Seward daily gateway., 1933-08-31
COMPLETE
 LOCAL REFUGE
 WERE DISCUSSED

1ldlLS lOI G1lc lA1pI pIo'C4AACAAo OA sAAe local small boat refuge so that ade- luate protection can be given these harsh elements were discussed last evening at a hearing held in the City Hall Lieut. John R. Moves, of -he Seattle Army Engineers office, who has charge of the local break water work, was present and he listened to the many suggestions made by the several interested local persons and made careful note of their suggestions so that they can De made the basis for further studies
 Mayor D. c. Brownell presided over the meeting and opened the discussion by saying that the pre- sent breakWater, near the San Juan dock, does not fulfill the purpose for which it was built-that of pro- viding adequate protection for small craft. The refuge provides some shelter, at times, but when north wind prevails, the boats are worse off behind the breakwater than at some other points in Re SurrectioN Bay Then to, in the winter time. the currents at the head of the bay are such that ice discharged from the Resurrection and other creeks is swept into the oreakWater and becomes lodged there.
 Charles Sheldon, boat owner de- clared that the North wind made it entirely impossible for him to keep his boat moored inside the break water. The wind chops up the water to such an extent that boats must go elsewhere than the breakwater to seek refuge. MT. Sheldon also pointed out that the Current creat- ed by tidal action made it hard for boats to remain moored there also The currents were described as a counter -clockwise movement at the head of the bay
 Instances where boats have found the breakWater more of menace than a refuge were cited. The first winter, following the breakWater's construction the gasboat Bavaria, owned by John Paulsteiner was forced to leave the breakWater be- cause of the strong North wind. The vessel sought shelter on the east side of the Seward wharf. The Bavaria was little better off there as the wind beat up such a spray of water the cold caused the vessel to ice and the Bavaria sank The damage caused to the Bavaria from the sinking was approximated at S200 About the same time, the gasboat Roy, owned by Nils Hagen, was also forced to leave the break water and come down to the Sew ard wharf waters to moor Tee formed on this vessel, too, but the owners were fortunate in getting aboard the craft and chopping off the ice to keep it from sinking. One-man boats are entirely help less if they attempted to remain behind the breakwater as they could not man their boats and chop ice at the same time
 Word of these occurrences was voiced in boat-oWner circles and it was not long before the breakwater was empty of craft seeking refuge as they were certain that they would not get it there, judging by the experiences of other boat own CTS. Not only Seward boat owners refused to tie their craft up behind the refuge but boats, stormbound in the Seward vicinity, refused to come here for refuge as they would have done if the breakWater had been adequate.
 Even when ice-forming weather does not prevail, boat owners are forced to keep a close watch on their boats continuously as the boats behind the breakwater strain
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