Second Boat in One Week Comes Ashore in Montecito
John Palminteri
MONTECITO, Calif. (KEYT) – For the second time in a week, a sailboat has broken away from the area where it was anchored off Santa Barbara.
This vessel was spotted Tuesday evening on the western end of Butterfly Beach down the coast in Montecito bobbing in the water and hitting the rocks.
It is the same area where another sailboat drifted to the shore a week ago.
That vessel was crushed up and was hauled away Monday morning by Marborg Industries in a clean up policy with the County of Santa Barbara. An authorization notice had been attached to the vessel a few days before to the removal.
This latest boat with the name “Riches to Rags” was already in the surf line when the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol got to the scene.
The Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the non-profit Heal the Ocean have also been alerted.
The boat could be a maritime and environmental hazard if it breaks up on the rocks and sends debris and fluids such as diesel fuel and oil into the ocean.
A vessel that is abandoned and not retrieved will be removed but it’s unclear if the owner has insurance or a plan at this point.
This is a violation and the owner could also be hit with a fine.
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