By Jeff Hare, Tradewinds Instructor
TWSC would like to give a big shout-out to the crew of August Moment on January 15, 2026, for their amazing rescue of a tricky balloon setup that had drifted into the bay. Sadly, we don’t have any pictures, but the balloon arrangement had numbers like 16, 19, 91, or 61 (depending on how it was facing), so it probably came from someone’s birthday party! We hope everyone involved is okay, and we know accidents can happen. However, balloons can be a real danger to marine life, birds, otters, and seals, as well as boat engine cooling water systems and equipment underwater.
TWSC members are encouraged to pick up any floating debris (or if you’re a “Burner,” MOOP stands for Matter Out Of Place) from our waterways whenever it’s safe to do so. For the crew of August Moment, this was a chance to practice their crew overboard recovery drill, so they got to check off several “good for you” boxes.
Balloons are especially harmful to sea life, so please check out the link and video below for more info: https://www.oceanconservation.org/be-balloon-aware/
We’re looking forward to seeing you all out there on the water!!!