The Voyager, a popular whale-watching boat and staple of Redondo Beach’s King Harbor, was damaged during a routine inspection, captain Craig Stanton confirmed Monday morning.
Voyager was damaged as it was removed from the water during a scheduled U.S. Coast Guard inspection, Stanton said.
The extent of the damage was still being determined, though Stanton noted that “it’s normal for us to be down this time of year,” following the close of whale-watching season. Still, he said, the boat will be “out of commission” for a few months.”
Voyager has been a mainstay in the waters of Redondo Beach for more than 50 years. In its early years, it offered rides to and from fishing barges; more recently, it’s been famed as a site to capture views of gray whales as they migrate along the California coast.
As longtime Redondo Beach Marina manager Leslie Page said, “The Voyager is a part of Redondo’s entire history.”
Stanton, along with Ken Swanson, Billy Schwaneberg and John Miller, purchased the boat in 2010.
“This has been an anchor here for years,” Stanton said six years ago. “It was purpose built for this landing.”
