High waves leave a trail of destruction in the port of Santa Cruz

The port of Santa Cruz is still in ruins after high waves caused devastating damage on Monday.

From destroyed docks and floating debris to sinking boats, many boat owners spent their Christmas Eve trying to salvage what they could.

“I got crushed on one side, so I have a piece of fiberglass… that needs to be replaced, but compared to these owners who lost their boats or had major damage. It was devastating,” said boat owner John Clay.

The intensity of the waves surprised some. Clay said he knew the storm was coming and he knew he had to make sure he tied his boat well.

However: “We all did that. Then the whole dock broke with the boat, so it didn’t do us any good,” Clay said.

On Tuesday, boat owners could be seen patching holes and pumping out water to stay afloat. Others with boats small enough to fit on a trailer were working to leave the harbor.

“I’m going out with mine tonight,” Clay said. “The harbor keeper said if you can get it out, get it out because they still don’t know what’s going to happen here. There are still more storms coming our way along the road.”

However, some boats could no longer be saved.

“There’s an old boat here, probably a 100-year-old fishing boat,” Clay said. “We’re all just standing here, and all of a sudden it… just went under, and then that pulled all the other boats closer, and pieces were flying everywhere.”

Given the extent of the damage, there is growing concern about how long repairs might take.

“I’ve been here my whole life. I saw this harbor being built and it’s the most extreme thing I’ve ever seen,” said Billee Schnaible of Santa Cruz, who came to the docks to check on her son’s boat.

Not the entire port is affected by this serious damage.

The Santa Cruz Port District said the following docks have reopened:

Southwest Harbor: AA, A, B, C, D, E and FF

Southeast Harbor: L, M, N, E, P, Q, R, S and T

The following docks have limited daytime access:

Southwest Harbor: F

North Harbor: H, I, J, W, V and U

The district said all other docks are closed to access and vessel operations.

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