On the Harbor: Counting down my favorite 10 stories of 2022

 

 By LEN BOSE

The months seem to fly by faster than a 100-foot racing sailboat; while looking back over the year I have forgotten more than I care to admit. Not a bad intro, right? The truth is this that this time of year I am fat, lazy and I really don’t want to work that hard. My mind is on one of my remote control boats that I plan on sailing as soon as I am done writing this. So, let’s count down my favorite 10 stories of 2022.

10. Now that I have hung up my sea boots, it’s all about remote control RC, sailboat racing. Mid-summer, I reviewed some of the long histories of RC racing in our harbor while describing my passion for my new hobby. My write-up on RC Sailboat Racing is found here.

9. I’m not done with racing my Harbor 20 with my favorite event of the summer being BCYC Taco Tuesdays. This year we reflected back on all the hard work Commodore Rhonda Tolar and her team puts into Taco Tuesdays at BCYC. To read about it, click here.

8. If you have a boat with Yamaha Outboards then you need to meet Nick Kelly. Over the last 10 years, it’s been no secret who the go-to person is around town to service your Yamaha outboards. That is Nick Kelly, the owner of West Coast Marine Service, located at 1555 Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa. To read about it, click here. 

7. Harbormaster Paul Blank. This story was an interesting review of the previous year that Harbormaster Paul Blank had. From oil spills and tsunami warnings to people trying to steal boats, read it here.

6. Keeping the Yachtsmen’s Luncheon an honored tradition. This event has taken place since they placed water in the harbor. At the beginning of the year, it was looking like the Yachtsmen’s could not find a host for their monthly meetings. I wrote about some of the history of the luncheon. The good news is that the custodians of the luncheon have worked hard and kept the event alive. If you have never attended, make sure you give it a try. Read about it here.

      5. Harbor Dredging and the Wedge. This was a review of the upcoming harbor dredging, along with how some of the sand from the harbor might help restore the sand at the wedge. Dredging is top shelf news in our harbor, as I am sure it will be in 2023. Read about it here.

4. Mooring rental rates were the topic of a Harbor Commission meeting. My gut tells me mooring rates and mooring permits will be the hot topic of 2023, too. Before I comment, I will need to spend more time with the Harbor Commissioners this coming year to obtain a full understanding of what is being placed on the table. This story was about the shore mooring fees and the first step by the Harbor Commission to come up with an updated value for the permits. Read it here.

3. While I am writing about moorings, dredging and now the CAD project, I kept thinking of the early Eddie Murphy delirious skit when his uncle Guss lights the BBQ fire – “Now that’s a Fire.” – because I get the feeling I am throwing gasoline on the fire when I bring up these topics. This story talks about the CAD system and the proposed new mooring fields. This is and was the hot topic on the harbor this year. Read about it here.

Phillip Ramser

2. We lost two very good souls this year – Ben Benjamin and Phillip Ramser – both of them good friends and never forgotten. You can find Ben’s tribute here.

Ben Benjamin

1. Something tells me you already know what this year’s top story was “Destruction derby to harbor aboard the stolen vessel.” The docks have all been finally repaired, yet who can forget Joel Praneet Siam’s “harbor cruise” earlier this year? What a crazy way to wrap up 2022. Read about it here.

That’s a wrap on 2022 time to go sailing!

Sea ya next year.

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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: holiday gift ideas for boaters

Kathy Hill, owner of Crews Quarters Newport

By LEN BOSE

With Christmas quickly approaching, you might be considering gift ideas for your crew or captain. If you are new to boating, the best gift you can receive is a slip in Newport Harbor, but we all understand that’s not going to happen very easily. For those of you fortunate enough to have a boat and even a slip in town, let’s talk about some Christmas gifts that are available in a short period of time.

For all of my Duffy boat owners, if you don’t already have Duffy Care, then this is the golden ticket of Duffy presents. Duffy Care is an annual maintenance service that has the Duffy crew come to your boat monthly to clean the boat – top to bottom – along with maintaining your batteries. And at the end of the year, they’ll haul the boat, apply bottom paint and detail it. This is a huge value. Other ideas are underwater lights or maybe new teak and holly matting for your cabin sole.

I stopped by Basin Marine (829 Harbor Island Drive #A, Newport Beach) this week and talked to owner, Derek New. New had many good ideas. One of my favorites was a mooring sand line hauler. This item makes it easy to pick up the sand lines by passing the sand line through a stainless-steel open loop which has a tether attached on the other end of the loop allowing you to easily bring the sand line from bow to stern. This is especially helpful if you have the type of boat that makes it difficult to walk down the side or if you just don’t want to get your hands murky.

