On the Harbor: It’s time to take our harbor to the next level

By LEN BOSE

I found another reason to laugh at myself last week when my sales manager asked me how did the soiree go? I started off responding to the question by reviewing the weekend I had previously experienced. I had attended the Arizona Cardinals football game at State Farm Stadium and was describing the feeling while entering the stadium as, “One of the most powerful feelings that had ever overcome me with intensity, purpose and drive to fulfill a goal.” About half way through my description, I realized my sales manager was asking me about the Newport Harbor Foundation kick-off party at the Balboa Bay Resort that I had been invited to. I quickly shifted gears to explain that I had the same feelings entering the stadium as I did entering the Grand Ballroom at the Bay Club.

The real difference was at the party, I personally knew almost all the players with most of them being my age rather than a bunch of kids running around at full speed while smashing their heads together. Which can be used as a metaphor to describe County/City politics. The Newport Harbor Foundation will be creating a Harbor Public Safety Department and is using the phrase. “Take our Harbor Back.” Now, I was not seated on the 50-yard line at this event; I was pretty much seated in the nosebleed seats with Uncle Fester. From my view, I didn’t really care for the “Take our Harbor Back” phrase because I feel a better phrase would be: “It’s time to take our harbor to the next level” in a way that the County Sheriff’s Department has not been able to achieve. Please don’t take this in the wrong way, as the county has supplied us with some outstanding harbormasters over time, yet it often appears they receive orders from people that are not completely in tune with our harbor.

The City of Newport Beach has already started to “take our harbor to the next level,” by hiring Harbormaster Paul Blank. Code enforcement is cleaning the harbor up in ways we have never seen before. Mooring permit holders have all the required paperwork in order, with the addition of the Newport Harbor Foundation fundraising for a fireboat and four patrol boats, optimizing our harbor to run more efficiently. With the Upper Bay dredging starting soon and the city moving into the No.1 position of managing the harbor, we will be moving toward the next level. Are you asking yourself, “If it’s working, don’t fix it?” I see it more as repairing our harbor’s infrastructure to meet today’s traffic levels. This Foundation has even greater plans to extend into the future with maintenance, maintenance, maintenance – which always produces the best results. 

I’m not only excited about the concept of creating a Harbor Public Safety Department and that this group has not only thought of the concept, but they are stepping up and championing it. Should you wish to donate to this worthy cause, go to https://secure.anedot.com/newport-harbor-foundation/donate. 

• • •

I’m going to assume that all of you know about the Oil Spill Claims Process. Should you have gone through the spilled oil in our local waters and have had the bad luck of this sludge attaching to your boat, then you are eligible to have it removed from your boat at no cost to you. You must call 866.985.8366 to schedule the time and location of the oil removal, and arrive at the scheduled date, time and location. Note: Don’t bring your boat to the center without an appointment. In Newport Beach, the location is on the long dock at Marina Park. In Huntington Harbour, the location is at Sunset Aquatic and in Alamitos Bay, it’s located at the Denison Yachting display dock next to the Marina Shipyard.

While observing these clean-up efforts I have to say, “What are ya going to do?” Has too much of a good thing become a waste of time and money? I’ve watched these clean-up crews with as many as 20 people standing around watching two people do the work, along with two people from the state’s Fish and Game Department on station at Alamitos Bay. Like I said, “What are ya going to do?

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

Eight souls on board

(L-R) Back row: Kenneth Sherb, Chris Vilicich and Steven Natvig; Middle row: Jamie Malm, Taylor Schlub, John Shulze and Peter Heck; Front row: Len Bose – with the Monterey horizon in the background

 By LEN BOSE

The Santa Cruz 50 Horizon was competing in the 2021 Coastal Cup between Monterey and Santa Barbara with eight souls on board. The race started on May 31 with a heavy marine layer and the weather forecast was predicting light variable winds down the course. After the start, the winds shifted from 5 knots out of the south to 20+ knots out of the north with the fleet struggling to change from the #1 genoas to their #3 jibs and a reefed main. After four hours of pounding in the heavy seas, the breeze subsided down to 8-12 knots with the fleet headed out to sea. As the sun set, the wind shifted back to the south with a heavy mist in the air dropping the temperature down to where one was wet, cold and miserable.

