Harbormaster did his job, kept all safe
As harbormaster of Richardson Bay, Curtis Havel was always between a rock and a hard place.
The manager of the beloved inlet tucked between Sausalito and the Tiburon Peninsula was asked to work with the bay’s many vocal stakeholders and their conflicting interests.
Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency, which hired Havel in 2019, asked him to focus on reducing the growing number of anchor-outs on the bay. As vocal environmental groups have noted, human activity has led to the degradation of ecologically vital eelgrass, not to mention the illegal dumpings that likely occur.
The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission applied pressure in response to a state auditor’s report that it had failed by allowing unresolved enforcement cases to pile up. Sausalito officials, who know their shoreline is most accessible for anchor-outs, kept close watch to ensure enforcement didn’t push homeless people into their streets without services.
Understandably, all those priorities took a backseat when the COVID-19 pandemic “shelter in place” restrictions were enacted in 2020. The vulnerable anchor-out community dug in and some joined a newly created camp near the Sausalito shore. The California Homeless Union helped try to keep anchor-outs and those who joined them safe.
Havel’s job was to “get tough” during a time when compassion was required. Despite threats and ultimatums, he threaded the needle, did the job and deserves the credit heaped on him by peers, bosses and elected officials.
“Curtis has done a very good job in the last two years of decongesting the anchorage and removing marine debris from the water and working to create some stability out there,” said Marin Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, who is chair of the RBRA board of directors.
Following the retirement of Havel’s predecessor, the agency changed the parameters of the job. By announcing it would enforce the 72hour time limit for any boats entering the bay, RBRA took a needed step toward regulating an anchor-out population that had swelled to about 240 boats in 2016.
Agency leaders laid out Havel’s priorities as regulating boats anchored in the bay, testing water quality and promoting safety. On those counts, there is no doubt that he succeeded. Unsurprisingly, some in the anchor-out community put up defenses. Havel attempted to address concerns with his Safe and Seaworthy Program. It allows those living on the water to work with RBRA and use all resources during the transition from living outside the law to finding permanent shelter elsewhere.
Some were not interested in any option that didn’t allow them to stay on the bay. The state is already on record as saying that option is no longer environmentally sustainable. Still, as the face of the enforcement, Havel took heat.
“Curtis Havel leaves behind a trail of lies, trauma and dispossessed victims,” said Robbie Powelson, a Marin County housing activist.
But that characterization fails to acknowledge Havel’s primary directive of making Richardson Bay safe for all. Winter storms have always been dangerous for unseaworthy vessels and their occupants.
Havel pointed out that one storm in recent years resulted in more than 50 boats slipping anchor. Many crashed into the shoreline or nearby docks and tied-up boats. Other mishaps among anchor-outs on the bay in recent years have resulted in deadly fires and drownings.
Despite the challenge, Havel helped cross a finish line, of sorts. In agreement with the BCDC, his Richardson Bay authority voted unanimously in August to approve an agreement requiring the removal of illegal vessels anchored in the bay within five years.
Jim Malcolm, the assistant harbormaster who will assume Havel’s responsibilities while the agency finds a replacement, is charged with reinforcing the same priorities set by Havel.
The anchor-out community should give Malcolm and the eventual permanent harbormaster a chance. It is the best way to be a part of the solution during this negotiated five-year transition.