By LEN BOSE
We are coming into summer with some heat…I’m referring to the activity around the harbor. These last couple of weeks, we have completed the Ensenada Race, Yacht Clubs’ opening days, a new Harbormaster, the starting of dredging the Lower Bay, Balboa Angling Club’s Lily Call Tournament, summer sailing and people placing strange objects in strange places.
The Ensenada Race started on April 23 with a heavy marine layer and around 10 knots of breeze out of the southwest that picked up to 15 knots out of the west by the time we reached North Coronado island. I was aboard Carbon Footprint owned by Jim Devling out of the Balboa Yacht Club. As we approached the island, I noticed Steve Sellinger’s Santa Cruz 52 Triumph only a mile behind us and sailing close to the same speed. After the island, Sellinger’s team sailed exceptionally well and wound up taking home all the pickle dishes including 1st overall in PHRF. Team IT’s OK sailed very well, finishing 1st in its class followed closely by Team Bolt, 30 seconds behind on corrected time for 2nd in class. That close a race still has to burn a little. Overall, there was a consistent breeze down the course with a few of us unlucky ones running into the light breeze, in the bay, just before the finish line. That’s the Ensenada race – “What are ya going to do?” Post-race activities, as expected, were light in attendance. Word around the docks afterward was the organizing authority was trying really hard to bring things back to normal. I for one am already looking forward to next year’s race and staying for the party.
This weekend is the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club’s and Balboa Yacht Club’s opening days. Last weekend was Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s opening day race on Saturday followed by Sunday’s opening day ceremonies. Looking at everyone’s photos and talking to a few friends, the ceremonies started to feel more like years gone by, and I am looking forward to BCYC’s opening day this Saturday. For those of you who are interested in Yachtsman Flag etiquette for dressing your vessel for the special event, go to my website at www.lenboseyachts.blogspot.com. The American Legion Yacht Club has already started their Monday night sundowners, NHYC is sailing twilights on Thursdays, and BCYC’s famous “Taco Tuesdays” start this Tuesday night.
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| Josh Cast 26.89 Halibut |
On April 24 and 25, the Balboa Angling Club held its 58th Annual Lily Call Harbor Fishing Tournament. This year’s winners were: Fish type - Croaker: Josh East, 1.07 lbs. in 1st place; Fish type - Bass: 1st place was Kenny Knight at 2.44 lbs., 2nd place was Colin Sarfeh at 2.41 lbs.; and 3rd place was Ryan Later at 2.37 lbs. Kenny Knight also did well fishing for Corbina taking 1st place at 3.71 lbs.; in 2nd was Trenton Humphries at 2.91 lbs. and Tommy Tuman took 3rd at 2.89 lbs. Fish type - Halibut: Josh Kast crushed it at 26.89 lbs. taking 1st place; 2nd went to Colin Sarfeh at 11.8 lbs.; and Aaron Sariano took 3rd place with 5.48 lbs. I say this every year – Balboa Angling Club is the best value in town, so contact them about their Junior summer program.
I received word a couple of weeks ago that Paul Blank will be taking the helm as the city’s harbormaster. I’ve interviewed Blank many times over the years, and I can’t think of a better person for the job. Hit the link above to my website for an interview I did with him back in 2014. Very few people hold the same amount of passion and well-being for our harbor as Blank, who stays on task, is very easy to approach and quite frankly he “gets it.” This is a huge win for our harbor, and Blank has promised me an interview this month to get the full scoop from the bottom of the harbor.
Talking about scoops from the bottom of the harbor, the Army Corps of Engineers has contracted with Pacific Dredge and Construction to complete dredging of the main channel entrance and just around the corner up to the car ferry crossing. If I am not mistaken, the city will then contract with them to dredge the remainder of the Lower Bay. I’ve written about this before, and I hope that everyone understands that this a fantastic thing for our harbor.
People are placing strange things in strange places, and I thought I had seen it all. At the end of Lido Isle, a resident has opted to place a floating boat lift to support a vessel that appears to be over 30 feet tall and 70 feet in length. If I was to guess the boat’s name it would be called Eclipse, because that is what it’s going to do to the neighbor’s view of the harbor. The boat is kind of cool looking, but lifted out of the water by a floating dock lift is disgusting and just wrong. On another tack regarding placing strange things in strange places, I would like to know who ordered the piece of algae known as Caulerpa prolifera native to Florida and planted it in the main channel to slow down the dredging project? This comment has no facts backing it up, as it is a conspiracy theory that I truly hope doesn’t hold water. But, you tell me how does a piece of algae that would blow up our entire harbor’s ecosystem suddenly show up just days before dredging starts with a diver that knows what Caulerpa prolifera is, where it was located and who knew exactly who to report the findings to in order to stop the dredging? I am sure I’m wrong about this one, yet “the things that make you go hmmmm.”
Sea ya.
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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.
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