San Nicolas Island Barge Landing Site Survey.

A bathymetric survey of the YFU, barge landing site area on San Nicolas Island, California, has shown that a narrow channel of sufficient width and clear of bottom obstacles exists into the beach to permit safe operation of the vessel under wind and sea conditions which are tolerable during cargo transfers. Obstacles on both sides of the channel have been identified and charted. The geology suggests that the clear channel has no hidden rocky features which may become exposed as the beach sand is removed by storm seas. Probing at the beach area confirms this hypothesis. A recommendation is made to install a new set of approach markers to the beach to identify a dog leg track close to the center of the newly charted channel. A secondary recommendation is to pursue bathymetric surveys of adjacent beach sites in order to find a wider approach channel to the beach, if such exists. Author