After 31 years with the District, Don Kinnamon has announced that he will be retiring later this year. Don began his career at Santa Cruz Harbor in 1990, as a lifeguard, and shortly thereafter was hired as a deputy harbormaster.

Don quickly honed his skills as a boat operator and participated in numerous search and rescue missions with his colleagues, saving countless lives. One notable rescue resulted in Don being named California’s Boating Safety Officer of the Year after he and former Deputy Harbormaster Cary Smith rescued Bill and Matt Hopps in September 2000. The Hopps brothers’ catamaran had capsized, and when the harbor patrol received a report that the brothers had failed to return to shore at about 8 pm, the Coast Guard initiated a search with assistance from the harbor patrol. After searching for many hours to no avail, the Coast Guard released the harbor patrol from the search mission after a helicopter arrived to assist. However, Don and Cary continued their efforts and found Bill Hopps at approximately 2:00 am, 4.5 miles offshore. Bill had been treading water for more than 10 hours. After safely delivering Bill Hopps to shore, Don and Cary continued their search, and at about 3:30 am found his brother, Matt Hopps, clinging to the catamaran. This is just one example of Don’s extraordinary service as a boating safety officer.

Don’s file is thick with commendations from other law enforcement agencies, harbor business operators, Yacht Club members, boaters, and citizens. Don is currently Vice-President of the California Harbor Masters and Port Captains Association and acts as liaison to the Santa Cruz Yacht Club and other boating groups helping to organize and ensure the safety of regatta events and blue water cruises.

Don is an excellent ambassador for the harbor. As a result of his efforts, the Port District successfully requested and received a grant from the State of California, which will fund the replacement of the harbor’s aging patrol boat later this year.

Construction of the District’s new 34’ Moose Boats M3 patrol vessel is currently underway! Cabin fabrication is complete and major metalwork on the hull is in process. Staff will have the opportunity to visit the manufacturer in the coming weeks to review progress and propose any necessary modifications before the design is finalized. The District anticipates delivery of the new boat by December 1, 2021.

Acquisition of this new patrol vessel was made possible by a one-time budget allocation from the State of California. The new vessel will allow Harbor Patrol to continue safely serving the needs of the community and boating public on the Central Coast for decades to come.

Fishing line that is improperly disposed of or abandoned in the environment can lead to numerous issues. The line not only causes damage to vessels but also entangles and endangers wildlife. Even when the line is disposed of in trash bins, it still goes to a landfill, creating the same hazards for wildlife. Since the line is NOT biodegradable, it remains in the environment for years. To address these issues, fishing line recycling containers are available to boaters and anglers throughout the harbor to properly discard their used line.

Santa Cruz Harbor is proud to be a part of the California Fishing Line Recycling Program and would like to encourage our boating community to take advantage of these recycling stations located at the launch ramp, boat wash area, and V-dock fish cleaning table.