Another great gift is the Cheater bar from Top Shelf Marine that allows you to free up those thru-hulls you need to add some leverage to. If you’re looking for something to really get the attention of other boaters in Catalina at 5 p.m., or on your Duffy, look up or ask New about Kahlenberg pleasure craft and yacht horns. If you want to blow the socks off someone, this is it.

Basin Marine has a large selection of underwater lights to consider that can be installed during your next haul out. Speaking of haul outs, they also offer gift certificates that would be deeply appreciated by your skippers. I’d recommend you schedule your spring haul out now, because the yard was jammed packet while I was there.

If you are considering a new sound system for your boat, I couldn’t be more pleased with the service from Hendersons Car Audio at 2137 Harbor Blvd. in Costa Mesa. I have been sending customers to them for years and I always receive good reviews of their work.

By now you might be saying well that’s all well and good Len, but I don’t own a boat of my own nor do I have a slip. Well, if you are looking for a boat parade gift or yachting apparel, then you have to go by and visit Crews Quarters Newport, located at 333 E. 17th St., Ste. 4 in Costa Mesa. I stopped by and visited with owner Kathy Hill this week. The store is full of great ideas for the boat owner that has everything. Plates, cups, pillows, the ideas are endless…with all kinds of different personalized items. Hill mentioned that many of these have very quick turnaround times. There was yachting attire for kids, women and men that caught my attention. Hill also showed me items for the galley or heads with different towels and soaps along with many grab-and-go items, as well as personalized stationery. If you are not sure what your favorite crew or skipper might want, there are always gift certificates available. Crews Quarters Newport is a must-see for many of your holiday gifts, and the best part is that it’s easy to get in and out of the parking lot. Hill will take care of you with old-fashioned personalized customer service, which these days can be almost as difficult to find as a slip.

My last recommendation for personalized fender covers, hats, shirts, crew bags or a custom boat flag is to head to Sunset Printing and Graphics at 8580 Hamilton Ave. in Huntington Beach. Denise and Will Hawes have done a fantastic work for me over the years from personalizing boat names to embroidering, trophy ideas and banners. I give Denise an overview of what I am looking for and let her go from there. I have never been disappointed with their work.

I am reminding all of you, the Christmas Boat Parade runs December 14-18, so it is always a good idea to run the parade route during the day before the parade begins to look for any hazards.

Sea yak! 

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: Ben Benjamin will be missed

By LEN BOSE

I started this past Monday taking a huge punch in the gut, realizing that a very good friend of mine and our harbor had passed away in his sleep Saturday night. The punch lingers because Ben Benjamin was only 48 years old with a wife Carolyn and three very young kids – Liam, Ella, and Abby.

I first met Benjamin when I was the Fleet Captain at the Balboa Yacht Club while he was the sailing administrator. We worked together daily becoming good friends on and off the water. For about a year, we would meet up on Monday mornings and ride our bikes around the Back Bay. He was always competitive on the water and while we were riding, “You do pretty good for an old guy,” said Benjamin, as we ground up the Castaways hill off of PCH and Dover.

More than once, Benjamin would say to me: “I don’t think that idea is going to fly Len.” We had a strong working relationship and quickly became good friends. After Benjamin left the club and started his family, he started to show up at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s Thursday Summer Series sailing a Lehman 12 with his two kids at that time, Liam and Ella. I would receive a heartfelt greeting that was engaged with a whistle followed up with a hearty “Len Bose!” I admired that Benjamin sailed with his kids and I always felt it was more to him about being on the water with them rather than winning the series.

 My time with Benjamin was short and I placed a couple of calls to people that had spent more time with him than I had. My first call was to Becky Lenhart. It was interesting that Becky started our conversation exactly how I felt, “Biggest punch in the gut; the world is just different without him,” Lenhart said. They had known each other before Lenhart started working alongside Benjamin. “Larger than life personality, he could be the boss, disciplinarian, he can also be so goofy, I remember the funny Ben times more than anything else,” Lenhart said. I asked Becky how he affected her life while they worked together. “He trusted me to be in charge, he gave me the confidence to complete the job,” Lenhart said. Becky and I both recalled when Benjamin’s mother had passed away how many of his friends attended his mother’s services. We recalled the church was huge with all of the back rows being filled with sailors showing Benjamin our support for his loss. Toward the end of our conversion, Lenhart said, “Your life was just better if he was in it. This has been a huge wake-up call for me, something tells me as the wind whistles around my office windows I am going to look up and see him helping me.”

