On Wednesday, August 2nd, our PRM Director Brent Dennis made the official announcement that I had been selected to lead the Long Beach Marinas as your next Marine Bureau Manager. I am thrilled and elated to take on the challenge of this monumental position. We have a lot to do…. Beachfront to build out, restrooms to construct, docks to rebuild, over 3,000 slips to keep occupied, facilities to maintain and modernize, modern technology to explore and deploy, entrance channels to dredge, parking lots to repave, climate change adaptation strategies to implement, and the 2028 Olympics off in the almost near distance. That is just scratching the surface!

I know none of these items can be achieved without the support of our Marine Bureau team and City of Long Beach partners. I am blessed to be surrounded by amazing professionals. Chief Medina and his Marine Safety Captains are the epitome of marine emergency service leadership. So too are Sergeant Smigla and his Marine Patrol Special Service Officers. I would be captain of a rudderless ship without the daily efforts of our Beach and Marine Maintenance Superintendents. Cory Forrester and Eric Woodson have been the greatest of partners to me over these past four years in Marine Operations. The same can be said these past eight months as Interim Marine Manager. I look forward to working with all these Long Beach leaders well into the future.

I also have to recognize Tamalyn Sayre, our Marine Bureau Secretary. She is the constant in all we do. Effortlessly directing traffic (and me) to keep our operation moving on time and efficiently through even the most hectic of events day in and out. Thank you Tamalyn.

Speaking of hectic events, since taking over the role permanently on August 2 we have been through a lot in a short period of time. We have had a catastrophic boat fueling incident in Alamitos Bay that claimed several lives and a Tropical Storm hit our shores for the first time in 84 years.

These events are a constant reminder that, while boating and beach life are fabulous recreational activities, they come with an element of risk that we all need to be aware of and prepared for. As we close out the summer season with the Labor Day weekend please make sure you have studied up on all your boater safety information. Make sure to check the weather forecast before heading out on the water or to the beach. And most importantly make people aware of your activity plans and timeline.

With that I’m going to finish up with some fun to-dos in September and October. The Shoreline/Marina Green area will be hosting Coastal Country Jam on September 16–17. Like the Long Beach Marathon on October 14 and 15 the Coastal Country Jam event will affect access to the Shoreline Marina. Be on the look out for a Marina email blast for marina access and event information for these two events. There will also be a Marine Flare Disposal Event at Cabrillo Way Marina in San Pedro on September 16. I highly recommend checking your vessel’s flare expiration dates and disposing of old ones at the event. These disposal events are rarities, and it is near impossible to legally dispose of marine flares otherwise.
 
Stay well and safe boating,
Todd Leland
Marine Bureau Manager
Marina Offices are open and accepting new vessel permit applications. To provide more comfortable and efficient customer service we have moved to a hybrid front desk/window service at ABM and Shoreline offices. Note – Many requests can still be readily handled by phone or email. 

Ensure the safety of you, your passengers, and your boat. Take precautions when vessel fueling. Shut the engine off. Remove portable fuel tanks. Have passengers step off the boat during fueling. Make sure no flame is present. No smoking in the area. Turn off all electrical devices that could create sparks. Close doors, hatches, and windows to ensure fumes do not enter the boat. Then open doors, hatches, and windows as soon as fueling is done; this will allow fumes to escape before starting ignition. Inboard engines require a blower be turned on for several minutes before starting the boat. This is essential to remove built-up fumes in the bilge.

Unauthorized commercial activity is ILLEGAL IN LONG BEACH – Please do not engage in unauthorized commercial activity at, on or near Long Beach Marinas property. Violators can and will be cited and punished to the full extent of applicable law. Reminder – Unauthorized Commercial activity will put your slip permit in jeopardy of cancellation.
 
DID YOU KNOW During the autumnal equinox, sunrise and sunset are separated by exactly 12 hours all over the world. Equinox dates vary, on occasion, because of the difference between how our calendar defines a year (365 days) and the actual time it takes Earth to orbit around the Sun (365 1/4 days).

A range of Boat Handling courses taught by Dan Dawes are being offered Sept. 21, 28, Oct 5, 12, 19, 26 (optional exam 31) at the Seal Beach Yacht Club this fall from 7 – 9 P.M. The cost per person is $55, which includes an ebook (print version optional). Courses have a 5-student minimum. Enroll by phone or email to Dan Dawes at (714) 397-6449 or ddawes@dawespatents.com.
 
Small Boat Handling: The Boat Handling curriculum, picks up where ABC III left off, and comprises a full six-part Boat Handling course and six seminars:

Sept 21, Rules of the Road: A Practical Approach
Sept. 28, Confidence in Docking and Undocking: Slow-Speed Maneuvering
Oct. 5, Boating with Confidence: Handling Your Boat Underway
Oct 12, Anchoring with Assurance: Don’t Get Carried Away
Oct. 19, Emergencies on Board: Preparation to Handle Common Problems
Oct. 26, Knots and Line Handling: The Knots You Need to Know
On October 1, 2023, Marina Slip fees will increase by 2%. This increase will allow the Long Beach Marinas to meet the 1.25X bond debt service and cover annual changes in personnel and non-personnel expenditures during FY24.
 
As many of you may recall, the sale of the Marina Revenue Bonds requires that the City maintain a ratio of revenue/ expenditures of 1.25 times the debt service coverage. To ensure this coverage, City Council adopted a policy in May 2015 which states that the annual slip fee increase will be at minimal 2% going into effect each October. This annual slip fee increase will also generate a one-time October 2023 charge to your account to bring your slip deposit into alignment with the new slip fee for FY24. This is demonstrated in the chart below as the “Incremental Increase” for each slip size.

The FY23 and FY24 slip fees are as follows: