Polish Sailboat Treads Water Off S.F. in Sea of Diplomatic Red Tape

A Polish sailboat carrying four crew members remained stranded in international waters off the coast of San Francisco on Friday after it was refused entry by U.S. officials, who said the ship lacked a special docking permit required of all Soviet Bloc vessels.

The 42-foot Stomil became the focus of a local relief effort, even as official attempts to extricate it from red tape proved unsuccessful.

Shop owners at San Francisco’s Pier 39, a marketplace of shops and tourist attractions near Fisherman’s Wharf, ferried provisions to the Polish seamen. Other area residents also offered aid to the crew, who were reported to be in good health despite chilly weather and dwindling supplies.

San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt has contacted the State Department and officials at the Polish Embassy in an effort to negotiate a solution.

Golden Gate Bridge

The boat, which is anchored about 3 miles off the coast, within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge, has experienced radio difficulties but is in no danger, Coast Guard officials said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Customs, Coast Guard and State Department authorities said the ship will not be allowed to land until a formal, written request is obtained from the Polish Embassy. Federal policy requires all ships from Warsaw Pact nations to apply to the State Department for port clearance at least two weeks before entry, department spokeswoman Nancy Beck said.

“Until a permit is granted, we will just treat the ship as a foreign vessel in foreign waters,” said Paul Andrews, district director of the U.S. Customs Service in San Francisco.

The Stomil first radioed the Coast Guard on Oct. 15, when it was about 20 miles off San Francisco, Coast Guard spokesman Steve Danielczyk said. It had sailed from Hawaii as part of a round-the-world voyage.

Three crew members who left the ship in Honolulu and flew to San Francisco contacted the Pier 39 marina when they expected the ship to arrive.

When they were told that the ship had been denied entry, “everybody just became very sympathetic,” said a marina staff member who asked that her name not be used.

On Friday a marina boat delivered sweat shirts, hot dogs, clam chowder, sandwiches, chips and salsa to the crew. Earlier in the week, the boat delivered a shipment of tobacco, beer and other supplies. The three former crew members ashore have been offered lodging by area residents.

“I guess it just hit close to home here,” said Topper Johnston, who manages the marina. “It’s cold out there. It’s rough. It’s wet. It’s windy. They have been at sea six weeks, and now they are caught in a bureaucratic situation. . . . People are just lending a hand doing what they can do to help.”

Danielczyk said the boat is owned by the Academic Yachting Club, which is affiliated with the University of Lodz in Poland. The youngest member of the crew is a 27-year-old student at the university. Another is a doctor, and the captain is a professional ship master. The fourth could not be identified.

Before sailing for San Francisco, the Stomil crew telephoned the Polish Embassy, which in turn requested a port clearance from the U.S. State Department for the period of Oct. 26-Dec. 1. Officials at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington asked the State Department to obtain a fuller explanation of why such a long stay was required.

But a State Department spokesman said the department might consider waiving the permit requirement in this case if the Polish Embassy agreed. Embassy officials were not available for comment.