A power boat sank in Brentwood Bay on Saturday, making it the latest vessel to go underwater in Saanich Inlet, a popular boating area.
The Canadian Coast Guard arrived to ensure any pollution damages were mitigated, Leri Davies, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada spokesman, said in an e-mail on Sunday. Divers were used to refloat the vessel. It was towed to a nearby marina and taken out of the water.
It is not known why the boat sank, and the Coast Guard said it does not yet know who owns the vessel. When found, the owner will be sent a bill for the cleanup costs, and be taken to court if the bill isn't paid, Davies said.
No other details, such as the condition of the boat, were immediately available from the Coast Guard.
Its length was estimated by neighbours at between 25 and 30 feet.
Thomas Coward, who lives on the waterfront, said every year about three or four vessels sink. “It happens on a regular basis.” He is concerned about boats being left unattended and deteriorating as time passes.
This vessel, which had been in the bay for about a decade, was moored to a buoy and became partly submerged, he said. Coward has not seen the owner recently, although tarpaulins had been placed over the boat.
Michael Simmons, vice-president of the Saanich Inlet Protection Society, did not see the boat on Saturday but heard about the sinking. “This is, I think, the third one that we have had (sink) this winter, and the Coast Guard has been in here for all of them.”
The region has been hit by heavy rains and strong winds recently, something that could affect vessels.
Another resident, John Tidman, was impressed with the fast response to the situation. An oil slick seen Saturday was not visible today, he said.
Coward said that the boat that sank Saturday was not being used as a live-aboard.
The matter of liveaboard vessels in the bay is a separate issue being addressed by Central Saanich municipality as it works towards a new licence system for the liveaboard community.
The municipality does not want to displace liveaboards, Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor stated in a commentary which appeared in the Times Colonist on Friday.
Central Saanich has been working with stakeholders such as local residents, members of the liveaboard community, First Nations, and senior government to develop a system of managing boats in the Saanich Inlet.
In January, it will start taking applications for the Brentwood Bay Open Moorage Advisory Committee, which will advise council on its management plan.