My next call was to Jacob Ullman. He and Benjamin had been close friends since the high school sailing team at Newport Harbor High. “There was word coming in from the sailing coaches that this sailor was returning to the area and he would be sailing on the team next year. His name is Ben Benjamin. I did not know who Ben Benjamin was and what type of silly name was that having the same name twice,” Ullman said. “He moved in a block away from us and we slowly became close friends realizing that we both loved this harbor, and the Grateful Dead, constantly interacting with each other from then on.”

Ullman went on to say they taught sailing together for many summers at NHYC – he was a really good sailor, Snipes, FJ, and the 505. Benjamin was a very accomplished 505 crew sailing in many world events and finishing at the top of many regattas. According to Ullman, “A couple of weeks ago, Benjamin called and asked if my daughter Skylar would like to join them for a junior sabot sailing regatta in San Diego. Up until that time, Skylar preferred not to race, yet after returning from a weekend with the Benjamins, Skylar had the biggest smile on her face. She had the best weekend and commented that she wants to go on every traveling regatta she can with them. Ben made this all happen, picking up the boat, and providing rooms and meals just as if she was one of the family. When I asked what I owed him he replied, ‘You’re Good!’ That was just the way he was. He liked kids, had patience, he was able to present himself as understanding and not intimidating. He really had that ability to relate to kids. The kids loved to be with him. I admired his generosity and commitment to his kids; I need to do more to make that happen,” Ullman said.

Benjamin will be missed. I am sure we will all be at peace with the understanding that “You’re Good,” Ben Benjamin!

Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe page at Ben Benjamin and Family.

Sea ya! 

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: Welcome aboard a super yacht charter

By LEN BOSE

One of my clients had just returned from a super yacht charter in Greece and after talking to them my mind started wondering what, who, and where would be my choice of a superyacht charter. Kind of like when you purchase a Lotto ticket with dreaming about what you would do if you won. After interviewing Charter broker Rose Jolis, I felt that the odds of participating in a yacht charter are much better odds than winning the Lotto. 

Over the last year, I have gotten to know Jolis from our weekly sales meetings and have found she is extremely easy to talk to and an even better listener. She grew up in New York and found a passion for preparing fine meals and then studied culinary arts in New York City. This led to the desire to see the different foods of the world while finding her way to Australia to work aboard a mothership for charter clients fishing 1,000 lb. black marlin on the Great Barrier Reef.

Her next opportunity came as a chef aboard three luxury yachts while continuing to climb up the job opportunity ladder to a purser. Jolis had to explain what the term purser meant: “A Purser oversees all of the crew’s logistics, provisioning, accounting, and each vessel is managed differently, so ultimately you manage the interior of the yacht.” After 20 years at sea, Jolis moved onto land becoming a yacht charter specialist. “After two decades at sea, my firsthand experience provides my clients with customized, off-the-beaten path adventures,” Jolis said. 

Start by envisioning an experience of a lifetime aboard one of the vessels by scouring the internet and nurturing the desire to do this. Your next step forward is to contact Rose Jolis, six to eight months beforehand, with the dates you would like to go, who you would like to go with, along with the types of activities that would interest your group. This can be in the sun with many water activities, and with historical or nature expeditions. Jolis personally experienced these vessels by attending the many different charter boat shows around the world, and meeting the captains and crews while personally viewing the vessels.

Rose Jolis

“I am a people person, so I like to talk to my clients over the phone ensuring I make the perfect fit into the proper yacht. I personally am an off-the-beaten path type of person. I have a lot of adventurous clients where I take them to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea; my favorite destination is Tahiti.”

Your next question, while hesitating to ask, is how much does this cost? What are the standard terms of a charter contract? This is where Jolis stands apart from other charter brokers. She will take you through the charter agreement item by item so that you are completely comfortable with the terms. As a charter agent through Denison Yachting, Denison is the escrow agent. Two payments are made when chartering with a 50% deposit of the charter fee with taxes added which are variable around the world. With the second payment, an advanced provisioning allowance (APA) is paid which varies from 30-40% of the charter fee. This goes to the yacht covering provisions, fuel, dockage, alcohol, day tours, transportation to and from the airport and diving expeditions. All of the APA is accounted for and presented to the lead charter client. Traditionally, the remaining funds usually go in full or part toward the crew’s gratuity or returning the charter. If a client has spent in excess, the balance is due on receipt and paid by wire.“Every trip is exclusive to that client and every client moves at a different pace. Because we know the individual requirements of each guest, this allows us to provide the best bespoke service,” Jolis said.

