October 2006:

• Captain Tom's weekend started early. At 0100 a call came in to Vessel Assist from a Seapro 21 disabled near Port Hueneme, needing a tow back to Channel Islands Harbor. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

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• Ojai Dog, an 18 foot aluminum skiff, lost power 1/2 mile outside of Ventura Harbor. Captain Tom, onboard Retriever, responded, towing the boat to the Ventura launch ramp.

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• A 47 foot powerboat, named Sandpiper, went from one slip to another in Ventura West Marina. It was Captains Jason, Paul and Bev, onboard Retriever, who did the move.

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• Captain Tom again, on Retriever, went to the aid of a 22 foot Starfire with a broken driveshaft near platform Gina. The disabled boat was towed to Channel Islands Harbor.

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• A 23 foot Bayliner, disabled in position N 34:00.56, W 119:19.89, called Vessel Assist for a tow back to Channel Islands Harbor. Captain Tom, on Assist Channel Islands responded.

• Captain Paul went after the vessel disabled at Sandstone Point, Santa Cruz Island. The mariners were headed back to Channel Islands Harbor so Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

• Captains Jason and Randy handled the dock to dock for the 47 foot sailboat, Pangaea. The boat was moving from Ventura West Phase II to Ventura West Marina. Retriever was the tow boat.

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• After moving Pangaea, Captains Jason and Randy responded to the distress call from the vessel disabled at the sea buoy just outside Ventura Harbor. Retriever was, again, the tow boat.

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• Captains Randy and Jason responded to the 37 foot Cabo Rico, Safari, disabled just outside Ventura Harbor. The boat was towed to Ventura West Marina and safely put in its slip. Retriever was the tow boat.

• Captain Randy, onboard Retriever, went to the aid of Ducky, a 25 foot Farallon, disabled near Cat Rock, Anacapa Island. The boat was towed back to Ventura Harbor.

• A fouled prop in Santa Barbara Harbor delayed the trip for Uncorked, a 35 foot Silverton. The boat was headed to San Francisco but spent the day in Santa Barbara Harbor instead while Captain Randy dived in effort to sort out the problem. The prop was soon freed and the boat was on its way.

• At 3:30 AM Bayliner 21 lost power in position N 34:18.800, W 119:22.708 and called for a tow. It was Captain Randy's up so he crawled out of bed and responded on Retriever, towing the boat back to Ventura Harbor.

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• Captain Kris moved a Downeast 38 sailboat from Anacapa Marine Services to a slip in Ancapa Isle Marina. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

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• Dead batteries were the problem for Bella Vita, a 45 foot Silverton, disabled at the pumpout station in Ventura Harbor. Captain Randy responded, towing the boat back to its slip in Ventura Isle Marina. Retriever was the tow boat.

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• Captain Kris towed the 25 foot Robalo, named Chaser, back to the launch ramp in Channel Islands Harbor. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

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• Engine failure just outside the Channel Islands Harbor breakwall was the problem for the 23 foot Lonestar. Captain Randy responded, onboard Retriever, towing the boat back to the launch ramp in Channel Islands.

• Second Chance, a Catalina 30 disabled outside Channel Islands Harbor, called for a tow back to the harbor. Captain Kris, on Assist Channel Islands, was the escort of the day.

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• Captain Kris, onboard Assist Channel Islands, answered the call from a mariner disabled in position N 34:10, W 119:16. The 22 foot Aquasport received a jumpstart and was soon on its way under its own power.

• Sunsoleil, a Catalina 36, suffered a fuel problem in position N 34:07.9, W 119:26.5, and called Vessel Assist for a tow back to Channel Islands Harbor. Captain Jon, onboard Assist Channel Islands, responded.

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• Captain Jon lost the coin toss and did the long tow to Catalina Island to retrieve a 28 foot Bayliner. The boat suffered an outdrive failure while traveling to Ventura Harbor. It was a long tow, Captain Jon and Retriever spent 10 hours, towing all through the night, to get the mariners safely home.

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• Carver 26, Scorpion, lost engine power near Potato Anchorage, Santa Cruz Island. The mariners aboard called Vessel Assist for a tow back to Channel Islands Harbor. Captain Paul and Assist Channel Islands were the towing team.

• Captains Bev, Paul, and Jason moved a Chriscraft 38 from its slip in Ventura Isle Marina to Anchors Way Boatyard. Retriever was the tow boat.

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• Captains Jason and Paul towed a Bayliner 38 from the Ventura Harborpatrol dock to its slip in Ventura West Phase II. The boat had suffered loss of one engine and the mariner aboard had managed to limp the boat to the Harbor Patrol dock to await assistance from Vessel Assist.

• Captain Randy responded to the call for a tow from Jimmy K, a 24 foot Wilson, disabled at Refugio Beach and needing a tow to Santa Barbara. It was a long run for Captain Randy and Retriever, by the time they delivered the mariner safely to Santa Barbara Harbor and then returned to the Vessel Assist docks it was midnight.

