On the Harbor: Continuing to tour Newport Harbor with Harbormaster Paul Blank

By LEN BOSE

Let’s continue our cruise with Harbormaster Paul Blank which took place on a cold and wet day on March 30. We left off with how good it felt to me witnessing how much has improved in our harbor since Blank has become Harbormaster.

–The Caulerpa algae: This showed up in our harbor last year and has been kept under containment. There is still a concern because it can become a potentially invasive species if released into an environment, as it is not native. We are hoping that there is no further outbreak. Blank and I left wondering if this algae is only dormant during winter’s cold water.

–Upland winter water run-off: Blank was not concerned about the local mountain runoff as we get closer to summer. Most of the water will be running off through the Santa Ana River. We didn’t get that technical while shifting to the runoff debris boom in the Upper Bay. This boom catches most of the large items, like telephone poles and mobile homes (just kidding), yet some of the stories I have heard over the years have been entertaining. With the amount of runoff, we have had this year, most if not all the large strange objects have already been flushed down and out of the harbor. It’s been noted that bed mattresses and large beaver dams have been seen floating by recently.

 –Boat de-watering: I was surprised to hear how many boats are constantly in need of de-watering or pumping the rainwater out of them. Most of the vessels have been on shore moorings around Balboa Island and down the Peninsula. Along with some offshore mooring vessels, in this case, if a larger boat is threatening to sink, the city will call Sea Tow to de-water the vessel at the owner’s expense.

–California state grants: This is a long, complex task taking many hours of city staff to apply for these grants. One grant I am familiar with is the Abandoned Vessel Exchange grant (SAVE); this grant has helped the city remove many abandoned vessels from the harbor. You might have noticed those harbor patrol vessels – there is a law enforcement water patrol equipment grants, there are waste pump-out grants, sign replacement grants and spill response equipment grants. Most, if not all, of these grants our harbor has taken part in, require people who are very smart and patient. Obtaining and managing these state grants is extremely tedious and time-consuming. A huge Bravo/Zulu for a job well done must be given to the Blank’s team for obtaining these grants.

–Lighting the channel markers: This topic has been discussed for a decade now and we might be taking this task off our desks. Many of the channel markers, all of them in the Upper Bay/Back Bay, is not lighted and should be. Because of the many government agencies, this task has not registered a solid ping on the radar. My guess is Blank has always agreed that this task should be completed, and is tired of me bringing it up every year and wants it off his desk. During our cruise, he encouragingly said, “The application will be completed by the end of April, I want this task off my desk.”

–Marine recycling center: Comparable to the channel markers, this idea has been around for the last decade almost coming to reality once maybe even twice. The concept is to copy other harbors like Dana Point, with a couple of recycling centers around the harbor to dispose of motor oils, motor fluids, batteries, and all the marine products one should not throw in a general trash bin. Confidence is high that this project will be completed in the near future.

–Boating safety: I asked Blank what is one of his boater’s safety concerns that he would like to reach share with the public. “Bow riding is one of my first concerns when you notice people sitting on the bows of boats with their feet hanging over the sides of the boat. When we notice this, we remind boaters this is not a good idea and that we have seen many people having a bad day when someone falls in front of a moving vessel,” Blank said.

These were most of the topics we discussed during our 2.5-hour tour of Newport Harbor, and Blank wanted to remind everyone of the Harbor Summit on Wednesday, April 26 at Marina Park from 5-7 p.m. This summit brings together in one room, most if not all, harbor users from large charter boats to rowing and sailing clubs to discuss their concerns and open a line of communication.

• • •

A huge weekend is coming up at the end of April with the Ensenada Race, which will bring a couple of hundred boats into the harbor starting this weekend with the race beginning on April 28. At the same time, another couple hundred (I’m just guessing) more yachts than we have seen in years will be at the Newport Beach International Boat Show running in Lido Village from April 27-30. This is the mother of all boat shows on the West Coast, with yacht manufacturers, brokers, and the entire marine industry all just itching to get back into the game. This will be a must-attend for all you boaters out there who are ready to make your dreams come true. More information on the boat show can be found at www.nbibs.com. 