The weather condition stayed mostly the same throughout the following day. During the previous night we fell into a hole and lost a large lead over our competitors in our division with team Oaxaca extending into a 10-mile lead. Most of day two found us reaching in light air under 10 knots. Oaxaca would extend their lead on us and we would gain some of it back. At 17:00, when the skies cleared and the breeze slowly built out of the west to 15-20 knots, we gybed towards the beach while Oaxaca headed out to sea. As we passed Big Sur, we had almost a two-knot speed advantage over our competitor. As the two boats converged on Point Conception, it appeared Team Horizon had taken the lead while holding on to its speed advantage. The call was to gybe back into the breeze keeping our advantage. This is when the “defecation hit the rotary oscillator” aboard Horizon.

The excitement and confidence were high on the boat that we would also have a chance on correcting out on Oaxaca. The breeze had slowly been building and we had changed from our 1.5 Spinnaker to our 2A about 20 minutes earlier and had just brought up on deck our 4A. The call was made to gybe and we went into our maneuver. The spinnaker clew had made it past the headstay and was on its way in, when I noticed the main had not completed the gybe. Just then we were hit by a 25-knot puff and the main violently gybed at the same time the chute filled on the new gybe. This caused us to round up violently into the wind with one crew member falling over the lifelines on the new weather side of the boat, while still hanging on and then pulling himself back on board. Just at that moment, the call went out “Man overboard!” (MOB). During the gybe, I had been knocked down to one knee while at the helm. While regaining my stance to both feet, I hit the “Man Overboard Button” at the helm, then allowed the boat to return to head to wind. The man overboard button is interfaced with the GPS Chart plotter and pinpoints the location of when the button was engaged, then plots the location on the screen. The time was 6:57:36 at 34:26.010 Latitude and 120:27.702 Longitude.

Two crew members were now on the back of the boat dispensing our man overboard gear “Lifesling” and “Throwable retrieve line” with one of the two crew members becoming the spotter along with another crew member at the helm pedestal. I can still see the expression of the man overboard’s face after I had brought the boat head to wind. There was no fear in his face, but concern on how he could make it to the MOB gear that was only 25 feet away. It was instantly observed onboard that the MOB could not maneuver to the gear in the water. Our bow team was extraordinarily efficient to bring down the spinnaker and gather up all the lines.

The motor was turned on and engaged with the completion of two line checks. We tacked the boat then fell off the wind in a Figure-8 pattern to pick up the MOB. I recall being concerned whether I could bring the boat off the wind fast enough to go to leeward of the MOB. I had control of the rudder immediately after the tack and went head to wind with the MOB on the starboard side of the boat amidships while asking for the boat to be placed in neutral. Crew members started reaching for the MOB, handing him the lifesling and retrieval line. At this point, the boat started backing down faster than the MOB with the MOB floating around the bow of the boat and down the port side. None of the crew efforts were able to bring in the MOB while the boat floated away.

Seeing that the distance between us was growing larger and the MOB noticeably growing weaker, a volunteer crew member, Steven Natvig, stripped down to his underwear, requested and put on my old-fashioned dingy life jacket, along with taking the lifesling in hand like a lifeguard, then jumped into the water to retrieve the MOB who was now 50 feet away port side aft quarter of the boat. In a few seconds, Natvig had reached the MOB, stabilized him on his back while he was being pulled into the boat, then they quickly boarded the boat’s transom scope. Natvig is 33 years old, 6’2”, an avid surfer and in perfect health.

