VENTURA : State Warns Owners of Boats on Beach

The state Parks and Recreation Department has asked owners of boats stored on its beaches to move them by the end of the month or have them impounded.

Department officials have sent letters to the owners of three catamarans sitting on San Buenaventura State Beach, informing them of a law that bans boats on state-owned beaches, District Supt. Steve Treanor said.

Owners have until July 31 to remove the boats or be charged with a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The boats might also be impounded, Treanor said.

“You just can’t have boats and swimmers sharing the same area,” he said. “My concern is making sure that people don’t get hurt.”

Although there have been no reported accidents involving boaters and swimmers at the state beach, such incidents have occurred elsewhere, he said.

Boats have been outlawed on state beaches since 1985, when jet skis first became a nuisance on public beaches, Treanor said. The law also prohibits launching boats from state beaches.

The warning letters were sent to boat owners Thursday, shortly after rangers spotted the illegally parked catamarans during routine patrols, Treanor said.