• • •

I am excited to announce that I have recently taken the job as Regional Sales Manager at Duffy Electric Boats and, yes, we will be at the boat show front and center, so please come by and say hello. We will teach you “How to Duffy.” 

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

Touring Newport Harbor with Harbormaster Paul Blank

By LEN BOSE

I received an invitation from Newport Beach Harbormaster Paul Blank to go onto the harbor in a patrol boat to review the objectives and accomplishments of the harbor department. We meet on a cold damp early Thursday afternoon pushing off the dock for our two-hour tour. I recorded our conversation, and after reviewing it I am amazed and overwhelmed by the progress Harbormaster Blank and his team have achieved.

I found this simple description of the duties of the Newport Beach Harbor Department on their website. “The Harbor Department is responsible for many of the harbor-related programs and services in the City of Newport Beach (City). As the ‘ambassadors’ of the harbor, our team conducts daily harbor patrols and provides assistance and services to our community and visitors. Our team is entrusted with educating the community and coordinating the use of our anchorages and mooring fields. The Harbor Department also manages the City’s guest marina, Marina Park, renting available slip space and moorings.” 

Just entering the Harbormaster office had me silenced because of all the activity around me. You might recall, I worked at Marina Park as an assistant dockmaster two days a week for two years. At that time, we had two people in the office; now, my rough estimate was 12 people just in the office, all focused on their assigned tasks.

During our two-hour cruise, Blank and I talked about many harbor topics, sailing, and food recipes. I am going to leave out the sailing and recipes by submerging ourselves with the work at hand. Our first topic was team training from boat handling and mooring access which is helping boaters get on and off their moorings from their patrol boats to learn how to maneuver larger sail and power boats on and off moorings. There is first aid training, along with incident command standards “ICS” for emergency training that everyone on the team must complete and renew every other year. There is training with the Newport Beach Police Department disaster services with field exercises. Blank’s team will be participating in their own field exercise with an unscheduled spill response where the patrol boats will meet up with the spill trailer and deploy the spill capture booms. I have to assume we missed more than one training program to talk about these topics I inquired about.

Moorings: What should boaters do if the weather is uncooperative and it’s blowing “Dogs off the chains,” which is a term for a high wind advisory? With the Harbor Department operating hours between 8 a.m.-6 p.m., there is a time a boater might need assistance returning to their mooring. Should you find yourself in this situation, you can dock at Marina Park, a public dock, or at one of the end ties at Basin Marina. Remember to check in with the harbor department and let them know where your boat is and that you are ready to return to your mooring, weather permitting. Blank and I also discussed the proposed pilot program in the mooring C field, just east of Bay Island. With the City Council’s approval, the two furthest east mooring rows will be changed into one double row during the pilot test period. Both Blank and I are in favor of this pilot test, but we both have many friends that disagree with us. We touched on some of the concerns of many mooring permit holders, and we both want to make it clear that there are no changes to Title 17 and the transfer of mooring permits.

Dredging: The planned dredging of the lower bay is moving forward, hopefully starting in early summer. The backup equipment will not just be placed in one location for more than 60 days but rotated to different locations during the dredging process. There will be updates on the progress and location of the dredging equipment on the city’s website, or you can sign on to the email list.

Pump out Stations: Harbor hero George Hylkema came up with a design that separates items that would disable the pumps. Along with the city installing these separators, Harbormaster Blank is proud to report that all the pump-out stations are fully operational, and because of this, the pumps have never been accessed more.

Public Docks: Public docks require a huge consistent effort in monitoring with more than 10,000 inspections last year alone. This due diligence has been paying off because there have been better compliance. Also noteworthy is the new signage with a QR code taking you to a map with all the public restrooms, pump-out stations, and public docks. Blank’s team has polished the blue and white caps on all the public docks.

Live-A-Boards: The number of non-permitted live-a-boards has been drastically reduced with a very strong possibility that there are no longer any non-permitted live-a-boards in the harbor. At this time, the limit of 51 permit holders is full with a waiting list that could take close to three years to obtain. Each live-a-board must renew their permits by showing the vessel operable with a pump-out log.

There is so much more important information to cover, that you will have to return to my column at the same bat channel and same bat time in two weeks. Please come back because it just makes me full of pride at how clean and efficient our harbor is at this time.

