By LEN BOSE
Fall is here, the leaves change color and the activity around the harbor cools down a little, so I thought I would take a cruise and report my observations.
October started off with a loud roar from the Huntington Beach Air Show. Activity on the harbor felt more like the 4th of July, let me take that back, the air show seemed to have broken the sound barrier in more ways than one. According to Dave Beek, owner of Island Marine Fuel, “The air show is one of the busiest days of the year for us.” Countless marine industry people were too busy to smile and just had their heads down…working. Marina Park was full and the Dunes launch ramp appeared to be close to capacity. The most common quote I heard was, “I have never seen so many boats out on the Huntington Beach flats at one time.”
Most of the boaters would be heading out of the harbor between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. then returning around 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. The fog was clearing up early, the sun was out and there was only a light southerly breeze rolling across the water. It does not get much better than that and the timing could not have been better for all the different harbor users that weekend. Everyone I talked to on the water planned on returning to the air show next year.
As the airshow left with a boom, just the way it came in, people seemed to take in a big sigh, sit back and relax before the next tide change of the holidays approaches. From my cruise around the harbor, the shipyards appeared busy, the repo marina looked empty which I assume is a good indication on our economy. The fishing charter boats looked to be shifting over to more whale watching charters. A pod of Orca whales passed by our coastline this month which has kept the sea lions in the harbor.
As I mentioned in my last column the sea lion population has been a constant irritation to the boats located in A and B mooring fields close to the harbor entrance. The model coyotes are still the leading deterrent to keep the sea lions off your boats and docks. The Coast Guard dock became a target early this month with some great effort, as the sea lion barking moved up the bay.
While walking the docks, it appears most of the marinas are full again along with an increase in brand new boats, which is always good for me and adds a giddyup in my step.
Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s new clubhouse is starting to take shape and there are loud noises that Balboa Yacht Club is moving forward in renovating their clubhouse too. Slips are getting bigger around the harbor, as yacht clubs seem to be adjusting and renovating their clubhouses. My gut tells me it will not be much longer before more condominiums will enclose our harbor.
This thought frightens me: We only have one launch ramp in town and the commercial pier is a third of its size 10 years ago. Accessibility to our moorings is becoming more and more difficult, so where can beginning boaters go to launch their boats? Like I said in my last column “What are you gonna do?”
I guess I’m going to show my age and dream of the past. Rather than wish on my youth returning, I will wish for the small boating clubs to return. I long for the days where we returned from the water, threw burgers on the BBQ, sat down to a simple picnic bench and told sea stories of the day. No big deal that my hat is on, pants are wet, or that the kids are throwing rocks into the water for the longest skip or running around and hiding from each other.
For me and the sport of sailing it appears my bubble has popped and I will have to take my hat off, waddle on up to the bar and order a 10 dollar draft beer and consider that 25 dollar hamburger. Ya ya…I know poor me. But I still like to dream of simpler days and the thought that I am turning into my Dad does not bother me one bit.
Sea ya.
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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for StuNewsNewport
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