UPDATED May 3 at 1:20 p.m. – BRADENTON BEACH – While operating a tour boat for Paradise Boat Tours on Sunday, Captain John (Mike) Draayom helped pull a male and a female from the Intracoastal Waterway near Longboat Pass and the Coquina boat ramps.
Draayom said the tour boat was traveling south on the ICW at about 5:45 p.m. when he spotted two people in the water near a boat and a personal watercraft that appeared to be floundering just north of mile marker 47.
Capt. John (Mike) Draayom helped rescue two people from the Intracoastal Waterway. – Sherman Baldwin /Paradise Boat Tours | Submitted
“We came up on two folks in the water and they were in pretty bad shape. We were able to lower our ladder and assist them up onto the vessel. I called 911 and we took them to the closest boat ramp (Coquina South) and waited there for EMS,” Draayom said.
“We were able to pick up the two Jet Skiers and there was a lady in the boat that was injured as well,” he said.
“On Sunday, at approximately 5:30 p.m., the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) received notification from Manatee County Sheriff’s Office of a boating accident near North Coquina Boat Ramp in Manatee County,” FWC Public Information Officer Bryce Phillippi said in a prepared statement. The FWC is the lead agency in the investigation.
Those injured in Sunday’s accident were first taken to the Coquina South boat ramp. – Capt. John Draayom/Paradise Boat Tours | Submitted
“The FWC, MCSO marine unit, Manatee County Fire Rescue and the United States Coast Guard responded to the scene of a two-vessel boating accident involving a 17-foot vessel and a 10-foot personal watercraft. The personal watercraft operator and the vessel passenger received injuries and both individuals were transported to a hospital for treatment. The vessel operator and PWC passenger were uninjured,” according to Phillippi.
“I’m glad we came along when we did because there was a lot of boats going pretty fast through that area at the time,” Draayom said. “The gentleman in the water was struggling pretty hard. If he wasn’t wearing a life vest, he could have been in serious trouble. He walked away. She got transported with rib issues.”
The cowling from the personal watercraft reportedly flew into the boat and struck a passenger. – Capt. John Draayom/Paradise Boat Tours | Submitted
Regarding the female boat passenger who was injured, Draayom said, “From what I’m told, the cowling came off the Jet Ski, went into the boat and hit her.”
The man driving the boat told Draayom that the boat and the personal watercraft collided, he said, adding that he did not know the cause of the collision.
Draayom said he had passengers aboard the tour boat while the events transpired.
“They were just fine. I apologized profusely and they remained seated throughout the whole thing, just watching,” he said.
BRADENTON BEACH – Bradenton Beach commissioners do not want Paradise Boat Tours to continue refueling at the county-owned barge dock near Longboat Pass.
The mayor and commissioners took this position on Thursday, Jan. 21, when discussing an email that City Attorney Ricinda Perry and others received from Manatee County Environmental Program Manager Alan Lai Hipp two days earlier.
In his email, Lai Hipp questioned whether the city wanted to expand an existing interlocal agreement between the county and the city to allow mobile refueling at the county barge dock.
Paradise Boat Tours uses the nearby Bridge Street Pier to pick up and drop off its passengers. Rather than pay the fuel prices charged at marinas, Baldwin has long used a modified Ford pickup truck to refuel his tour boat at the county-owned barge dock at the south end of the Coquina South boat ramp property.
Last week’s refueling discussion was not noticed in advance on the Jan. 21 meeting agenda, but it was added to the agenda when the meeting began, with Baldwin not in attendance.
Commission discussion
Mayor John Chappie said he’s not in favor of expanding the existing interlocal agreement to allow mobile refueling at the county dock.
Mayor John Chappie does not support refueling operations taking place at the county barge dock. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I can envision all kinds of boats lining up with trucks full of gas in this public recreational area. I can see this is a safety issue,” Chappie said.
“I think you’re opening up a can of worms,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said. “There’s a lot of people that fish off that seawall. It is a recreational area and you have plenty of places to fuel a boat. I don’t think that’s the place to do it.”