Sea ya.

Editor’s Note: This is part one in a two-part story.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: Experience our bay on a Duffy

By LEN BOSE

This week, I spent a lot of time shuttling Duffy electric boats to and from the shipyard for prospective buyers to complete their inspection process before they purchase a boat. The Duffy market has exploded this year with the demand reaching new heights. From what I am hearing, this is true across the board in the marine boating market. Similarities are also heard from the recreational vehicles market. I am a superstitious man so the less I say about the increased activity the better.

Let’s just say if you are considering moving to a brand new Duffy and selling the boat you already have, there has never been a better time. I sound like a salesman right, yet it is true. In the meantime, let me take you back to some of my fondest memories aboard an electric boat.

While on the harbor, during these warm summer days, I thought back to all the good times I have had while cruising the harbor.

As a college student, I recalled all the Friday nights we found a place to park the boat in the Rhine Channel, starting our night at Snug Harbor, and working our way down the channel to Woody’s Wharf.

Quite often, we would meet some new friends and introduce them to the harbor by returning to the Duffy and continuing to cruise down the peninsula, frequently stopping by the yacht clubs and other favorite restaurants to use their facilities and partake in the local nightlife.

Favorite stops along the route included the Studio Cafe, which we referred to as the “Who Do You Know.” Then we stopped off at Dillman’s, Class of ‘47, and the Balboa Saloon before returning to the boat, many times with new crew members.

On numerous occasions, many of our new crew had never experienced the harbor aboard a Duffy.

As proper gentlemen and yachtsmen, we could not comprehend how anyone could miss out on experiencing our harbor at night, with the moon, stars and lights reflecting off the rippling water. In the late summer months, during a red tide, the bright, glowing bioluminescence in the water was more entertaining than the laserium.

Staying on course, we would then cruise down to the east end of the harbor and visit the two Corona del Mar yacht clubs before stopping on Balboa Island at the Village Inn. Many times, our visits were short, because it was more fun to be on the harbor rather than in a crowded restaurant.

Other frequent stops were the lighthouse beach on Harbor Island, the different water slides around the harbor, or a climb up on one of the fiberglass whales in Newport Dunes. If the water was still warm and the tide high, there was the occasional thought of jumping off one of the harbor bridges before returning to our starting waypoint.

On one of these summer nights, there was one crew member who grabbed my complete attention. Our first date was a Duffy cruise, just the two of us, and a stop for dinner at George’s Camelot in Lido Village. While leaving the restaurant, when rounding Z mark and heading under the Lido Isle bridge, I asked if it would be okay to kiss her. Two years later in the same location, where we jumped off a bridge together and had our first kiss, I asked her to marry me.

Now, 20 years later, I and that same crew member, now promoted to the first mate, along with our teenage deck hand, take Duffy harbor cruises together. Our deck hand has heard the story before and is uninterested each time we reminisce about all of our good times together. The stops along the route are less frequent and the nights much shorter. What has not changed is the beauty of our harbor and how my first mate looks at me each time we pass under the Lido bridge.

If you have never taken a Duffy electric boat cruise around our harbor, I highly recommend it. The truly priceless time on the water with your high school friends or your grandchildren will be cherished throughout your lifetime.

There are many places to rent a Duffy for the night – from the Duffy rentals on Pacific Coast Highway, the Irvine Company, Marina Boat Rentals at the Balboa Fun Zone and Windward Sailing Club.

If you are considering a new Duffy, just stop by the Duffy showroom and ask for Matt or Jim. No high-pressure sales from this team; they just want to make sure you enjoy your harbor experience.

Should you wish to look over what the brokerage Duffys have been selling for, please visit my blog site at http://boseyachts.blogspot.com.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: My favorite Mai-Tai trail aboard a Duffy

 

This last week I sailed through a cloud of Covid and spent the week in bed, now I am caught back up on my history of the pioneer’s migration along the California trail between 1841-1869 I’m good to go on a speaking tour. Let’s bring it back to the harbor and one of my favorite trails aboard a Duffy.