(L-R) Captain Charlie Johnson, Rose Jolis and Nese Aiumu 

My happy place is Catalina, but my wife Jennifer feels it’s not a vacation unless we get on an airplane. Therefore, after my interview with Jolis, I would want to book the Yachtfisher she described berthed in Cabo San Lucas and then cruise the Gulf of California. Jolis described the Luxury Yacht Fisher as a “finely finished yacht, yes, she is a fishing machine, with an American captain and Mexican crew. The chef is world renowned. It’s a really fabulous yacht!” 

Here is my image with two other couples cruising the different islands of the Gulf of California. Start the day with different water activities, slides, jet skis and competitive sailing with guests, then lunch on the beach. Make it back to the boat for happy hour, making sure that the captain understands I want to lay into the ship’s horns at 1700 (5 p.m.) each afternoon. Freshen up, then head to dinner with a nightcap in the Jacuzzi. That pretty much wraps it up for me.

You can reach Rose Jolis at www.rosejolis.com.

I’d better get back to work!

Sea ya! 

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

On the Harbor: CAD decision made…time to move forward; Commissioner Beer offers detailed mooring ideas

By LEN BOSE

This month on the harbor has made me reflect on one of my favorite songs, “I’m Shakin” by Jack White. “A storm rocks a ship on a sea, the wind shakes the leaves on a tree, and I’m a nervous wreck and I’m all shook up, and that’s what you’re doin’ to me right now, that’s right, you got me nervous.”

The water is ebbing at the moment while I am encouraged by what the next flood tide will bring in. I am referring to the proposed utilization of space in our mooring fields, followed by an update regarding our lower bay dredging Confined Aquatic Disposal “CAD” project. I again would like to mention that I have many very good friends on both sides of these issues that I do hope will remain friends. Let’s move forward with my “marginal harbor advice when you are told you have no other opinions.” 

Sara Hall’s article “State agency OKs city’s plan to bury contaminated dredged material in ‘Large hole’ in the harbor,” in the last edition of Stu News Newport, explains the CAD project better than I ever could in great detail. So, you might be asking yourself what happens next? With the Coastal Commission’s support, one of the last permits needed is with the Army Corps of Engineers. Assuming that permit is received, the Army Corps goes out to bid on the project.

My best guess is that we will see the dredging equipment arrive in the harbor sometime in February 2023. Many of my friends have voiced concerns about how much room the dredging equipment will take up. The simple answer is that the crane and scow are exactly what we have already experienced during phase one of the lower bay dredging. 

While the dredging is going on, the anchorage will be moved up to the west end of Lido, in front of Lido Village. Different mooring fields will be removed while dredging is going on in that area or field. This will open up space in the busy five-point area of the harbor.

Speaking of mooring fields, this will segue me into the second part of my story. During this month’s Harbor Commission meeting, Harbor Commissioner Ira Beer presented the Mooring Field Open Water Initiative Improved Utilization Report, or how can we improve the moorings? I’ve been covering the Harbor Commission now for 12 years with this presentation ranking easily as one of the best reports I have ever witnessed. Commissioner Beer has dug into this task and has done his due diligence. 

I spoke with Beer on the phone this week and during our conversation I recalled many of the issues I had when coming to and from my mooring. Beer knew exactly what I was talking about, while bringing up the same problems he has had retrieving and departing his mooring.

Back in 2018, the Harbor Commission, started with an objective to evaluate the current mooring fields and provide a recommendation for new guidelines that better define rows and fairways to improve navigation, safety, and optimization of space within the mooring fields and allow for additional city moorings to be located within the designated mooring fields. 

The system that is being reviewed by the Harbor Commission is to go from a single-row mooring field to a double-row mooring field with the assistance of a Helical anchor, which resembles a corkscrew. This anchor system is much better than what we are using now, which is concrete blocks. 

To get a better idea of what is being proposed refer to the post below where I have posted the complete 27-page PowerPoint presentation. 

Many of my friends don’t care for this concept of a double row mooring system and came up with a large number of concerns regarding retrieving and departing their moorings. I am going to step out of the edge of the plank here and say, I like the idea of updating our mooring fields and reducing the overall footprint of the fields. 