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• Captain Jason responded to the distress call from Lottie One, a Uniflite 28, disabled at the entrance to Channel Islands Harbor. Captain Jason and Assist Channel Islands safely delivered the mariner to his home slip in Mandalay Bay before returning to base.

• Captain Randy lost the coin toss and answered the call for assistance from the Catalina 30, Relentless, anchored near Malibu Colony. The boat was very near the surfzone and residents along the beach called Coast Guard to report the developing situation. It was an 8 hour case by the time everyone was safely inside Channel Islands Harbor, and it was 2 am by the time Captain Randy and Assist Channel Islands could return to base.

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• It was Captains Jason and Randy, onboard Assist Channel Islands, who went to the rescue of the Carver 28 disabled back in Mandalay Bay. The boat, with 4 persons on board, had been sightseeing in the new construction area when it lost engine power. The mariners were safely towed back to their home slip in Anacapa Isle Marina.

• Dawn Treader, called Vessel Assist for help in getting back into their slip in Ventura Harbor. The mariners had been anchored out at Yellowbanks, Santa Cruz Island, when they spun their prop. They sailed across the channel and hovered in the harbor awaiting assistance from Retriever.

• Captains Jason, Randy and Paul spent the better part of the day working on the Skipjack 28, Responder, submerged near Point Dume. The boat had gone down by the stern on Sunday afternoon and was lying, suspended by the bow, on a reef just offshore. Since it had flipped upside down, the boys had to get creative with the liftbags to make it come upright. It was raised, dewatered, and towed by the end of the day. Retriever was the tow/salvage boat. (PHOTO 1) (PHOTO 2) (PHOTO 3) (PHOTO 4) (PHOTO 5)

• Captain Randy, onboard Retriever, responded to the call for a tow from the 26 foot Radon belonging to Kevin Costner, disabled at Scorpion Anchorage, Santa Cruz Island. The boat was towed to Santa Barbara Harbor.

• Captain Randy again, this time onboard Assist Channel Islands, responded to the distress call from the mariner anchored at Ford Point, Santa Rosa Island. The vessel needed a tow back to Channel Islands Harbor so it was a long case for Captain Randy, it was about an 11 hour tow by the time everyone was safely in the harbor. The disabled boat was a Shamrock named Hustler.

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• Captain Jason went to the aid of the 20 foot Grady White, named Lil Grady, disabled near the Channel Islands breakwall. The boat lost power and anchored to await assistance. Maverick, out of Ventura, was the tow boat since Assist Channel Islands was off to Santa Rosa Island on a long tow with Captain Randy.

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• Fast Cash, an Owens 27, lost engine power near the Hueneme Pier and called Vessel Assist for a tow back to Channel Islands Harbor. Captain Paul responded, onboard Assist Channel Islands, towing the mariners safely back to the harbor.

• A call came in to Vessel Assist in the afternoon from a vessel named R-1, disabled near Santa Rosa Island. The boat was bound for Santa Barbara so it was a long tow for Captain Randy, by the time he delivered the mariners safely to Santa Barbara and then returned to base it was 2 am. Retriever was the tow boat.

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• Captain Paul responded to the call for help from the 23 foot Bayliner, disabled at Sandstone Point, Santa Cruz Island. Since the mariners were headed to Channel Islands Harbor, Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

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• Captain Randy responded to the Bayliner 24 named Little Fin, disabled 8 miles out of Ventura Harbor, towing the boat back to Ventura. Retriever was the tow boat.

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• Captain Paul was the go to guy for the 19 foot Covia disabled off the Port Hueneme Pier. The boat was towed back to the Channel Islands launch ramp by Assist Channel Islands.

• It was a day for long tows. Captain Jon started it off by responding to a mariner, disabled at Santa Rosa Island. The boat, named Martha Jane, was originally headed to Santa Barbara but decided to come to Ventura in order to haul out at Ventura Harbor Boatyard. Retriever was the tow boat.

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• Captains Jason, Bev and Paul moved a 32 foot Mainship named Cetacea from Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club to Channel Islands Boatyard where it was scheduled for haulout. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

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• Captains Jason and Paul were off on the second long tow of the day, this one from San Nicholas Island to Channel Islands Harbor, a round trip of about 120 miles. The disabled boat was a Mitchell 30 named Bulldog. Since the call came in at 4:00 pm, the guys towed all through the night, taking turns at the helm. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

• 90 foot powerboat, Banditto, was moved from the slipways to an adjacent slip at Ventura Harbor Boatyard. Captain Paul was the tow boat driver,Captain Bev was the deckhand, and Retriever was the tow boat.

• Captain Tom went to the assistance of the 34 foot Silverton in Channel Islands Harbor. The boat had something wrapped around its prop and was hailing Sea Tow on the VHF. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

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• It was Captain Tom again who responded to the Bayliner 26 anchored just inside the detached breakwall in Channel Islands Harbor. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

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• Captain Tom was the hero of the day, this time it was a Catalina 36, named Absolutely, that needed his attention. The boat had lost engine power and was sailing around inside Channel Islands Harbor awaiting assistance from Vessel Assist to get back in to its slip. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.