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said, “I think Sherman is a big asset to Bradenton Beach. I don’t want to hurt his business by not being able to gas up.”
Commissioner Marilyn Maro said she agreed with Chappie.
In response to Vosburgh, Chappie said, “There are plenty of certified fueling places he can go to. We have a marina right here in Bradenton Beach. There’s a marina in Holmes Beach. There’s at least one, maybe two or three, in Longboat Key.”
Chappie also mentioned the possibility of a fuel spill.
“Who’s going to clean it up if it does spill?” Commissioner Jake Spooner asked.
“It seems the response for Alan would be no, we don’t want to allow that type of activity,” Chappie said.
Perry said she would relay the commission consensus to Lai Hipp and Parks and Natural Resources Department Director Charlie Hunsicker.
Baldwin’s response
When contacted Thursday afternoon, Baldwin said he was not upset with the city commission’s decision, but he would have liked to have been included in the discussion.
The following day he emailed Chappie and the city commissioners.
The fuel travels through a hose from the fueling truck to the tour boat. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“On Jan. 12, I attended the Manatee County Commission meeting and was informed by Commissioner Whitmore that Bradenton Beach has jurisdiction over the fueling issue. Not seeing it on the agenda for yesterday’s meeting, I opted not to attend,” Baldwin’s email said.
“I respectfully request that an agenda item be added to the Feb. 4 commission agenda and I be allowed a brief period of time to provide important details that I believe the commission needs to consider. I also request that any answer to Alan Lai Hipp’s email be delayed until after the commission has taken up this issue at the Feb. 4 meeting,” Baldwin’s email said.
Past discussions
On Dec. 14, Baldwin addressed his suspended refueling efforts in an email sent to County Administrator Cheri Coryea and others.
“Six weeks ago, sheriff’s deputies informed us that they have been instructed to prevent us from refueling there anymore – and that it was Alan Lai Hipp who they received their instructions from. In fact, if we refueled there again, we would be subject to arrest,” Baldwin’s email said.
“Marina fuel is over $2 more per gallon than the street price,” Baldwin’s email noted.
It also noted that his mobile fueling operations reduce his fuel costs by approximately $650 per week.
On Dec. 15, Baldwin shared his plight with county commissioners. The county commission agreed they did not want to see Baldwin arrested, but they also did not support the county dock being used for refueling.
County Attorney Mickey Palmer said he was not aware of any county code or regulation that currently prohibits refueling at the county dock. He recommended the county take no enforcement action until the matter was further researched.
The county commission supported Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s request for the county attorney’s office to prepare a document that formally prohibits refueling activities at the loading dock – and potentially at county boat ramps too. That document has not yet been presented to county commissioners.
Later that week, Baldwin resumed his mobile refueling operations at the county dock.
BRADENTON BEACH – Paradise Boat Tours General Manager Sherman Baldwin questions the county’s request that he no longer refuel his tour boat at the county-owned loading dock near Longboat Pass.
The loading dock and seawall are located near the mouth of the pass, at the south end of the Coquina South boat ramp area.
For several years, Baldwin and his employees have used a modified pickup truck to refuel the tour boat at the county-owned loading dock, rather than pay the higher cost of refueling at a marina.
Concerns expressed
On Monday, Dec. 14, Baldwin addressed his concerns in an email to county commissioners, County Administrator Cheri Coryea and several county staff members.
His email noted he’s been using the county loading dock for nearly seven years.
“During this time, our refueling operations have been inspected by The United States Coast Guard, the Florida Wildlife Commission, Manatee County Marine Sheriff’s deputies and Bradenton Beach officials. All without incident or infraction. Two years ago we were asked to elaborate in writing our refueling protocols by the city of Bradenton Beach prompted by the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department, specifically Alan Lai Hipp. All seemed good,” Baldwin stated in his email.
The fuel travels through a hose from the storage tank in the bed of a pickup truck and into the tour boat’s two 44-gallon fuel tanks. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“However, six weeks ago sheriff’s deputies informed us that they have been instructed to prevent us from refueling there anymore, and that it was Alan Lai Hipp who they received their instructions from. In fact, if we refueled there again, we would be subject to arrest,” Baldwin wrote.
