Saturday, July 05, 2014

Harbor Report: Read the fine print on boat registration


Nine year old Trent "trey" Smith Jr. earns himself his first Tuna Flag.

By Len Bose
July 4, 2014 | 2:18 p.m.

Summer is going by like we are on a close reach aboard a 52-foot racing sailboat.
As I have walked through the different marinas in Southern California, I have noticed that many vessels registered in the state — bearing the CF sticker for California — have also added a mussel fee sticker.
Salt-water boats, all of our Duffys and Harbor 20s, for example, are not tailored to fresh-water lakes and do not need to pay the mussel fee or apply that sticker to their boats.
So many did not read the fine print when it was time to update their boats' state registration. They missed the box to check off, and it cost the price of a decent bottle of wine, or $16.
The only thing to do about it is to check with the Department of Motor Vehicles and make sure the money was used for boating. Do we have any volunteers who would like to help me with that? Anyone?
I have to give a shout out to Susan at the Mary Conlin Co., which helps me with all my DMV work.
At the Balboa Angling Club, Amy Elliott sent me this report:
"The first tuna of the season was weighed in at the Balboa Angling Club June 30 by 9-year-old Trent 'Trey' Smith Jr., earning him the First Tuna Flag. His catch weighed in at 16.26 pounds and was caught using 20# Dacron. Trey's catch comes just in time for the Helen Smith Offshore Tournament Aug 1 and 2."
This 13th annual tournament is named for the Balboa Angling Club secretary who served from 1963 to 1999.
Tuna, dorado, yellowtail and albacore are the species to catch in this tournament using up to 30# line class maximum. The cost is $25 for members and $30 for non-members. Anglers will fish from 6 a.m. Aug. 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 2, with weigh slips due at the club by 2 p.m. Aug. 3. An awards party will follow at 4 p.m.
A kickoff party with a potluck is planned for 5:30 p.m. July 31 at the Balboa Angling Club, and everyone is welcome. The clubhouse is located at 200 A St., just a few doors down from the Balboa Pavilion, with plenty of parking at the Balboa Pier. For more information, call (949) 673-6316 or visit balboaanglingclub.org
Team Bents

As for my own fishing, or as I call it "catch and dispose," it has been going. Last weekend we brought in more than 15 Mylar balloons. Readers have started to join in the fun, with the Bents family and Bronny Joy sending in photos of their catches.
With all the warm water moving toward our coast, there has never been a better time to pull out your boat hook, circle back around and pick up those balloons. Take a photo of your catch and send it to me, and I will post it on my blog at lenboseyachts.blogspot.com
Another silly idea popped into my head the other day while sailing in Long Beach. As my crew and I were getting ready for the race, another boater was walking down the dock with a lot of pirate decorations.
When we commented that it was not Halloween, the boater told us about a type of raft-up party at the Belmont Pier. It came to my attention that a number of day moorings have been placed around the pier, and this group of friends were taking their boats out to them.
That's when I thought how great it would be to have day moorings in front of the Corona del Mar beach on the south side of the jetty entrance. What a great way to promote boating.
Tell me what you think. Would you pull up to a day mooring and party with your friends? I can see the Harbor 20 fleet all over this. Break out the canopy, a few water toys and tie the boats a little closer. Sounds like a lot of fun to me.
Sea ya

LEN BOSE is an experienced boater, yacht broker and boating columnist.

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