The Mai-Tai trial does have its risks, and like the pioneers, the key to survival is maintaining a light load, better yet a designated helm person. A good “Jumping off Point” is at Billy’s at the Beach. I recommend starting my weekend day at 11:00 by pulling into the guest dock then circle your crew around a table just in case the local Indians get riled up. Billy’s world famous Mai-Tais are a perfect start to your three to six-hour journey. One of the keys to survival on this journey is provisioning making sure that there is more than enough water for all crew between waypoints along with serving lunch.

If you're feeling rather adventurous with the sun straight overhead at 12:00 and one of your crew is a member of the Elks Tribe there is always good hunting for parking just north of the lodge. Relationships with this tribe have been strained over the years, with the locals being very protective of their land. Once invited into their lodge you will find they offer the best trades for Mai-Tais. 

My next recommended waypoint is Woody’d Wharf keeping an eye on the bridge tops for any falling yutes. It is summer and the local Marshell has been doing an outstanding job discouraging this summer phenomenon. You are still new to the trail so after surviving crossing under the Lido bridge I’d consider turning up the stereo and the fun meter aboard you're Duffy. As you travel southwest you are looking for a bend in the harbor towards the west. Keep in mind that a larger vessel can jump out of their marina on your starboard side as you approach the bend. On your arrival at this waypoint, you should find plenty of parking, if you are already late into the day option two would be to continue into the Rhine channel and use the large public dock at the end of the channel. Your choice will be The Cannery or Bluewater Grill.

Your next waypoint can be the longest leg of this journey. Before you start this leg remind your crew there are no stops or bushes along the side of the path. Your last stop before starting your drive to the east is the public restrooms just up from the public dock off of 21st street. Now there has never been any reporting of any rattlesnakes in these restrooms, yet this area of the harbor has had strange occurrences over the last five years with helicopters falling out of the sky and boat thieves running into moored boats. If you are so fortunate to have a guide that belongs to the elite tribe of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club then this should be your next stop. This is a great place to re-provision your boat and these Mai-Tais are one of the best in town.

At this point of the trial you could be reaching the warmest part of your journey. A well-planned  trip might include a swim and deployment of some of your favorite pool toys. Should you wish to consider this decision to split from the wagon train you should contact the Newport Beach Harbor department at 949 270-8159 and ask for a day mooring in F field. You will need to call well ahead of time to sign up. The City’s Harbor department will need your boat’s registration, insurance declaration page, completion of mooring rental agreement, and means of payment. The cost of a day’s mooring use might cost more than a round of Mai Tais at the Elks but it will be less than twenty-two dollars.

After your swim, you have to decide if you want to take the easternmost path or the northern pass. If you happen to be a member of either Bahia Corinthian or the Balboa Yacht Club Tribes then the most eastern path can be your choice. I like the Bahia Corinthian tribe and find myself feeling most comfortable out on the lower deck. For those of you that have decided on the north, path there are guest docks at SOL restaurant or The Tavern House.

On your way back to your berth stay wide of the local water slides at the Bay Club, Bayshores, or Lido Isle Yacht Clubs these Indians are also very protective of the land but it does add to some of your life’s harbor memories!

Sea ya

The Harbor Report: My interview with a boating icon

      Over the last ten years Marshall “Duffy” Duffield has held a seat on our Harbor Commission. (May 29, 2012)

By Len Bose

May 29, 2012 | 7:58 p.m.

One of the best features of writing this column is meeting people.

I had the opportunity last week to interview one of the most colorful people in our harbor, Marshall "Duffy" Duffield. I use the word colorful because I always felt that Duffy stood out from the crowd.

He launched his first electric boat in 1968. I first noticed Duffy at the 1991 Transpac awards banquet in Honolulu, when he received the Don Vaughn award for the most outstanding crew member aboard the Chance, the overall winner.

Known around town as one as one of our harbor's top helmsmen when racing sailboats to Hawaii and Mexico, his reputation grew as he became one of the most famous boat builders from our area. But where Duffy" really stands out above the crowd is his love for our harbor.

For the past decade Duffield has sat on our Harbor Commission. I first started attending Harbor Commission meetings about five years ago, and the first thing I noticed was that Duffy wanted to do something.

