Senator GRAVEL. Thank you very much. STATEMENT OF DON M. FENNER Mr. FENNER. Hon. Senator Gravel, members of the committee, I am Don Fenner, a practicing optometrist in the city of Kodiak. The chamber of commerce requested me to present this report on the pleasure craft in Kodiak. This is a much smaller segment of the boating situation than is the fishing industry but it is one of growing concern. I will be submitting the copies that I have here so that we can have them on the record. I will read the pertinent points. Senator GRAVEL. Very good, Doctor. We appreciate that. [The report referred to appears on p. 498.] Mr. FENNER. This is the status of the pleasure craft and the Kodiak boat harbor as of August 1973. Pleasure craft listed with harbor master: Assigned to stalls in boat harbor___ Parked as transients and waiting for stalls...---- 52 41 Total listed boats__. 168 Other operational boats parked either on trailers or sitting on land not listed with harbor master (estimate). 75 243 Giving approximately a total number of pleasure boats in Kodiak.... We estimate that the approximate number that would use or need berthing facilities was- 206 The above figures do not reflect small skiffs and other boats used as work boats in the fishing industry. I have a note here at the bottom to differentiate the type of boats that I included in this. The local boat agent here has been selling approximately 25 pleasure type boats per year the past several years. His estimate is approximately one-fifth of these are for pleasure. The others are licensed for commercial fishing. Because of their primary design and construction, I have included these in this report. I estimate that approximately 10 new boats are purchased each year elsewhere and brought here for pleasure purposes. Another five or six per year are built locally to be used for pleasure. The estimated annual increase in the past is 10 percent. This figure should remain true in the near future. On the next page I have a cost analysis of the boats there. There are three paragraphs. The first two explain how I arrived at my figure. I will just read the short third paragraph, which sort of sums it up: Of the 168 boats either in the harbor or waiting for berthing space, only 68 are in proper type stalls, which represents slightly less than 40 percent of their dollar value of $600,000. This does not include the estimated 75 that are parked in yards and on trailers that are not on the official waiting list, whose total value comes to an additional $187,500. Following that, I have some figures to justify my work, where I got those figures. The last page of my report is the hazards of mixing pleasure craft and commercial vessels. As indicated above, seven of the larger pleasure boats are berthed in stalls that could or should be utilized by fishing boats. Another 52 are parked with transients, which means they are mixing with the fishing vessels. This is a situation that automatically leads to preventable damage to the smaller craft. In general, pleasure craft are constructed of lighter materials than the heavier and stronger fishing vessels. Damage results from three main causes: 1. Movement damage. When the fishing boats are maneuvering in close quarters they must frequently pivot against the neighboring vessels. If the bumped vessel is a lighter built craft it will invariably sustain a certain amount of damage. 2. Rub damage. In tying alongside each other, pleasure boats sustain damage from a fishing boat. The lower profiled pleasure boat will rub up against the guards on the side of the fishing vessel, damaging the rails or deck, whichever makes contact. The judicious use of fenders could prevent a lot of this but to do any good the fenders must be of certain styles and be on the higher fishing boat. Fishing boats just don't use this type of fender or tie what they have in a manner suitable for a pleasure boat. 3. Wake damage. A lot of damage is caused from the bouncing of a boat in the wake of a passing vessel. Fishing boats invariably put out larger wakes than pleasure craft. Pleasure boats get bounced around quite badly, which can lead to damage when they are parked in the same area as fishing vessels. The above listed problems become extremely acute when boats of both types must utilize overcrowded transient facilities for permanent berthing. The mere crowding of boats increases the risk of both damage and fire. The mixing of gas-powered pleasure craft with diesel-powered commercial vessels greatly increases the risk of fire to the larger, more expensive fishing boats. That is the end of my report.. In addition. I would like to submit to the committee a letter that I have received from the office of the District Commodore, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, 17th District. [The letter referred to follows:] U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY, GENTLEMEN: As an individual involved with safe boating, I am concerned about safety in the Kodiak Harbor. The growing size of the king crabber means more space occupied with each new vessel delivered. Versatility has been developed with the new types so that a vessel can be readily adapted to several types fisheries. Boats are in the area longer and must have adequate shelter between seasons for crew rest and maintenance. As boats become larger conditions become more crowded even though total numbers remain the same. It is not now rare to see four boats tied to the same mooring. Boats moored in this fashion create several safety hazards. First and most important is crew safety. Jumping from boat to boat, sometimes at night over cleats, lines and assorted deck gear, cannot be the safest way to get to bed. 22-326-73-33 Next, and equally critical, is a situation Kodiak has so far had luck to escape. Should any problem, such as fire, or leaks develop on one boat, all are immediately involved. Priority has to be given to the other boats before action can be taken to cure the problem. Greater loss is the end result regardless of the action taken. For the pleasure boater another problem exists. The pleasure boater is an occasional user, his seaman skills are not as highly developed as the professional. Overcrowding in the harbor increases the possibility of collision as maneuvering room decreases. Collision with a larger vessel always means more damage to the smaller one and a capsizing could mean loss of life to young children on a pleasure boat. Fires, collisions, falls overboard, and capsizing are major causes of life and boat loss in Alaska. Figures from the Coast Guard Boating Safety office in Juneau verify this. We have all the ingredients present in the Kodiak Harbor. Luck will not continue to prevent a major disaster. Mr. FENNER. Thank you. Senator GRAVEL. Thank you, Doctor. [The report previously referred to follows:] DON GEBHART. Status of pleasure craft and the Kodiak Boat Harbor as of August 1973 Pleasure craft listed with harbormaster assigned to stalls in boat harbor.. Total listed boats--- Other operational boats parked either on trailers or sitting on land not listed with harbormaster (estimate). Approximate total of pleasure boats in Kodiak_--- Approximate number that would use or need berthing facilities------. The above figures do not reflect small skiffs and other boats used as work boats in the fishing industry.