December 2005:

• Dock to dock in the afternoon for Captains Bev and Paul and Butterdog. First Edition, a Luhrs, went back to its slip in Ventura Isle Marina from Anchor's Way Boatyard, where it's been undergoing engine repair.

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• Captains Bev and Paul, along with Butterdog, assisted with the filming of a commercial for Gorton's Fish. It was the production company's idea to use the deck of the Ventura II, a 200 ton fishing vessel, for the location of the shoot, but the director didn't want engine noise to ruin the audio on the soundtrack. Without propulsion of her own the Ventura II would have been unable to hold station while the cameras were runnning. The problem was solved by using Retriever, 500 feet away on the end of a towing hawser, to hold the huge fishing boat in place. With the fishing boat in tow Retriever was able to keep the angle right for the shot, with the picturesque Santa Barbara Channel framed in the background. (PHOTO) (PHOTO 2) (PHOTO 3)

• It was an early morning wake up call for Captains, Bev, Paul and Butterdog. A dock to dock in Channel Islands Harbor for a 28 foot C&C sailboat, named Joy, going to Anacapa Marine Services for haulout, took up the first part of the morning. Assist Channel Islands was the boat of the day.

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• A tow from Channel Islands Harbor to Ventura Harbor for a 34 foot Silverton, took up the latter half of the morning. The boat was headed to Anchor's Way Boatyard for haulout. Captains Bev and Paul, on Assist Channel Islands was the team.

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• On the return trip to Channel Islands Harbor, a disabled Radon 28, named A-Time, hailed for assistance. The Radon was disabled inside the detached breakwall in Channel Islands, needing to go back to its home slip in Mandalay Bay. The two mariners on board were returning from a fishing trip.

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• After putting the Radon away, another case came up for Captains Bev & Paul and Assist Channel Islands. A 38 foot powerboat, named Bomba Charger, in a slip at Penninsula Yacht Anchorage, needed to go back to a slip in Mandalay Bay. It was a long day for Butterdog, by the time the Bomba Charger was safely tied up to the dock in Mandalay Bay, he had put in almost 8 hours on the boat. He has accrued more sea time than most of the boaters out there!

• A Maxxum 28 with engine problems was towed from just south of platform Gail to Ventura Harbor, Ventura West Marina. The vessel, Todo Bien, on loan to friends of the owner for this trip to the islands, reportedly experienced rough conditions during the previous night due to Santa Ana winds. Coast Guard was involved, monitoring the situation which threatened to become serious at times. The mariners were able to make it to within 12 miles of Ventura Harbor on the return trip before hailing Vessel Assist. It was Captain Paul on Retriever who responded, towing them safely back to the slip.

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• Captain Bev, on Assist Ventura, responded to the Starfire with dead batteries just off the Ventura Pier. It was no-joy on the jumpstart so the boat was towed to the launch ramp in Ventura.

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• Tequila, disabled in position 34 04.510 N, 119 34.140 W (just outside Chinese Harbor, Santa Cruz Island), hailed Vessel Assist for assistance. Communications were subsequently lost and finding the vessel became a treasure hunt for Captain Paul on Retriever. The mariners were eventually located and towed safely back to the launch ramp in Ventura Harbor.

• It was a good thing that Captain Kris went home to get some sleep, he had a call at noon to assist a Reinell 21 disabled near platform Gina. The mariner on the vessel, named Aloha, managed to fix his problem so it was a stand down for the stand down king - but not to worry - before Kris could turn the boat around he got another call and ended up towing a fishing boat, Western Warrior, from 10 miles south of Santa Cruz Island to Channel Islands Harbor, a 12 hour tow. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.

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• Final Choice, a 28 foot Tollycraft, needed to move to a new slip in Ventura West Marina. Captain Bev, Captain Paul and Butter were able to accomodate before Captain Paul fell into a coma after being awake for 48 hours.

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• It was another trip to Anacapa Marine Services for Kalana, from her slip in Anacapa Isle Marina. It was Captains Bev and Paul, with Butter, on Assist Channel Islands who moved the big sailboat.

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• Moonshadow, a Hudson Force Fifty, went to Ventura Harbor Boatyard from its slip in Ventura Isle Marina. Very, very, tired captains, Kris and Paul, did the move on Assist Ventura (also tired). The guys had been underway all night, from 5 pm through 7 am, towing a barge loaded with debris across the channel from Santa Rosa Island.

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• At various times during a four day period all assets were committed to the salvage of Charger, at Beecher's Bay, Santa Rosa Island. The vessel had gone aground a few weeks prior and had subsequently destroyed itself. Salvage operations were set up with barge, divers, landing craft and Assist Ventura. The focus of the operations was strictly debris removal since there was only wreckage remaining on the island. Captains Paul and Kris towed the barge, loaded with debris, across the channel at the end of the operations Tuesday night. It was a fourteen hour tow and the guys arrived in Ventura Harbor on Wednesday morning, just in time to park the barge at Ventura Harbor Boatyard and do a dock to dock that was already on the schedule. Captain Kris went home to get some sleep while Captains Bev and Paul did two more dock to docks, fueled the boat and offloaded the huge towing hawser from the barge. (PHOTO) (PHOTO 2) (PHOTO 3) (PHOTO 4) (PHOTO 5) (PHOTO 6) (PHOTO 7)

• A Seaswirl named McKnabb was disabled at The Whale's Tail in Channel Islands Harbor. Captain Paul responded to the midnight case and towed the boat to its slip in Anacapa Isle Marina with Assist Channel Islands.

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• A good of sailing was spoiled for Enterprise C, a McGregor sailboat out of Channel Islands Harbor. Steering failure was the problem for the singlehanded skipper who did a great job bringing his boat into the harbor and dropping sail so that we could hip up. It was Captains Bev, Paul and Butter who responded to this call, towing the McGregor back to a guest slip.

