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.