The Harbor Commission sub-committee will be meeting with the Newport Mooring Association to shape this proposed project before going in front of the Harbor Commission for approval of the recommendation at its next meeting in November, before going to the City Council.

The key part of this recommendation is to understand the testing process. A mooring field will be selected – let’s call it the C field. The first step is to take two rows or about six boats and then test the system to see if it works. Refer to the PowerPoint presentation to understand what all the different variables are in deciding if this system works. 

The next step would be to change the remainder of that field with this new system and again if it works then ask City Council if they want to proceed. At each testing period, the Mooring Association and mooring permit holders will have an opportunity to present their comments. I say let’s give it a try and see if it works!

Sea ya.

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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

Improving Newport Beach Moorings

 

On the Harbor: Keeping the Yachtsmen’s Luncheon an honored tradition

Len Bose speaking at the Yachtsmen’s Luncheon at Balboa Yacht Club

By LEN BOSE

Last week while attending the Wednesday Yachtsmen’s Luncheon, now at the Balboa Yacht Club, I immediately recognized familiar faces and old friends. The Yachtsmen’s Luncheon has a long history in our harbor dating back some 80 years.

Back in the day, the boys used to drink a little during lunch and quite often spend the remaining part of the day sailing or just hanging out in the Pirates Den at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Post-COVID, the luncheon has been moved to the Balboa Yacht Club being held every other Wednesday afternoon. The meetings have held onto many long-standing traditions over the years with attendees only needing an interest in boats and boating “without requiring membership in a yacht club or proof of COVID vaccination.” The last part of the last sentence is only a pun. 

Back in the early days when boys, could be boys, there was a raffle at each meeting for a bottle of gin, vodka, bourbon, Scotch, or rum with the raffle tickets selling for 50 cents each. After a decade or two of this, someone noticed that maybe that was not a good idea while referring to some sort of illegal gaming under California law. Another decade passed with the boys finally noticing that females should be invited into the luncheon. In my house, inviting the spouse is the only way I would be able to have cocktails at lunch.

Yet, before the luncheon was requested to “turn down the volume,” they had another tradition of the annual Balboa Ferry Luncheon sometime just before Christmas. One of the Balboa ferry boats would nose into the long dock where the bar, buffet table, staff and provisions were loaded aboard. This was well before there were seat belt laws or room capacity numbers, and the fun meter was pegged in the red for at least a two-hour cruise around the harbor. I recall hearing that the ferry had its running lights on one year while returning to the long dock. I would love to take part in some of that today. How many of you yachtsmen miss those days? I can already see all the yachtsmen in their Christmas Reyn Spooners, dressed up like Rudolph with their glowing red noses. Let’s ask UBER to sponsor this event for us...shall we?

Back on course Len…after lunch, each meeting starts with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, when newcomers get introduced and become a member for life. There are no dues, rules, fees, or bylaws followed by a fishing report and racing report. After this is completed, the speaker is introduced and topics run from sailing, boat designers and boat builders to cars, science and harbor politics. For me, the hour goes by quickly, and while leaving I have a rather big smile on my face. Not from the adult beverages, but rather from all the memories I have had with so many of the attendees.

Over the last two meetings, I have been invited to talk about the man overboard we had on Horizon this last summer and the Transpac race. I trust my presentations were well received and I look forward to many more in the future.

The future does have a small question mark in front of it and that’s where the luncheons will be held. It goes beyond my comprehension why the Newport Harbor Yacht Club would ever break from this long tradition by only allowing the yachtsmen to meet every third Wednesday at NHYC. I must be getting older, because this is when you see me shake my head, rub my face, follow up with more questions regarding the purpose of a yacht club? I’ve always felt yacht clubs are the guardians of our harbor’s history and traditions with the Yachtsmen Luncheon being kept in perpetuity at NHYC. 

• • •

Winter sailing starts up this weekend with BYC kicking off its Sunkist Series along with the NHYC Winter Series looking forward to both of them along with the annual H20 Fat Friday race, the Friday after Thanksgiving. My good friend Greg Newman and his crew will be running the races with more information being sent out soon. There is another trend starting to gain momentum in Southern California. Do you seasoned yachtsmen see what I did here? The Ericson 35 Mk II sailboat is making a comeback as a simple boat to sail in our harbors and maybe in a club race or two. With two very distinguished sailing teams in our harbor, refitting their newly acquired boats to the water is starting to warm up. There are two refitted boats in San Diego with another arriving soon in Alamitos Bay. This is a good thing and I plan on reporting more on this very soon.

Sea ya.

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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.