2 Comments

• Andrew Mikesell says:

  August 28, 2008 at 1:55 am  (Edit)

  I am th owner of trimaran in this picture. I have been on that mooring maybe 15 years or more and never have the sea lions been a problem until recently. We have had many wonderful trips to Catalina on our boat and for many years I really kept it up well. Recently I have not been using the boat because my son is a Marine and I have been preocupied the possiblilty of him being ordered to serve an illegal and immoral war to kill innocent familiy members for the convenience of some super rich people who think nothing of disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, including the American youth they have inscripted mostly with the promise of recieving enough money to go to college. I have been too distraught by the impropriety of our society, including that kids cannot even get an education without being scammed into war which ruins their souls. Boating is not what I can enjoy doing at this time. It seems our country has been hijacked by war criminals who are bent on getting us into World War IV, or whatever Cheney calls it, so that the war criminal neocons (Neonazis) will not be brought to trial in the smoke screen of another war based on lies and false provocation,. like we just saw in Georgia. Members of my son’s unit were sent to Georgia to train the Georgian soldiers, which implies America was behind Georgias attack and Russin was only correctly defending itself from rogue attack. The internet news is not propaganda lies of main stream media. To know the truth of what is being done in the name of America and is clearly seen by people overseas who are outside the cone of American Government Propaganda main stream corporate American media has kept me from using my boat.

  My boat was is pretty good shape a few weeks ago. The sea lions have cost me thousands of dollars in now needed repairs and now the Department of Harbor Resourses is suggesting I give it to SouthBay Moorings to be cut up at the dump. When I told that to my son he was angered and felt that was pretty rude of them to suggest. Today I put up a strong net and lots of rope which I bought from Tally Ho in San Pedro. The police nor the Harbor Department nor the National Fisheries in Long Beach have been incapable in making any real suggestions that work, because they do not know. In San Francisco the Sea Lions took over a whole dock and nobody could do anything about it.

  Many good people are trying to solve the conflict between humans and sea lions. One veteran suggesting putting an electronically detonated explosive device, one on each side of trimaran. Others out on morrings suggest that seals should be tazered. But I guess humans can be jumped on by cops and tazered, like students who ask hard guestions of corrupt officials and some old ladies too have died from “non-lethal” tazering, but not protected seals who are damaging a lot of property are not to be touched. I wonder if it is some wealthy interests who want to clear out the harbor from boaters who do not have multimiliion dollar homes with docks. My son suggested it is class discrimination.

  It seems cowardly and unjust for you to single out me and even suggest I destroy my boat., which Chris Miller of Harbor Resourses did today, saying I could do it tomorrow. My son who wanted to take over the duties of the trimaran after he finished college was shocked that idea that his boat would be destroyed. That boat is really fine on inside, like a piano of all cold molded spanish ceder. Such woods, all epoxy coated, are rare to find nowadays. She is a Val Trimaran designed by Dick Newick, maybe the best on ever build. Her builder is the man who built the Catamarans for Dennis Conners for America’s Cup. She is a single-handed ocean racer, designed to be raced across the Atlantic. Sailing her to Catalina is a fine experience. We have made many trips around Catalina, usually staying in the shallow parts of Cat Harbor and over to San Clemente Island. It really is a superb boat. My son said probably Chris Miller did not know what a fine boat he was religating to the chain saw and buldozers. She really means a lot to us.

  Today when I chased off the seals, they went to many other boats, including a bright yellow offshore powerboat, like a lifeguard boat. They were lounging on the swim step and then jumping inside the boat which looked like a lifeguard boat. This boat was in currant use, so I disagree with Bessey Miely’s implication that boats in disuse are targeted by seal lions. My boat is target of seals because if is so sleek and low, like a seal rock. I hope all who are writing articles, making these movies and showing my boat as culprit for seal problem will acknowledge that the problem is not my boat. I suggested to Chris Miller that if they destroyed my boat, those seals would go on to damage many other boats and he replied then we will have to get rid of those boats, “we can do it tomorrow”?….. His logic made no sense to me. I wonder whose interests he may be serving.

  Honestly, after my close encounter with the seals, I like them and do not like idea of killing or tazering them. I would love to know know HOW to sea lion proof my boat so I can keep it. I think there are tons of low docks all around that seals can learn to sleep on and they won’t mind if it belongs fo a multimillion dollar home.. Instead of suggesing destruction of my boat, you might start looking at the real problem of having that family of sea lions in you back yard.

  I, like the government professionals and experts,
  do not know how to keep sea lions off my boat. The Harbor Resources are being kind enough to offer move my boat to a new mooring, which may be a solution. Please send me suggestions because I don’t think the netting I put up today can withstand bull sea lions pushing it down even if boat is in new location.. One bull managed to jump up and push down netting befire we could row across channel. tThen he was trapped inside net like a baby in a play pin. We put some more ropes holding it up, but it probably has already been crashed
  .
  One young person out on mooring suggested I sleep on boat and chase them off all night long to break their habit. That may save my boat, which is in more peril from humans than seal lions, but they will still be in your back yard, barking away all night long, until they decide pack up and leave acording to their strange ways. I like them with their silky heads, graceful dives and manouvers, and they cost me personally months of work and expense. I not longer have a usuable boat. which I must [pay mooring for and those unsecured property taxes (whree did that come from?…my boat needs to be re-assessed)
  Much more problems than a few noisy nights with the air conditioner on. Big Deal! We are all suffering, Please don’t add to it my problems due to sea lions.

  My trimaran has been there many years and never had destruction from sea lions.

  The author writing for The Register kept saying my boat is a catamaran. I was glad that Bessey in video knew that it is a trimaran. I would like to meet her someday.

  Thanks for an oportunity to comment.,

  Andrew Mikesell
• Two Cents says:

  August 30, 2008 at 10:38 am  (Edit)

  Andrew,

  Maybe you should suggest that the city create “islands” or “seal rocks” in the center of the harbor, maybe near the mouth, to attract the sea lions. Boaters would have to enter and exit the in sea lanes, but the seals might stay off the boats if they had somewhere else to sun.