Let's start the year off right, with a story about a waterlogged paint-job that has landed the owners of The Sherman — a steamship converted to a Burlingame restaurant — in the soup. From the San Mateo County Times:
Both sides now acknowledge that a paint not meant to be constantly submerged in water was applied to The Sherman's hull at low tide on Nov. 21, 2007.Ouch. Wonder if they'll be charging a lawsuit surcharge to recoup the money. Heh heh, kidding!When the tide came in, it washed the burgundy polyurethane paint off the boat, leaving a 75-foot by 100-foot sheen on Sanchez Creek, according to a lawsuit filed Nov. 25, 2008, by the district attorney's office.
Now, the district attorney's office wants the restaurant to pay the $33,783 emergency cleanup bill for the spill and up to $55,000 in fines for violating several state laws.
Seriously, though, it sounds like a pretty major foul-up that could have been worse. Apparently passers-by saw the red sheen and called it in. But for some reason, officials say, there wasn't much damage to wildlife or plants.
Anyway, we're glad it's fixed, and hope the fines don't put the restaurant out too much. If there's one thing that gets total editorial approval around here, it's dining on boats.
Floating Burlingame restaurant faces fines for paint spill [San Mateo County Times]
The Sherman [Official Site]
[Photo: Via Tolka Rover/flickr]
