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Docked Authority: What Can and What Can’t a Sheriff Do?

Standing Watch
NEWPORT BEACH—Don’t shoot the Sheriff, or the deputy. Don’t question his authority, either – especially when it comes to dictating how much time you can leave your boat at a public dock. Unless you’re the California Coastal Commission – only then does the decision to reduce the allowable time to...
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9 Responses

  1. Thank you, The Log, for shedding daylight on this issue important to all S. CA boaters! This action was wrong and needs review by elected officials – not the police.

  2. Abuse of power for sure by big headed sheriff Corn.
    Our government authorities have crossed their designated boundaries. The sheriff’s department is enforcement only, they can not make, change, or interpret the law.

  3. The OC Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol has broken the public trust: The public docks in question are on tidelands that were deeded to the County by State Lands and are subject to the Public Trust Doctrine whereby use shall be for the benefit of the people. The Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol is funded 100% by Tideland Funds and OC Park District funds (CSA 26) which by law must be spent to benefit public use of the harbor. A 2010 County Study determined that using these funds for general law enforcement is inappropriate. By closing off public access to these docks (including the visitor dock) the Sheriff’s Department has crossed the line and broken the public trust.

  4. What was the punishment before overstaying the 72 hour parking limit. I was faced with this issue 15 years ago and a judge threw it out.

  5. Dismayed Boater do your homework. After doing a online little research, the Harbor patrol is not funded 100% by Tideland funds. They do get a majority of their funding from that source though. I was at their dingy dock earlier this week and its open and available, not closed off as you mentioned. And the tie up time is daylight hours, which is about 14 hour today. How much time do you need? I’m glad they shortened the time limit. It stops the people who stored their boats at the dock.

  6. So if boaters are breaking the 72 hour rule, we’ll just change it to 20 minutes. No-one would dare abuse that right? What is it with some people who think the solution to a rule not being followed is a stricter rule? How unimaginative do you have to be to get that job?

    If some boaters were abusing the 72 hour rules then I don’t know…maybe….those are the boaters who should be penalized.

  7. You’re right, all docks in Newport or maybe all docks is California should be 72 hours…problem solved. Right? Wrong! The time limits should be what’s appropriate for each location. That is why the City of Newport has different time limits on their 13 public docks, each side has a different time, 20min, 12hrs. 24hrs and 72hrs. Maybe they should only have 72 hour limits on ALL their docks. Good luck with that!!

  8. Pete Rabbitt’s “Letter to the Editor”, is a little inaccurate. The last time I checked the Bluewater Grill, Cannery or Lido Village are on the other side of the harbor from the Sheriff’s dock. It’s a 30-40 minute boat ride. I assumed the Log would do a little fact checking before including the comment…maybe not.

  9. Concerned Boater, I stand by my statement that the OC Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol is 100% funded through a combination of tideland funds and park district funds which by law, must be spent to the benefit of the harbor and the harbor users. By reducing public access at the dinghy dock and closing off their visitor dock, the OC Sheriff has broken the public trust. All they seem to care about it making a comfortable and private workplace for themselves. They don’t seem interested in serving the boating public.

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