Oceanside’s harbor manager has proposed building an “ice house” to sell shaved ice to the operators of commercial fishing businesses.
Read more San Diego County will stop letting federal immigration agents train at local firing ranges
Sportfishing and commercial boat operators spend a lot of time and money driving into town to buy hundreds of pounds of ice that’s not available at the docks, Harbor Division Manager Joe Ravitch said this week.
“Flaked ice can be hard to find,” Ravitch said. “That is very much the preferred method to store fresh seafood.”
A supply of affordable ice for sale at the Oceanside Harbor could be an amenity to bring more customers and boost the fishing business, he said. It could start small with a self-serve facility for people using credit cards and expand if successful. If unsuccessful, the facility could be removed.
Oceanside’s harbor has 19 commercial fishing boats that use a lot of ice, Ravitch said in an email Tuesday. It also has 19 “six-pack” charters, which are smaller boats that take up to six people at a time on short ocean trips.
“Four of the charters are sportfishing (who could conceivably use quite a bit of ice),” Ravitch said.
One of the larger businesses at the harbor, Oceanside Sea Center, operates five boats including two 60-foot-long vessels and the 65-foot Southern Cal, certified to carry as many as 72 anglers.
Other businesses include Oceanside Whale Watching, the Freedom Boat Club, and Boat Rentals of America, all of which could be ice customers. The harbor also has about 890 rental slips and more slips for guest boaters and others who may purchase ice, Ravitch said.
Read more Ex-Fauci adviser pleads guilty to plotting to conceal COVID-19 research records during pandemic
An ice house probably would cost $500,000 to $850,000 to build and could be made from one or two converted shipping containers, he said. The facility would only be installed if grant money is obtained to pay for most of it, though the harbor could pay a match of 20% or less for the grant.
Ravitch presented the idea Monday at a meeting of the Oceanside Harbor and Beaches Advisory Commission. The members agreed to have staffers investigate further and bring more information back at their meeting in October.
They asked Ravitch to look into details such as what businesses would compete with the ice house, who would operate and maintain it, where at the harbor it would be located, what sort of security might be needed, and how other harbors in the region handle ice sales.
“Maybe do a quick survey of fishermen to ask them how much ice they use, maybe on a weekly basis,” said Commissioner Joseph Yaglinski Jr.
Commissioner Mark Mallaby suggested the ice house start small as a trial operation, so that it could be removed if unsuccessful.
“The right sizing of it will be important to its ultimate viability,” Mallaby said.
Read more Supervisors vote to end ICE, CBP use of county gun ranges — but sheriff says she’ll still allow CBP
Oceanside has the only harbor between San Diego and Dana Point in Orange County.