* The local boat agent here has been selling approximately 25 pleasure type boats per year the past several years. His estimate is approximately one-fifth of these are for pleasure. The others are licensed for commercial fishing. Because of their primary design and construction I have included these in this report. (See note below) I estimate that approximately 10 new boats are purchased each year elsewhere and brought here for pleasure purposes. Another 5 or 6 per year are built locally to be used for pleasure. Estimated annual increase in past is 10%; this figure should remain true in the near future. COST/VALUE ANALYSIS On the larger boats, i.e., 24' or over I am using a fair current market value if they were to be sold locally. On the boats less than 24' my figures represent a mixture of a new replacement cost or a current selling cost. Of the 75 boats assigned to stalls in the Boat Harbor-7, due to their size, are in stalls that normally would be utilized by a commercial fishing vessel. The values of these range from a low of $6,000.00 to a high of $25,000.00, the total being $83,000.00. The remaining 68 boats are assigned stalls that would normally be used by this type of craft. These range in value from a high of $15,000.00 down to $1,500.00 with motor and equipment, a total value of these boats is $237,000.00. The total value of the 52 boats parked as transients and on the list for perma There are two types of small boats in the fishing industry here in Kodiak. One is the small work boat commonly referred to as a seine skiff that is required with each salmon fishing boat. These are not included in this report as they are strictly work boats. Neither have I included those small boats carried on the larger boats that are for emergency or occasional use only. I have included those boats that are essentially pleasure boats that for some reason their owners have licensed them to fish commercially, but as they are used for. are constructed as and have the requirements of pleasure boats they are included in this listing. nent berthing comes to $158,000.00. The value of the other 41 on the waiting list comes to $122,000.00. Of the 168 boats either in the Harbor or waiting for berthing space only 68 are in proper type stalls, which represents slightly less than 40% of their dollar value of $600,000.00. This does not include the estimated 75 that are parked in yards and on trailers that are not on the official waiting list, whose total value comes to an additional $187,500.00. Semi detailed list of boat values Pleasure boats assigned to fishing boat stalls in the boat harbor-7: Additional boats not on harbormaster's list or in boat harbor: 1. 75 at $2,500__. 187, 500 Grand total__--- 787, 500 THE HAZARDS OF MIXING PLEASURE CRAFT AND COMMERCIAL VESSELS As indicated, seven of the larger pleasure boats, are berthed in stalls that could/should be utilized by fishing boats. Another 52 are parked as transients, which means they are mixing with the fishing vessels. This is a situation that automatically leads to preventable damage to the smaller craft. In general pleasure craft are constructed of lighter materials than the heavier and stronger fishing vessel. Damage results from three main causes. (1) Movement Damage. When the fishing boats are maneuvering in close quarters they must frequently pivot against the neighboring vessels. If the bumped vessel is a lighter built craft it will invariably sustain a certain amount of damage. (2) Rub Damage. In tying alongside each other pleasure boats sustain damage from a fishing boat. The lower profile pleasure boat will rub up against the guards on the side of the fishing vessel damaging the rails or deck, whichever makes contact. The judicious use of fenders could prevent a lot of this but to do any good the fenders must be of certain styles and be on the higher fishing boat. Fishing boats just don't use this type of fender or tie what they have in a manner suitable for a pleasure boat. (3) Wake Damage. A lot of damage is caused from the bouncing of a boat in the wake of a passing vessel. Fishing boats invariably put out larger wakes than pleasure craft. Pleasure boats get bounced around quite badly, which can lead to damage when they are parked in the same area as fishing vessels. The above listed problems become extremely acute when boats of both types must utilize over crowded transient facilities for permanent berthing. The mere crowding of boats increases the risk of both damage and fire. The mixing of gas powered pleasure craft with diesel powered commercial vessels greatly increases the risk of fire to the larger, more expensive fishing boats. Senator GRAVEL. Jack Isadore? STATEMENT OF JACK ISADORE, KODIAK Mr. ISADORE. Senator Gravel, members of the committee, I am here on behalf of the city of Kodiak to appear before you. I welcome this opportunity. Thank you for the mayor and the council of the city of Kodiak and the mayor and the assembly of the borough of Kodiak. Their feeling was that you would rather hear from technicians rather than politicians. I am going to make my remarks very brief because I am not pure politician or pure technician. Therefore, I say to you some of my listening to the testimony of those that have preceded me, were speaking of futures. Unfortunately, in Kodiak we are speaking of past. Our problem is urgent, as Mr. Jaeger has told you. The problem has been with us for 10 years. Conservatively, it grows worse daily. We have, the city and the borough, have engaged the services of a local consulting firm and are now under contract with them to plan Near Island. This is the island directly adjacent to Kodiak on the other side of the channel and where the site of the proposed Dog Bay boat basin or additional boat basin facility would be located. The community is unified, totally in the selection not only of the site, but the urgent and immediate need. I am partially responsible, if you would use that terminology, for our presentation today. Only with all due respect to the Corps of Engineers, who I worked with over some 20-plus years of experience, half of which has been in Alaska. I took exception to the cost-benefit ratio of their preliminary report and I think that I have done that in California and Oregon and previously in Alaska. In each instance I have somehow convinced them that they had overlooked many facets of the problem to weigh the cost benefit more favorably in balance. I point out one fact. Kodiak is the fifth largest city in Alaska. It is the No. 1 fishing port and it serves approximately one-third of the coastal State. I think more important than anything, this is the social, |