Quote from: SpeedyStein on April 03, 2024, 06:23:45 PM

Just downloaded it yesterday. Pretty cool. Hoping they add a location feature to the app too, like their website. Seems like an easy addition, use the phone location to display current regs for that spot.

+1 to this idea

Awesome work! I emailed but don’t think I ever got a reply.

Quote from: tedski on March 29, 2024, 12:03:23 PM

Quote from: jp52 on March 29, 2024, 10:25:14 AM

Quote from: tedski on March 29, 2024, 09:39:49 AM

Every party boat I've been on in the past has had a descender on board.  The mates will descend a fish for the angler.  The majority of them use the simple upside down milk crate with 10-15 lbs of lead on it.

I have only been on one party boat in the Bay Area and while it did have a descender (one attached to a fishing pole), it sat unused as the boat left a wake of floating canary and other rockfish. I hope your experience is more typical than mine.

The mates on the Queen of Hearts out of Pillar Point were adamant about descending.  If someone tossed a small rockfish back with barotrauma, the mate would clearly express his displeasure with humans.  I, too, hope that's more typical.

Some years back I remember the captain on the Queen of Hearts scolding some customers on the boat about letting gophers go. It seemed a little harsh when a moment of patient explanation could have accomplished the same thing.

Lots of freshwater folks are raised on catch and release as well as always letting the small ones go, and lots of those people don't realize the issues with barotrauma and floating fish from the briny depths. They are just understandably releasing small fish, since that's the ethic they were raised with, and trying to catch bigger ones.

If you shell out some hundreds of dollars for a rare party boat trip, it's kinda understandable you might not want to keep babies or get yelled at by the staff. Just another perspective.

What are there rules for party boats for a descending device ?

Good evening Ma'am,

My name is Ted Strzalkowski.  I served as a Boatswain's Mate in the USCG from 2000-2009.  I am an avid kayak angler and waterman.  I write today to provide feedback on the critical necessity of the Santa Cruz Mile Buoy (LLNR 4080) for the safety of life at sea.  I understand the USCG is always looking for ways to reduce costs and ensure budgets are used efficiently and I greatly respect that.  Replacing the Mile Buoy with a Virtual AIS aid would seemingly align with those goals.  In many cases, I'd absolutely agree with doing so given the advancement of technology.  However, I think the Mile Buoy is a unique and critical aid. 

I often fish the area on my kayak along with dozens of other kayakers amongst an even larger number of small craft.  None of the kayakers and few of the recreational small craft have AIS receivers on board.  Therefore, this proposal would be the same as removing the aid altogether.  Why would a safe water buoy be relevant to kayakers and small craft?  The area brings unique weather.  Much like what our shipmates at STA SF and STA Golden Gate deal with each day, there are dense fog banks that roll in, often without warning.  I cannot even count how many times I've been caught in limited visibility with that signature whistle from the morse alpha buoy helping me maintain my bearing alongside my compass.  I know many other kayakers and small craft operators have found themselves in similar shoes.  Additionally, there are times when the shoreline is in restricted visibility due to fog, but immediately offshore is clear.  The Mile Buoy is the only maintained aid in the area and serves as a visual reference for all mariners.

I strongly believe removal of this aid would result in an increase in SAR cases in the area.  An area that notably lacks a dedicated USCG Station (Station Small Santa Cruz is seasonally staffed while the waterways are busy year-round).  Additionally, in nearly every SAR case I've witnessed in the area, the Mile Buoy has served as a visual reference to vector assets towards victims.  I hope these considerations steer your office to reconsider this proposal and keep the Mile Buoy as a physical aid in order to uphold one of the Coast Guard's six core missions of ensuring a safe, secure, and environmentally sound waterways system.

With respect,
Ted Strzalkowski

Commercial fishing is the one caught all the fish. They fish all year long with no breaks