8 NOVEMBER 2018 • FOGHORN FOGHORNFOCUS: CUSTOMER SERVICE which would take at least four hours. Traveling by boat on the Pacific Ocean, however, would be ideal for getting these people where they were needed most. The scenic cruise was one hour and forty minutes, each way. “It’s just heartbreaking, and we’re glad we can help,” Connally told FOGHORN in January during the emergency. “We’re providing shuttles for all the hospital staff, all the workers that are helping clear the mud, and the people who need to get to work or get to their loved ones.” Working long hours for days with the 130-passenger catamarans built by PVA Associate member All American Marine of Bellingham, WA, Island Packers management and crew played a vital role in carrying passen- gers to and from the affected area. Of course, as vessel operators know, there are costs associated with adding unexpected emergency service and the Connally’s made a difficult decision to charge passengers for the service, albeit at a reduced rate. They even offered a group rate at even lower prices to help lessen the out-of- pocket expense to passengers booking for a group of 10 or more. “There are a lot of expenses that we have to encounter,” said Connally. “[But] we’re not here to make money.” Just two days after the slide, C a l i f o r n i a ’ s D e p a r t m e n t o f Transportation had announced that the highway would be open and free of debris within a week. That didn’t happen. It was nearly two weeks of round-the-clock work from the clean-up crews to finally have the road cleared and safe for travel. And, all that time the Island Packers vessels and a whale-watching vessel owned by a Santa Barbara operator were carrying passengers to and from the area from Ventura Harbor and Santa Barbara Harbor. The crews averaged three to five shuttles at each harbor daily, starting with a 7:00 a.m. shuttle and finishing with an afternoon pickup at 4:00 p.m., as needed from each harbor. This wasn’t the first time that Island Packers provided this type of customer service to its community. In 2005, another deadly landslide killed 10 people and damaged or complete- ly destroyed dozens of home in La Conchita, a small town in Ventura County. With a population of just 338, according to Wikipedia, the loss of lives and property devastated the tiny town. And, again, Island Packers offered aid. For three days, the vessel operation carried commuters during the crisis when regular transportation options were not available. Clearly, that event triggered the immediate response that Island Packers employed 15 years later when the Montecito slide occurred earlier this year. n The LUXForm Haven Improve the passenger experience on your vessel