Rocks at Dana Point

As long-time readers of the Travel Section and as residents of Dana Point, we were very interested in the Trip of the Week by Michele and Tom Grimm on Feb. 22. They wrote of the huge rocks brought from Catalina Island to build the breakwater. The rocks from Catalina were small rocks used to make a bed for the large rocks. These larger rocks came from a quarry in the mountains just above Vista. We know, as we were curious and followed one of the empty trucks to the entrance to the quarry.

For months, each evening at about 9 p.m., a tug would show up from Catalina towing two barges of smaller rock. The next morning a bulldozer would push the rock off to form the bed for the breakwater. We would sit and watch the whole operation.

When the big trucks came from Vista they would drive onto the end of the breakwater onto a mobile turnaround mechanism, where they would be turned so they could back up to a crane, which picked up the huge rocks and daintily set them in place.

We are forever grateful to the County of Orange that they built a solid facility at the marina, with good facilities, not only for boaters but for all county people and visitors. They do an excellent job of maintaining the premises.

MR. and MRS. H. W. JILLSON

Dana Point