He was there to improve our harbor. Now, after 10 years, when most volunteers are burnt out and are ready to spend that "extra time" doing something for themselves, he continues to look into the future for ways to improve our harbor.

Unfortunately, the June 13 commission meeting will be Duffy's last because he has termed out. So before he steps into one of his own boats and sails off, I thought I would ask him a few questions. Here is my interview:

Len: How did you become a harbor commissioner?

Duffy: Jean Watt asked me when they were first thinking about starting one. I became a commissioner when it was first formed and it's been 10 years with one more meeting to go. Time flies.

L. As a harbor commissioner, what completed task are you most proud of?

D. I wish I could say we completed more. Most definitely the work on the mooring fields and public docks. I've come to realize that government works at a pace none of us can understand. But eventually things do happen for the better.

L. What five bullet points would you recommend to a new harbor commissioner to make him or her an effective commissioner?

D. Do research and study on your own. Staff is spread thin in today's economic environment.

•Get active on budget line items related to the harbor with the City Council.

•Don't do anything without first getting approval from the City Council.

•Help contribute to agenda items important to our harbor.

•Be sensitive to all the different users of our harbor.

L. How would you like to see harbor 20 years from now?

D. I would like to see a world-class solution to the top end of our bay, a big seaside development that would tie in the marine recreational element with a successful commercial landside operation. Lido Village, the former City Hall and the property in between is a likely place for this to happen. Allow a small transient boat mooring area at the turning basin, and you would make Newport a great destination for boaters.

I believe the mooring fields can be greatly improved. Condense the boats in the fields by using a floating dock secured by two pilings instead of buoys and line. This would allow people to safely and easily use their boats, rid the harbor of derelict boats and give back a huge percentage of open water to the bay. This method could be phased in slowly as economics allow. A couple of pilings and a dock can be installed for a reasonable cost.

*

I learned a lot in my short conversion with Duffy and what I plan on taking away from that conversation is: Why not? Why can't we make our harbor better? Why can't our harbor have a full-time permit employee? Why can't the harbor have its own dredging equipment?

Our next harbor commissioner has a big seat to fill, and I hope that person loves the harbor at least half as much as Duffy does.

To quote Duffy one more time, "I learned that long ago. If my salespeople aren't in love with it, they won't sell it."

Sea ya!

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

The Harbor Report: The man below the Duffy

By Len Bose

January 31, 2013 | 4:05 p.m

This week, I had the chance to meet with Gerardo Martinez, the service manager at the Duffy Electric Boat Company, located at 2439 West Coast Highway. Gerardo has been an employee of Duffy boats for 16 years.

When I walked in and introduced myself, I was warmly greeted, and when I asked Gerardo if he had time for an interview, a rather large smile appeared on his face, and he asked, "Why me?" I told him I had been asking around town, "Who was the Duffy guy to go to and help maintain your electric boat?" Everyone, without hesitation, would say "Gerardo." He agreed to the interview, and we double-checked with corporate to make sure everything would be OK.

Back in 1997, Gerardo started from the bottom of the boats, applying bottom paint, working for the dock crew and doing service runs. By 1999, he started in the service department, then moved over to service manager in the Huntington Harbour office in 2004. A couple of years later, he spent some time at the plant building boats and then was offered the job of service manager here in Newport Beach. "At that time, we had about 130 clients who had signed up for the Duffy Care service," he explained. "Now we have 850 clients from Long Beach to Newport, and with new boat sales, we have over 1,200 customers a year."

As service manager, he runs a crew of 28 people. Duffy Care consists of "making our customers happy with our product," Gerardo told me. This crew does everything for the Duffy owners who have signed up for Duffy Care, from monthly bottom-cleaning to top-to-bottom wash-down service and maintenance inspections.

"I make sure the crews get down to the boats and bring boats in that are due for bottom paint, carpet steam-cleaning or replacement of packing glands," he explained. The crews check on battery water level and make sure bilge pumps are working.

I, for one, can easily spot the boats that are in Duffy Care; they glow as you approach them.

"We have three brand new boats in the harbor to help service clients in a professional manner," Gerardo said.

