Given that this is one of the rainiest winters on record in the Bay Area, no one should be surprised to see abnormally large amounts of storm-generated debris in waterways and marinas throughout the San Francisco Bay and Delta — debris that could easily damage or disable both powerboats and sailboats. 

But some say the current amount of organic debris and wind-tossed trash is unprecedented in recent memory. One outstanding example is that a huge section of a tree drifted into Angel Island’s Ayala Cove anchorage a few days ago.

It is unclear how much the massive Oroville Dam blowout has contributed to the mess, but it appears to have had a substantial impact, as the dam’s spillway flows into the Feather River, which flows into the Sacramento River. And that now-rain-swollen river, of course, drains into San Pablo Bay.

The harbor in downtown Tiburon has been clogged with debris for days. Staff at Corinthian Yacht Club have been working on cleanup, and a little more clears out with each tide cycle. So far, no plans are afoot to cancel or postpone this weekend’s Midwinter Series finale at CYC. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard is alerting all mariners to be ultra-cautious when navigating Bay and Delta waters. Needless to say, powering after dark these days is a very bad idea. 

"It is very important that mariners remain cognizant of the hazards in their areas," said Lt. Marcia Medina, acting chief of Sector San Francisco Waterways Management Division this week. "Mariners should stay informed and aware of weather conditions and monitor the progress and strength of currents through their local television, radio and Internet."

In addition to checking the lines and snubbers on your boat with extra caution, the Guard further advises owners of small craft, such as kayaks and paddleboards, to secure them well and be sure they are clearly marked with contact info.

PHOTO

If you decide to ride out all the bad weather off the water this weekend, here’s a suggestion: Why not catch up on reading back issues of Latitude 38, and ‘Lectronic Latitude posts? Both are free and online. 

During one of the Clipper Round the World Race Australian legs last January, from Hobart, Tasmania, to the Whitsunday Islands, the Clipper 70 Mission Performance answered a distress call from an unrelated sailboat. "We suspended racing, turned around and motored south for a couple hours to their position," said San Franciscan Mike Moore, a crewmember aboard Mission Performance. They came across M3, an Australian TP52, which was disabled with a line wrapped around the propeller, a damaged mainsail, and a sailor stuck at the top of the mast.

At daybreak, Mission Performance crewmember Gavin Reid, a young English rookie sailor who is deaf, volunteered to swim over to the other yacht. Moore wrote in his blog at the time: "Rather than a complicated boat-to-boat transfer, we got a line across to them, tied it to Gavin, and he jumped in and was pulled to the other boat — good thing he was in his drysuit!"

Reid found four crew largely incapacitated and unable to help the fifth man. Using the one remaining staysail halyard, Gavin was able to hoist himself two thirds of the way up the 65-ft mast, then climb the rest of the way hand over hand on the swaying mast to reach the crewman. He spent two hours untangling the lines to free the man and help lower him down safely.

For his bravery, the Ocean Cruising Club recognized Reid with their 2016 Seamanship Award. Reid had already been named the UK’s Yachtsman of the Year. See the story and video on BBC News here. Read about the other OCC award winners for 2016 here.