Crash and Fire in Sausalito and Richardson Bay

It was a dark and (and stormy?) night when there was a crash on Richardson Bay. Then, a couple of weeks later, a small sailboat caught fire on the bay in broad daylight.

At the recent Sausalito Boat Show, a reader stopped by our booth to share a photo he had taken of a Sabre 42 powerboat that had crashed into navigational light #2, a dolphin marking the entrance to the Sausalito channel, late one night. Given the damage to the solidly built boat, it was clearly a high-speed crash. The impact knocked over the pilings and launched the birdcage with markers and light onto the foredeck of the Sabre.

We’ve heard that those on board avoided major injuries, though the boat and the light both need significant repairs. The broken, tipped-over legs of channel marker #2 are below the surface and marked by a floating orange buoy above. It is suggested you give it a wide berth, since the mooring line for the buoy is long, and it’s hard to see what’s below the surface.

We’re not sure the California Boater Card would have prevented a mishap like this, but it clearly shows the need for ongoing education of boaters. Traveling into busy harbor entrances at night at high speed is not recommended. An operator hitting a well-lit, charted navigation aid has to worry everyone who might be out rowing, kayaking, or sailing under the stars on a properly lit small boat.

In another Richardson Bay incident, a small red Ranger 23 anchored out on Richardson Bay caught fire yesterday afternoon. The Southern Marin fireboat responded and was able to put out the fire before the boat sank.

Apparently there was nobody aboard at the time so no injuries were reported. It is suspected it was an electrical fire.

The boat was a relatively recent arrival on Richardson Bay and had been anchored for a couple of weeks. Since this was in excess of the 72-hour legal limit, it had already been cited for code violation and was on the list to be removed.

Fortunately, there was no loss of life in either incident.