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• A Cheoy Lee 32, First Choice, requested a tow to the Ventura Harbor Boatyard to have an engine pulled, and then back to its slip in Ventura Isle Marina. Captains Bev and Paul and Butter did the move on Assist Ventura.

• Kyrstin Dawn suffered engine failure just off the Ventura pier. Captain Kris responded on Assist Channel Islands, towing the boat back into Ventura Harbor, where he finished off his very long day.

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• Vessel Offshore, disabled at Scorpion Anchorage, Santa Cruz Island, hailed Vessel Assist for a tow back into Ventura Harbor. Captain Kris, relieved of his barge tow, responded and towed the boat back to Ventura Harbor on Assist Channel Islands.

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• It was the Major Engineering barge that needed a tow from Channel Islands Harbor to Ventura Harbor. It was a collaborative effort for Captains Kris, Bev, Paul and Butter. Captain Kris started the tow in Channel Islands but was called away to Scorpion Anchorage, so Captains Bev, Paul and Butter relieved him of the tow offshore, completing it in Ventura Harbor.

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• An Ericson 32 went from its slip to Channel Islands Boatyard. It was Captain Kris on Assist Channel Islands who did the in-harbor tow.

• Captain Jon, and wife Kristi, led the Ventura Harbor Parade of Lights on Retriever.

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• It was Captain Jon again, on Assist Channel Islands, responding to an Ericson 32 needing to go to the boatyard from its home slip in Channel Islands.

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• It was Patricia, a Livesay powerboat, that needed Captain Jon's attention at 10 am. Captain Jon responded on Assist Channel Islands, towing the boat back to Channel Islands Harbor.

• Aloha, disabled near Platform Gina - again - hailed Vessel Assist for a tow back into Channel Islands Harbor. It was Captain Paul who responded to the case.

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• Captain Kris, along with Tracey, led the Ventura Harbor Parade of Lights on Retriever.

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• Pacific Dog, broken down near Channel Islands Harbor entrance called Vessel Assist for a tow back into Channel Islands Harbor. It was Captain Kris, on Assist Channel Islands, who responded.

• It was Captain Kris on Assist Channel Islands who towed Morgan Lee Ann back in to Channel Islands Harbor.

• First Edition went to Anchor's Way Boatyard for engine installation by Les Nickeas. It was Captains Bev, Paul and Butter on Retriever who completed the in-harbor tow.

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• Captain Kris finished up in Channel Islands and hopped on over to Ventura Harbor to tow a seine skiff over to Ventura Harbor Boatyard from a slip near the Ventura Harbor Village.

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• Constant Craving suffered engine failure in its slip in Channel Islands Harbor Marina. Captain Kris on Assist Channel Islands assisted the vessel in getting to the boatyard for repairs.

• Jerratruga went from its slip in Ventura Isle Marina to Ventura Harbor Boatyard for engine repair. The big boat had been in Ventura Harbor since last summer when it suffered mechanical problems while on a visit from homeport of Marina del Rey. It was Captains Bev, Paul and Butter who did the move on Assist Ventura.
  
  

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• It was back to the slip for Moonshadow, a Hudson Force Fifty that had been at Ventura Harbor Boat Yard for repairs. It was the deft hand of Captain Paul at the helm that made the move look easy. Captain Paul even backed the big boat in! Captains Bev and Butter were deckhands for the in-harbor move and Assist Ventura was the tow boat.
  
  

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• It was another move for First Edition - the Luhrs went back to its slip in Ventura Isle Marina. It was Captains Bev, Paul, and Butter on Assist Ventura who completed the dock to dock.
  
  

• It's About Time, a 36 foot Sea Ray, went from Ventura Harbor Boat Yard to a slip in Ventura West Phase II. Captains Bev, Paul, and Butter responded to the call from the owner at 14:20 and the boat was safely in its slip - despite the tremendous SURGE - by 15:25. The tow boat was Assist Ventura.
  
  

• Captain Kris towed Athena, a Sea Ray, to the launch ramp in Channel Islands Harbor. The boat was put on a trailer and towed to a storage facility for the owners who were in Minnesota for the holidays. Assist Channel Islands was the tow boat.
  
  

• A 46 foot Hatteras went down in its slip at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club on Wednesday night, December 28th. The call came in to Vessel Assist Ventura on the morning of the 29th. The big boat was resting on the bottom, with its bowsprit on the docks, when the salvage crew Captains Kris and Paul, along with Gordon, Bev, Jason and Butterdog arrived on scene. Raising this one was a tough job and it took most of the lift bags in our inventory to accomplish it. The concrete docks were resting on the stern section of the boat at low tide requiring finesse to release the boat from its predicament. It wasn't until after 9 pm that it was safely afloat and ready to be towed to the boat yard for haulout by Captain Paul and deckhand Jason, on Assist Ventura. It was not evident what caused the boat to sink and since no one reported seeing it low in the water, it's likely that it went down quickly during the night when no one was around. (PHOTO) (PHOTO 2) (PHOTO 3)

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• Captain Kris, after working on the salvage of the 46 foot Hatteras all day, got a call for assistance from a sailboat, named Shearwater, just out of Santa Barbara Harbor. Captain Kris responded on Assist Channel Islands, towing the boat back to Channel Islands Harbor, an all night case.
  
  

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• It was a busy day for Vessel Assist Ventura! The first call of the day was to Captain Kris who responded to the scene of a sailboat, named Ventura, in the Ventura Keys. The boat was taking on water and was towed to Ventura Harbor Boat Yard. Assist Ventura was the tow boat.