Posted by Patrick on March 23, 2005 at 17:52:32:
In Reply to: Re: Any late news on the Conception? posted by Dan W on March 23, 2005 at 17:28:29:
If that is indeed true - that Conception is ashore at Arguello - you can count on her being totaled. It is an iron-bound coast - high, rocky, and precipitous, with virtually no sand beaches, the main one in the area being at the mouth of Honda Creek where 9 destroyers "touched bottom" in 1923. Two managed to get off, but one of those was a total loss as well.
Even if they ran the Conception into the Boat House shelter just west of Arguello, there is only rock rip-rap and no beach.
The interesting thing is that all that area is part of Vandenberg AFB, in fact the more secret end of the base. Usually just running a boat close along the shore there (your boat, not mine) brings out some serious-looking Air Police complete with AR-16s and hungry looking rotties. So what happened to the perpetrators?
I'm hoping for the best. I'd like to be wrong. But I know that coast. If Conception is "on the beach", miracle wouldn't even come close to describing it if they managed to get her off.
Keeping my fingers crossed for the rescue of two awesome boats on the beach.
Stay wet.