By Khalida Sarwari
When tsunami waves hit the Santa Cruz Harbor on Friday following the disaster in Japan, Chris Busick’s sailboat and fishing kayak were among the many casualties.
The kayak is now missing and the sailboat is stuck underneath a nearby bridge with its mast broken. Busick estimated the value of the kayak to be around $1,000 and that of the sailboat to be anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000.
The harbor has been home to the sailboat for the last 40 years, he said.
“They’re invaluable,” Busick said. “It’s not just about the boat. It’s a portal to the ocean … a million memories.”
On Thursday night, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan caused a tsunami that killed thousands of people before traveling 10 hours across the Pacific Ocean and briefly elevating surf levels along parts of the California coast.
The wave surges caused an estimated $22.5 million in damage to the harbor, state Department of Fish and Game Lt. John Sutton said. He said that figure is expected to increase in the coming days.
About 100 boats have sustained some damage, ranging from paint scratches to total loss. As of this afternoon, five boats remained in the water and nine remained missing.
But crews have recovered eight boats as part of an ongoing recovery effort.
“Everything is progressing very well,” Sutton said. “We’ve come up with a salvage plan of operation and we’re working to minimize the impact on the environment.”
He said crews are taking “every precaution” by using protective booms and absorbents.
An environmental scientist assessed the area and determined there is no threat to wildlife, including the sea otter, tidewater goby, and salmonid, the three main endangered species that live in the area, Sutton said.
Economically, however, the harbor is suffering. Its closure since Friday has cost the community $206,000 per day, Harbormaster Lisa Ekers said.
Charles Ebel, the owner of Aquarius Boat Works, a boat yard that provides woodwork and mechanical and other repairs, said his shop has been open but that the habor’s closure has prevented him from conducting business as usual.
A unified command consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and Game Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response and the local harbormaster is expected to remain at the scene until at least the end of the week.