Our ETA into Santa Barbara Harbor was three hours. The crew had taken the MOB down below removing his wet clothes then wrapping him in a heated vest, sleeping bags and a wool hat. One crew member was observing the “patient,” another was obtaining medical advice for hypothermia and a third crew member was contacting the race authorities. Being within cell phone range, we decided to contact the Coast Guard via cell phone. While contacting the Coast Guard Command Center in San Pedro, I was on the phone with Warrant Officer Josue Mendez. After reviewing the incident, we came to the questions regarding the patient and I was able to get which medications he was on while describing his condition. When asked to take the patient’s pulse, I had no clue how to complete that task. Fortunately, we had a crew member that knew how to take a pulse although he was unable to take it because the patient was trembling so badly. We were now two hours out from Santa Barbara Harbor with helicopter pickup and boat pickup both two hours away. With the patient becoming more stable and completing full sentences, we elected not to receive any outside assistance. We had him sitting up while communicating with him. He then asked to go to the head, then getting dressed, we had thought we had solved our hypothermia problem. After a very short time being unwrapped, the patient began to shiver again and it was getting difficult to keep him awake. All the covering went back on with a new concern of a relapse of hypothermia. We made contact again with Warrant Officer Josue Mendez to update him on the relapse. Mendez had called us back about a half-hour earlier for an update and during this conversation, Mendez quickly picked up on our concern with the relapse while we reviewed the flight surgeon’s recommendations. Tensions were eased with the patient’s response to our questions. One of the recommendations from Mendez was to refuel the patient with some type of food. “Do you have any bananas on board?” Mendez asked. My response was, “This is a race boat, there are never any bananas on board!” Bananas are considered bad luck on race and fishing boats. Mendez gave us a courtesy laugh as a pressure release.

As we continued towards the harbor, the patient regained his warmth and we made plans on how we would get him off the boat. On arriving at the Santa Barbara guest dock, with all eight souls aboard, two paramedics were waiting for us, then stepped on board as soon as the vessel was secured to the dock. All the patient’s vitals were normal, so there was no need to have him transported to the local hospital for observation. The patient then took a three-hour ride home in a heated car with a crew member, where he was passed onto concerned family members.

The crew of Horizon responded quickly and efficiently to our MOB pre-race plans, yet we can and will get better. Hoping we never have to go through that drill again.

Items of note:

1. Never let yourself be lulled into light conditions and not wear your life jacket.

2. The spotter has to stay focused and must not be distracted from the target.

3. All life-saving gear must be deployed. We never released our MOM (Man Overboard Module).

4. We did have a life jacket on deck that a crew member could put on quickly and swim in.

5. The boat files should have a complete medical report for each crew member.

6. We were fortunate that our foredeck crew and pit person stayed on task to lower the foresails then bring in all the lines.

7. Communicating with the Coast Guard was simplified by talking over the phone. I had the boat’s doctor’s phone number, time, location of MOB, heading and speed on a notepad before calling.

8. If this MOB had happened at night, we would not have been successful, as the proper life jacket with AIS beacon would be needed.

9. Warrant Officer Josue Mendez did an outstanding job communicating with us and making us feel he was now part of our team, and onboard with us. He was tracking us on AIS the whole way in, and also placed a follow-up call into us on our way into the harbor to check on the patient. This was a huge pressure release onboard, knowing we had help on hand if needed.

10. We were extremely fortunate to have someone like Steve Natvig aboard, who is skilled enough to jump in the water and rescue another crew member.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: What's new in the Marine Insurance World

 

Front Row: Left, Craig Chamberlain Right Charlie Bailey

Back Row: Left to right: Rob Lindley, Ericka Loomis, Juile Chamberlain, Keith Sargis

By LEN BOSE

Last May, I received a call from my good friend Craig Chamberlain: “Hey Len, work is getting in the way and I have to drop off the crew list for Transpac.” He went on to explain how the Marine Insurance business has been turned upside down, and he needed to stay in town to keep his company on a straight course. Chamberlain has owned his own marine insurance business for 38 years now under the name Novamar Insurance. You probably have noticed the sign, and office along Mariner’s Mile on Pacific Coast Highway. His wife Julie and I were both in the same second-grade class, although we didn’t know each other that well. She was at the front of the class, while I was in the back corner facing the opposite wall.

