THE HARBOR COLUMN:

Ahoy,

Boats and islands usually make a good pair, unless your prop is fouled, leaving you to drift ashore onto the rocks. This is what happened when the fishing vessel Sassy, a small commercial lobster boat, was trying to retrieve lobster pots around Santa Barbara Island.

Santa Barbara Island is the smallest of the eight Channel Islands at just 1 square mile of land protruding above the water, and it is only 21 miles to the west from Catalina’s west end.

Well, luck ran out for the Sassy when a line from a lobster pot became entangled in the vessel’s screw (nautical slang for propeller), and the boat drifted ashore. The crew did try to set the anchor, but it failed to catch. When the distress call was received by the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal was diverted to rescue the crew and maybe save the boat.

The Cutter Narwhal is home ported in Newport Harbor, and in command is Kris Ensley, LT, who is doing an admirable job.

When Ensley arrived on scene, they could see the stranded vessel in 3- to 4-foot breaking seas, and the island surrounded by kelp. Narwhal lowered its jet-driven rigid hull inflatable, and the engine sucked up the kelp as expected.

So, the crew rowed the inflatable through the kelp and restarted the engine.

Because of the breaking seas, the stranded crew members donned their immersion suits to wade out into the water from a nearby sandy beach to the inflatable with their two dogs wrapped in life jackets.

Once aboard the inflatable, the crew returned to the kelp field and shut down the engine to row through the seaweed.

Once past the kelp, the crew restarted the inflatable’s engine and returned to the Narwhal.

Carlo Patrizio, Narwhal’s coxswain, said “this search-and-rescue case was nothing like I have ever been involved in during my nine years in the Coast Guard.

“The crew performed efficiently and effectively to complete the mission and save the fisherman and two dogs. There were a few scary moments, but we made it back with everyone safe and sound.”

Kudos to the crew of the Narwhal.

Remember to tune in every Saturday at 11 a.m. to “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show” broadcasting on KLAA-AM (830).

Safe voyages.

MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating columnist. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to mike@boathousetv.com or go to www.boathousetv.com.