exactly what I was hoping for. A small Florida town with open waters and tall pines, this is truly the Forgotten Coast and if I had my way…. I would keep the secret. (Shhh!)
For More infomration go to http://carrabelle.org or call 850-687-2585
By Rusty Gardner
www.floridabywater.com