Sonoma Coast, California – After nearly nine years of sitting beached along the Sonoma Coast, the rusted remains of the fishing vessel Verna A II were finally removed from the sand this week. The decaying hull, which had become a fixture of the landscape, was pulled from the surf and sand by three excavators, braving 16-foot waves. The removal effort, which was spearheaded by California State Parks in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Greater Farrallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, was made possible through funding from the Biden-era Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
The Verna A II ran aground in September 2016, after its lone fisherman operator fell asleep about four miles off the coast, unaware that currents would cause the vessel to drift ashore. Despite the wreck’s proximity to the shore, the recovery process has been a complicated ordeal, stymied by the absence of insurance for the boat and the overlapping jurisdiction of state and federal authorities. Without clear responsibility, and limited funding to carry out the complex salvage operation, the wreck languished for years, with only fuel, batteries, and other chemicals being removed to prevent further environmental hazards.
“This is a state beach. That’s a marine sanctuary. So, there’s a lot of jurisdictions that can be involved,” said Eliza Booth of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. “It’s a lot of work coordinating permits and making sure budgets are in place, and then there’s the weather.” Booth’s comments highlight the multi-faceted nature of the cleanup effort, which involved working with various agencies to secure the necessary permits and funding to remove the wreckage.
The efforts to remove the vessel finally came to fruition earlier this week, marking the end of a prolonged and difficult process. In total, the wreck had become not only an environmental concern but also a local curiosity, with its eroding hull regularly appearing and disappearing from the sands of the coast. As the last pieces of the vessel were hauled away, it marked a long-awaited success for those who had been working toward its removal for almost a decade.
While the operation itself was difficult, it serves as a reminder of the importance of both careful marine management and the need for better resources to prevent future environmental hazards of this scale. The collaboration between state and federal entities, as well as the backing of federal infrastructure funding, is seen as a key success story in addressing marine debris and shipwrecks along the California coastline.