Now that the Chamberlains have their company back on the foils, I thought I would reach out to him for an update on the Marine Insurance business. When I asked the question, “What’s new in the Marine Insurance business?,” he explained the change in the market as simply as he could to me (remember I sat in the back of the class). With more than a dozen marine insurance companies leaving the market we have tighter markets, fewer participating insurance companies, tighter underwriting, and the remaining companies are being more selective with reduced capacity and higher prices. Reduced capacity because of fewer insurance companies writing yacht insurance. They say no, more often than they used to, and we need to submit complete underwriting packages to insurance companies to provide the best terms for our clients. If an agent sends in an incomplete underwriting package and the client is turned down, it is extremely difficult to send in additional information and try to turn that “no” into a “yes.” With fewer marine insurance agencies available, the remaining companies just can’t write billions and billions of yacht insurance. They have their capacity limits and can’t write billions of dollars of insurance on boats sitting in Fort Lauderdale should a hurricane come through. That lack of capacity has really affected the market.

I then asked how a customer should complete their due diligence before purchasing a boat? “Buyers should have a clear understanding of their insurance requirements before they start shopping, similar to getting prequalified for a loan. One doesn’t want to learn the fine details of their policy the day before the deal closes. In today’s world, it’s easy for owners to overbuy and not have the experience to run a 35’-plus boat. Many companies will just say no, other companies will require a skipper while the boat is underway for the first year or have the owner receive training, and be signed off on by their skippers, Chamberlain explained. He went on to share what underwriters are looking for today. “There are some variables. Let’s say the vessel is under 10 years old, or it’s a production boat that is used in our local water with an experienced owner…this will take two days to get a couple of quotes. If it is a boat over 10 years old, the underwriter is looking for a clean survey with a resume of the owner’s experience owning vessels of a similar type and size. A clean survey is very important, because up to a couple of years ago underwriters had a better understanding that 25-year-old boats will have a larger recommendation list. Today, vessels need to have a clean survey along with the owner having experience with that type of vessel,” Chamberlain said.

Boat owners have to keep in mind that the information they gave about their experience can be easily proven, or if they have a claim due to lack of maintenance, the insurance companies will not pay the claim or rescind the policy. Many insurance companies have made the wording of their contracts much tighter.

We both have the same opinion that sellers should take the time to get their boats ready for sale and the survey beforehand. The insurance agency’s largest concern is if the boat might sink or burn. For example, if there are bad thru-hulls, broken hoses, no hose clamps, bilge pumps that don’t work, leaky shaft logs, or unused wiring that has never been removed. These are the types of items that alarm underwriters, and they will just say “no.” In the past, brokers would work out a survey allowance with the buyer allowing some time to make the recommended fixes. That option is now becoming a thing of the past. This could lead to a problem for some sellers who find out they have a leaky rudder post during a survey and if they place their boats back in the water they don’t have any insurance. With today’s shipyards being weeks out before they can fit you into the scheduling, this can lead to a volcanic eruption for most sellers.

I asked Chamberlain the best way boat owners can maintain the insurance policy. “If something changes, and/or you leave your navigation area, you will need to update your policy. If you purchase a new dingy, contact your agent. If you update your fishing or diving equipment, jet skis, foil boards, deck slides, etc., make sure your agent knows. If any type of charter occurs, you will need to update their policy with a special endorsement. If there is any significant change, for example, if you re-power the boat, it never hurts to give updates to your insurance agent on what you are doing with your vessel. If you go cruising, advise your agent six months ahead of time, as they will want crew resumes and a general outline of your plans.

The Chamberlains are not paying me to write this story; we all know how closely knit the marine industry is and I have worked with them for more than 32 years myself. There are many reasons why I refer my clients to Novamar Insurance. All of their agents are boaters with a ton of experience and offices all over the country to help clients locally. Their Mexico branch started 12 years ago, is licensed in Mexico and has a staff of 15. If there is a problem in Mexico, it’s an advantage to their clients to have the local representation. Having an agent that can speak to the authorities or Port Captain can be helpful.

