To the rescue!

Alex Coolman

In an office on 15th Street, the sound of radio static is like a small

hurricane.

Scanners are blaring out reports from both coasts of America, and

Heather Warmington is simultaneously listening to their crackly chatter

and describing her job.

“You get used to it,” says Warmington, the towing operations manager

for Vessel Assist, a company that helps out boaters in distress.

When boaters in New York or New Jersey or Connecticut encounter

trouble on the water, this is where their calls come. Warmington

dispatches a Vessel Assist boat in the area to help out with the

situation.

“Eight thousand cases last year,” she says, sounding a little worn

out.

When boaters around Newport Beach get in trouble, the call still comes

here. But the difference is that a local man, Jeff Jacobs, is the guy who

usually takes the call.

Cruising around the harbor the other day in the 31-foot Uniflite he

uses on the job, Jacobs sounded like a man who enjoyed what he was doing.

Despite all the chaos of the dispatch room, it can be fairly peaceful

on Jacobs’ boat, especially during the week. He’ll often have a few

prearranged tows to take care of, but usually spends the rest of the time

kicking back.

“I just wait,” he said. “I’ve got my cell phone on 24-7.”

If there’s anything in the nautical world that’s absolutely certain,

though, it’s that inexperienced boaters will make foolish mistakes.

When they do -- whether they overheat an engine, run out of gas or

experience mechanical breakdowns -- Jacobs goes motoring to the rescue.

“Running out of fuel has been pretty big lately because the fishing

has been good,” he said. “People are going further than they normally

would.”

Boaters also seem to be experiencing a recent trend of having their

boats conk out near the surf zone and then drifting slowly toward shore

-- and an inevitable wreck into rocks or sand.

“People don’t think to anchor sometimes,” he said, attempting to

conceal a small smile.

Witnessing so much buffoonery hasn’t made Jacobs cocky, though.

“I don’t think people respect the ocean as much as they should,” he

said. “You go out there and you feel like an ant. It can be really

humbling.”