Harbor Report: Business is good on the harbor

By Len Bose

June 27, 2014 | 7:50 p.m.

Hello everyone. I apologize for not turning in a story last week. The good news is that I have been selling boats.

Which leads me into my annual marine industry sales observations.

I asked Mike Zemla of Western Marine Maintenance, David Beek at Island Marine Fuel, Arurto Vilegas of Yacht Maintenance Services and Tracy at B.T. Canvas how things are going. Their replies were some form of "Great, I gotta go!" as they hurried to their next job.

I have noticed an increase in sales to people who have yachting in their blood. They stopped boating when times got tough and are starting to return. Most of my clients are people in their late 50s to 70s who miss spending time on the water and want to pass on their family traditions. In almost every single sale this month, the customer said that if he was going to do this, he better do it now.

It's fun to watch how the harbor changes during the day as I run boats from the different slips to the shipyards for inspections and back.

In the early morning hours you have the different rowing teams breaking a sweat before 7. The diver makes his first jump into the water, and I can hear that deep sigh through the snorkel when he hits the cold water and starts cleaning the bottom of the boats.

As the day progresses the kids take over in their sabots, kayaks and paddleboards. As twilight approaches, the harbor fills up again, with adult sailors participating in the different summer series. The Duffy electric boats start to appear for sunset dinner and cocktail cruises.

It's interesting to see how my selling a boat affects those around the harbor. Zemla, my engine mechanic, gets a call to catch up on the boat engine maintenance. Beek sees more people going to the fuel dock because of the new interest in boating. Vilegas gets a long list of work from bottom cleaning and buffing and waxing the hull to system repairs. Tracy always seems to update the canvas for the new owner. It's a good feeling seeing so many people working again in the marine industry.

This time of year I spend a lot of time on the water, and things seem to be running smoothly throughout the harbor this season. The New Port marina, the building project between Woody's and the Crab Cooker, is moving at a very fast pace with its new seawall in place. The city's Marina Park is continuing to make progress, and the new sea wall going in around Bay Island is keeping the residents shaken up as it gets hydraulically pressed into place.

We have had our normal amount of sea lion activity taking place and one or two lonely sailboats around the harbor. I am not clear on what the city code or policy is, but I have seen a lot of moored boats with more than one dinghy attached. To me this kind of looks like that neighbor down the street who has five cars parked in front of his house.

It goes without saying this is my favorite time of year. The harbor is standing tall this summer and ready to welcome visits.

One last thing before I go this week. If you are out on the ocean this coming holiday weekend, keep an eye out for floating Mylar balloons. If you find one, stop and pick it up with your boat hook, take a photo of your catch to send to me, then properly dispose of it. I'll make you famous and it's rather gratifying.

Sea ya.

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

The Harbor Report: Toss in your hat for Harbor Commission

This is a drawing of a Duffy Dock. The docking being considered do not have the pilings.

By Len Bose

June 13, 2014 | 8:29 p.m.

I have quite a bit of information to pass along this week regarding the harbor and Newport Beach. This information is best combined with participation and making your concerns heard.

First is the change on the Harbor Commission. Three of the harbor commission seats are up for renewal. One commissioner is being termed-out and the other two are incumbents Doug West and Duncan McIntosh. Both have done an outstanding job, and it would be inconceivable if they are not returned to the commission.

Other Newport Beach residents who have applied are Thomas Dessel, the owner of Coast Marine; John Drayton, active harbor user and technology manager for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority; Patricia Humphreys, local Realtor; and William Kenney Jr., active yachtsman and commercial Realtor.

On June 24, the City Council will pick three applicants from this list. To review the applications, go to novusagendapublic.newportbeachca.gov.

Earlier this week, the City Council heard a presentation from the developer of Lido Village. Terms to understand when developing a new marina are bulk head lines, pier head lines and project lines. It would take far too long to explain the difference between these terms. To put it simply, bulk head and pier head lines can be changed by our local agencies. Project lines can only be changed by an act of Congress.

We will get back to these different lines in a minute, but for now, I would like to touch on a couple of items that pricked up my ears during this presentation.