The Chamberlains have cruised Mexico, so I had to ask what their favorite destination was. “Playa la Ropa off of Zihuatanejo is pretty darn nice…we spent a month there. The whole Sea of Cortez is like one big anchorage – you are only a short distance from the next anchorage. It’s a pretty magical place,” said Chamberlain.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

Monday, October 4, 2021, Newport Beach Harbor entrance Boomed off

Boater being told the the harbor is closed to ingoing and out going traffic

 Monday, October 4, 2021, Newport Beach Harbor entrance has been closed due to the oil spill off the Huntington Beach flatlands. At 11:09 the U.S. Coast Guard authorized Patriot Environmental Services, based out of Wilmington California, to deploy a double boom in front of the harbor entrance. At the time of writing, there are three boats waiting for entrance into the harbor, and if I was to guess they will be out there until 1900 tonight when the tide ebbs, flows out of the harbor. My sources tell me that Environmental Services will be advising the Coast Guard on when the booms can be removed.

Oil boom in front of harbor entrance

Two “Coasties” just walked into my office here in Alamitos Bay in Long Beach, next to the Marina Shipyard, asking if we had any space available for decontaminating boats that had been in contact with the oil. It is my understanding that the waterline of the boat and above is what has been most affected. There has been no mention at the shipyard today that boaters have intake  oil through their cooling systems intakes under the waterline.

At this point, confidence is high, that the booms will be removed within the next 24 hours. Which is me speaking from the seat of my pants.

Sea ya 

Len Bose 

Second boom

1985 48' Kong & Halvorsen Ketch Designed by German Frers ASKING $ 169,000

 This unique performance cruiser was designed by German Frers and built by the high-quality shipbuilders Kong & Halvorsen. The lines of this vessel are timeless which will attract the experienced yachtsman looking for the proper vessel, not off the mass production line of today’s weekend boats. Its beamy design provides excellent deck and interior space. The center cockpit offers outstanding protection, all-around visibility, and accessibility. The sail plan and rigging are configured for power for easy management while shifting gears through the different weather conditions. Extended cruising would be very comfortable for a couple or a family on this yacht! For more information click Daring

Daring is owned by one of the best sailors I have ever sailed with. Commissioned to take the family on Mexico cruise, she is easy to sail short handed with good performance. When you come aboard please notice the detail that was placed in the electric panel, custom SS dinghy rack and the general layout of the boat.

She is not a weekend type vessel like your Catalina’s or Beneteau’s. This is a performance cruising boat. If thats what you are looking for than you should schedule an appointment to view her.

OWNERS COMMENTS: "The 4 things I really like about this boat are being able to lead all lines to the electric winches, the large sleep able cockpit, and the gentle motion at sea, reliable 6 cylinder 100 hp Westerbeke engine, and the look of a German Frers design.  If anyone asks, the hull lines/shape is very similar to the Swan 46 hull designed about the same time."

This boat is ready for this years Baha Ha Ha if you are?

On the Harbor: fall events on the horizon

                                                                         By LEN BOSE

Before we all concede that fall has arrived, and we are headed towards winter, let’s slip a few more events under the door.

This weekend is the 24th Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Championships. That’s right, this is when all the chips get pushed into the middle of the table while saying, “I’m all in.” Most of the fleet has broken out the “freshies” which are our newest sails. We have requested our bottom cleaner to do an extra special job cleaning the bottom of our boats. All the empty beverage containers, jackets, tool kits and spare parts have been taken off the boats, while crew members are kindly asked to leave their bags on the docks. I am sure everyone will be leaving their red protest flags aboard just in case they have a rules question for the protest committee.

The weather forecast is 75 degrees with 6-11 knots of breeze out of the west. Racing will take place in the Five Points area of the harbor between 1 and 4 p.m. At the time of this writing, we have seven boats signed up for B Fleet which is always extremely competitive. In last weekend’s two warm-up regattas, Teams Haynes, Kimball, Noring and Cheadle/Schupak were all playing slot cars going down the last straight away. As always, whoever makes the fewest mistakes and stays in the top four in all the races will win. Duh! With the light wind forecast, I would have to place my money on Cheadle/Schupak assuming they will sign up for the regatta. Jennifer and I will be cheering for our good friends Debra & Peter Haynes. Let’s just hope that didn’t throw bad juju on them.