While in the service office, I had a chance to meet accounting head Janet Brisky and manager Toni Olague. Gerardo told me that one of the most difficult things about his job was his clients trying to pronounce his name correctly. It seems to be a running joke in the office, and Janet has been keeping count of the different names used when inquiring for Gerardo. "We have a list of 28 names — would you like to hear some of them?" Janet asked. "We have Rodrigo, Ricardo, Gordo, Eldorado, Dorito and Guerrilla." The group laughed like a family at the dinner table as Janet kept reading down the list, and I was laughing too hard to remember all 28 names.

One thing is for sure: Gerardo is not going to forget his customers' names or their boats. He explained, "I might forget what to pick up at the store before I come home, but I have always been able to remember my customers and their boats."

When I left, I had that feeling like I was part of the family and that they would drop what they are doing to help a friend out. If you have a Duffy, give them a call and just say hello and become part of the family. Sea ya.

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

The Harbor Report: Savoring days on the Duffy "This is how I Duffy"

Cruising the harbor in a Duffy

By Len Bose

October 25, 2013 | 10:55 a.m.

This week, I spent a lot of time shuttling Duffy electric boats to and from the shipyard for prospective buyers to complete their inspection process before they purchase a boat.

While on the harbor, during these warm Indian summer days, I thought back to all the good times I have had while cruising the harbor.

As a college student, I recalled all the Friday nights we found a place to park the boat in the Rhine Channel, started our night at Snug Harbor and worked our way down the channel to Woody's Wharf.

Quite often, we would meet some new friends and introduce them to the harbor by returning to the Duffy and continuing to cruise down the peninsula, frequently stopping by the yacht clubs and other favorite restaurants to use their facilities and partake in the local nightlife.

Favorite stops along the route included the Studio Cafe, which we referred to as the Who Do You Know. Then we stopped off at Dillmans, Class of '47 and the Balboa Saloon before returning back to the boat, many times with new crew members. On numerous occasions, many of our new crew members had never experienced our harbor aboard a Duffy.

As proper gentlemen and yachtsmen, we could not comprehend how anyone could miss out on experiencing our harbor at night, with the moon, stars and lights reflecting off the rippling water. In the late summer months, during a red tide, the bright, glowing bioluminescence in the water was more entertaining than the laserium.

Staying on course, we would then cruise down to the east end of the harbor and visit the two Corona del Mar yacht clubs before stopping on Balboa Island at the Village Inn. Many times, our visits were short because it was more fun to be on the harbor rather than a crowded restaurant.

Other frequent stops were the lighthouse beach on Harbor Island, the different water slides around the harbor or a climb up on one of the fiberglass whales in Newport Dunes. If the water was still warm and the tide high, there was the occasional thought of jumping off one of the harbor bridges before returning to our starting waypoint.

On one of these summer nights, there was one crew member who grabbed my complete attention. Our first date was a Duffy cruise, just the two of us, and a stop for dinner at George's Camelot in Lido Village. While leaving the restaurant, when rounding Z mark and heading under the Lido Isle bridge, I asked if it would be OK to kiss her. Two years later in the same location, where we jumped off a bridge together and had our first kiss, I asked her to marry me.

Now, 20 years later, I and that same crew member, now promoted to first mate, along with our teenage deck hand, take Duffy harbor cruises together. Our deck hand has heard the story before and is uninterested each time we reminisce about all of our good times together. The stops along the route are less frequent and the nights much shorter. What has not changed is the beauty of our harbor and how my first mate looks at me each time we pass under the Lido bridge.

If you have never taken a Duffy electric boat cruise around our harbor, I highly recommend it. The truly priceless time on the water with your high school friends or your grandchildren will be cherished throughout your lifetime.

There are many places to rent a Duffy for the night — from the Duffy rentals on Pacific Coast Highway, the Irvine Company, Marina Boat Rentals at the Balboa Fun Zone and Windward Sailing Club.

If you are considering a new Duffy, just stop by the Duffy showroom and ask for Matt or Jim. No high-pressure sales from this team; they just want to make sure you enjoy our harbor experience.

Should you wish to look over what the brokerage Duffys have been selling for, please visit my blog site at boseyachts.blogspot.com.

Sea ya.

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