I am sure you all agree the Lido Village is long overdue for a face lift. We have a "bird in the hand" with a developer who has done his due diligence and placed a ton of money into this project to get it off the ground.

The positive items that grabbed my attention were the addition of two new public docks, the start of a walkway that would run through the village and connect to Mariner's Mile and, of course, new docks.

My concern was the addition of 15 slips that can handle 82-foot ships. Now, if these slips are filled with private owners or visiting yachtsmen, that's one thing. But if these slips are filled with mile-high charter boats, that's another. I need to remind our commissioners and council members that these ships will overhang from our pier lines into our bulk head lines under our current overhang policy.

This conversation stalled when one council member needed to recuse himself and another was absent. Half the members wanted to spend more time making sure this was the correct concept for a marina that will last for another 50 years. They wanted to look into ideas of entering into the forbidden zone of exceeding the project lines. That could delay this project for months or maybe years.

I have to give it to this developer: He held his cool and explained that he looked into the previous plan at great lengths and came to the conclusion that it was not feasible. The council decide to push the topic to the next meeting and vote then. If it was up to me, I would move forward on this plan and send it to the Harbor Commission for review and comments.

Next up was the floating dock concept presented by Harbor Commissioner Brad Avery. Avery gave an outstanding presentation and covered all the concerns, from both sides of the table, regarding this topic. At the end of the presentation, the council decided to create a survey for mooring permit holders, home owners and any harbor user who would like to voice his or her opinion.

For me, this is a easy concept to move forward on ever since I heard John Cazier, past commodore of the Balboa Yacht Club and a person I highly admire, say, "This place would be a different world if we took all these moored boats and placed them onto a floating marina. Floating docks are a big change to try to institute. Every square foot of water out there is worth a lot of money, and we are using it very badly."

Words I completely agree with.

Time to get into the game, people. Please voice your opinions and be heard.

Sea ya.

Before

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

After

Taco Tuesday # 4 Pre Game Write Up

TUE...NW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING W IN THE AFTERNOON. Sailflow has 10 Knots.

Last Tuesday night we had a good turn out with sixteen boats attending. Six boats in C’s, seven in B’s and five in A’s.

The breeze stayed at about 6-8 knots of pressure and kept the race committee on its toes with a ninety degree wind shift to the south during the last beat of the first race. In A fleet Scott Ramser picked up on the sent of that wind shift and chased it down like a hunger bear winning both races. We had a three way tie in B fleet with Mark Conzelman, Mar Hurwitz and Rolly Pulaski all finishing the night with five points. Conzelman winning the tie breaker when he crossed the finish line first in the second race of the night. In C fleet it was team Lighting using their boat speed to stay in front of the pack with a first and second place finishes.

I was fighting a jib boom that just did not want to tack from side to side. It kind of reminded of a bird, that had broken it’s wing, spinning circles frantically to stay alive. Fortunately it was nothing so serious and I was quickly prescribed the remedy by taking out the jib boom on another date. After further research I noticed one of the caller screws, that hold the jib boom in place, is locked in and I need to spend more time on the problem. My short term solution was to spray lubrication down the base of the boom. Hey it’s a boat! 

If your boat is acting up and you are looking for a remedy make sure you attend the after race awards and ask the many pros we have that are always are willing to give their opinion. I always seem to ask Peter Haynes, Jim Kerrigan, Bob Yates or Walter Johnson.

Last week quotes: We had just went into the last practice start and three of us thought it was game on when Steve Schupak, sailing with Tucker Cheadle, ask “Hey Len, where is everybody?” We had sailed almost the whole way to the weather mark before realizing it was a practice start.

I missed the next quote but it sounded like “You can’t do that!” between Emile and Jim Kerrigan at the finish of the first B fleet. From my perspective it look like a room to finish question?

This reminds me to inform you all that protests are not a bad thing and this format is the perfect time to practice your presentations and review the rules

Two items I would like to bring up: Remember the boat handling and sail trim seminar is this month June 21. To our race committee respectively, when we have a huge wind shift. Rather than waiting for all the marks to be adjusted, run a down wind start and adjust the marks when we are racing.

If anyone has time to coach this week or take photos please give me a call at (714) 916-0200.