High swells leave a wake of destruction at the Santa Cruz Harbor
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE DOCKED HERE… THESE ARE THEIR HOMES. ###
High swells leave a wake of destruction at the Santa Cruz Harbor
Boat owners spend their Christmas Eve working to salvage whatever they can.
Updated: 6:17 PM PST Dec 24, 2024
The Santa Cruz Harbor is still in shambles after Monday’s high swells left behind an aftermath of devastating damage. From torn-apart docks and floating debris to sinking boats, many boat owners spent their Christmas Eve working to salvage as much as they could. “I got crunched on one side, so I’ve got a piece of fiberglass … that’s going to have to be redone, but compared to these owners that have lost their boats or have huge amounts of damage. It was devasting,” said boat owner John Clay.The intensity of the swells caught some by surprise. Clay said he knew the storm was coming and knew to make sure he tied his boat up well.However, “We all did that. Then the whole dock went with the boat, so it didn’t do us any good,” said Clay.On Tuesday, boat owners could be seen working to patch up holes and pumping water out to keep afloat; others with boats small enough to fit on a trailer were working to get out of the harbor. “I’m taking mine out this evening,” said Clay. “The harbor keeper said if you can get it out, get it out because they still don’t know what’s going to happen here. There’s still some more of the storms coming in down the road here.”However, some boats were beyond salvageable. “There’s an old boat here, supposed to be a 100-year-old fishing boat,” said Clay. “We’re all just standing here, and all of a sudden it … just went down, and then that pulled all the other boats closer, and pieces were going everywhere.”With the extent of the damage done, concerns are rising over how long repairs may take. “I’ve been here all my life. I saw this harbor being built, and this is the most extreme thing I’ve seen,” said Santa Cruz resident Billee Schnaible, who came down to the docks to check on her son’s boat. Not all of the harbor is facing this intense damage. The Santa Cruz Port District said the following docks are back open: Southwest Harbor: AA, A, B, C, D, E and FFSoutheast Harbor: L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S and TThe following docks have limited access during daylight hours:Southwest Harbor: FNorth Harbor: H, I, J, W, V and UThe district said all other docks are closed to access and vessel operations. See more coverage of top Central Coast stories here | Download our app | Download Very Local
The Santa Cruz Harbor is still in shambles after Monday’s high swells left behind an aftermath of devastating damage.
From torn-apart docks and floating debris to sinking boats, many boat owners spent their Christmas Eve working to salvage as much as they could.
“I got crunched on one side, so I’ve got a piece of fiberglass … that’s going to have to be redone, but compared to these owners that have lost their boats or have huge amounts of damage. It was devasting,” said boat owner John Clay.
The intensity of the swells caught some by surprise. Clay said he knew the storm was coming and knew to make sure he tied his boat up well.
However, “We all did that. Then the whole dock went with the boat, so it didn’t do us any good,” said Clay.
On Tuesday, boat owners could be seen working to patch up holes and pumping water out to keep afloat; others with boats small enough to fit on a trailer were working to get out of the harbor.
“I’m taking mine out this evening,” said Clay. “The harbor keeper said if you can get it out, get it out because they still don’t know what’s going to happen here. There’s still some more of the storms coming in down the road here.”
However, some boats were beyond salvageable.
“There’s an old boat here, supposed to be a 100-year-old fishing boat,” said Clay. “We’re all just standing here, and all of a sudden it … just went down, and then that pulled all the other boats closer, and pieces were going everywhere.”
With the extent of the damage done, concerns are rising over how long repairs may take.
“I’ve been here all my life. I saw this harbor being built, and this is the most extreme thing I’ve seen,” said Santa Cruz resident Billee Schnaible, who came down to the docks to check on her son’s boat.
Not all of the harbor is facing this intense damage.
The Santa Cruz Port District said the following docks are back open:
Southwest Harbor: AA, A, B, C, D, E and FF
Southeast Harbor: L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S and T
The following docks have limited access during daylight hours:
Southwest Harbor: F
North Harbor: H, I, J, W, V and U
The district said all other docks are closed to access and vessel operations.
See more coverage of top Central Coast stories here | Download our app | Download Very Local