“We invested over $10,000 in modifications to a Ford F150 to be in compliance with federal regulations and now we are told to cease fueling operations without hearing or recourse. Marina fuel is over $2 more per gallon than the street price. This additional cost will force us to terminate at least one employee due to an increased fuel cost of over 65%, representing almost $650 per week loss. We were informed that our only option is to attend and speak at public comment at a commission meeting,” Baldwin wrote.
His email then stated his intent to refuel at the county dock at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17 – even at the risk of arrest.
On Tuesday, Dec. 15, Coryea sent the commissioners the response she received from Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker and his staff.
“This vendor was observed using this facility without permission in reports we received from Property Management Parks Maintenance and Public Safety Marine Patrol staff over several months – prior to our department issue of written notice to discontinue unauthorized use in 2019,” Hunsicker stated in his email to Coryea.
“In February of 2020, we engaged in several written exchanges with the vendor in response to letters of concern posted by this vendor to the board of county commissioners which asked for permission to continue private vessel refueling operations at this location. This operator refuses to accept our recommendations as manager of this dock space which have been clearly and repeatedly communicated with him,” Hunsicker wrote.
“Despite claims to the contrary, this private business operator never received permission from our department to operate a private vessel fueling operation at this location; nor does the city of Bradenton Beach have any record of approval.
“Despite the operator’s assurance that he has the capability to safely operate his private business from this facility, there are substantial risks to the county unique to marine operations to continue to allow this operation from an unstaffed public facility without extensive provisions for release of liability waiver, environmental damage insurance and other risk management driven considerations,” Hunsicker wrote.
“Use of this dock previously has been limited to and allowed for heavy construction vendors under contract to the city of Bradenton Beach for public pier and dock repairs, the State of Florida for maintenance activities for the Longboat Pass Bridge and Longboat Pass maintenance, and to Manatee County for deployment of material for offshore artificial reef sites and beach renourishment related construction activities.
“Moreover, if a private vendor of any size or complexity were to request to be allowed to operate at this county public facility, any business proposition would have to be thoroughly vetted through a competitive process to open this opportunity to any prospective vendor who would likewise enjoy the benefit of using this public facility without the charges invoked at many private marinas in Manatee County that offer commercial fueling capabilities,” Hunsicker wrote.
Commission discussion
During public comment at the Tuesday, Dec. 15 county commission meeting, Baldwin read his email aloud to county commissioners.
During the discussion that followed, commissioners Vanessa Baugh and Kevin Van Ostenbridge were among those who expressed strong opposition to a business owner being arrested for refueling his boat.
County Attorney Mickey Palmer told the commission the loading dock is located in a county-owned public park and trespassing someone from that public space is not advised.
Palmer also said he’s not aware of any county code or regulation that currently prohibits refueling at the county dock. Palmer recommended the county “stand down” and take no action until this matter is further researched and sorted out.
Commissioner Carol Whitmore expressed concerns about other commercial boat owners, operators and fishermen engaging in similar fueling activities if Baldwin is allowed to do so.
The commission was in unanimous agreement that boat fueling is not a desired activity at that location.
Van Ostenbridge made a motion directing the county attorney’s office to prepare a document that formally prohibits refueling activities at the loading dock – and potentially at county boat ramps as well. That document is expected to be discussed and potentially adopted in January.
Refueling resumes
On Thursday, Dec. 17, Baldwin and Capt. Justin Jones resumed their refueling operations at the county dock.
Captain Justin Jones assisted with last Thursday’s refueling activities. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Baldwin said he realizes a county prohibition is likely forthcoming, but he can still experience at least one month’s worth of fuel cost savings until then. Baldwin said he’s looked for alternative locations to continue refueling in this manner and has not found one.
Baldwin said one refueling operation provides enough fuel for 10-12 boat tours, and Paradise Boat Tours operates as many as six tours per day.