Even with 11 teams signed up for A fleet this year, it’s easier to pick the favorites in this division. Last year’s champs, Team Wiese has to be the favorite, although it will come down to the last race with Team Thompson/Conzelman. The Thompson/Conzelman team has been the most consistent this year and has the edge to be crowned 2021 Fleet Champions. Yet, Team Campbell has been the bridesmaid, three out of the four previous years. I am sure this team will be showing up with their game faces on. Campbell has been sniffing out left-hand shifts all summer, and is due to take home the big pickle dish. The two teams looking to pull out the upset will be Team Macdonald along with Team Deermount/Menninger. Jennifer and I will not be out there just to get more sun this year, as our goal is always finishing in the top half of the fleet. Hopefully, we will not hear Team Allen/Helias telling me that I am working my way back into the fleet with me informing them they have seaweed on their rudder. Always good times while becoming more cherished with each passing year.

• • •

Everyone should mark their calendars for the upcoming Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach on October 1-3. If you have never gone out to the show by boat you have to give it a try – at least once in your life. The awestruck moments when you feel an overwhelming pride for your country is truly memorable. Hanging out with your friends while enjoying the warm weather and sparkling blue Pacific waters is a perfect end to summer. As a skipper of a boat, you must stay in game day-mode all day and be fully aware. Santa Ana winds or fog can make your day more challenging than anticipated – noting boaters who have never anchored before, or have a difficult time maneuvering while intoxicated. I have to assume this season will bring in more novice boats than ever before. Which is a good thing, but just bring two patience pills and plenty of water. On Friday, Oct. 1, the “World Speed Record Ocean Cup Race” around Catalina will be starting at 7 a.m. and should be done by 8:30 before you push off the dock. I would assume these world-renowned teams will be using the boat launch ramps in Long Beach, Huntington Harbour and Newport Beach, where you might get the best look at these beasts while they are being placed back on their trailers.

• • •

One last note: The yacht Horizon has been selected to receive the U.S. Sailing Hanson Rescue Medal. The full story of the rescue can be viewed at http://lenboseyachts.blogspot.com/2021/06/l-r-back-row-kenneth-sherb-chris.html. The Hanson Rescue Medal is an award given to skippers of pleasure boats or race support vessels who effect rescues of victims from the water. The award is made for rescues in U.S. waters, or those which occur in races originating or terminating in a U.S. port. The Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club has graciously agreed to have the award presented during their annual awards presentation on November 13. This is very good news, and I must give a big thank you to all the board members and Commodore Ronda Tolar of BCYC. Also, the Yachtsman Luncheon group has asked me to speak about the rescue on October 20, and then on November 3 to talk about all the hoops and hurdles you need to make to participate in a Transpac race.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: Labor Day weekend “raft-up,” dredging and slips

 

This photo best express the news I have this month,  Photo courtesy of The Balboa Angling Club

By LEN BOSE

I am a little behind this week realizing that I can’t wear white any longer this year. Of course, they’re a lot more reasons a man of my age should not wear white at any time.

Another thing you should not do is show up in the East Anchorage on Labor Day and exceed the permitted size of your raft-up party. I’ve only been able to pick up bits and pieces of all the excitement that erupted during a permitted raft-up party this last Sunday over Labor Day weekend. My understanding is that an individual applied and received a Marine Activities Permit to have a raft-up in the East Anchorage. Anytime two or more boats side-tie to each other in our anchorages it’s considered a “raft-up.” The raft-up substantially exceeded the permitted amount of vessels and was quickly spiraling out of control. “There was no doubt the situation was coming to a breaking point, with one of the vessels having a DJ aboard with the music cranked to 10. There was a lot of jiggling going on which was rather entertaining,” said one of my sources. Other people told me the event was being called “Boat Coachella.”

Enter City Harbormaster Paul Blank who had to defuse the situation before the eruption. Because this was a city code violation, this task fell upon Blank who made numerous attempts, while showing tremendous patience, with the organizers of the raft-up. With the water in the anchorages coming to a boiling point, Blank had to call in the reserves. Two uniformed police officers were picked up by boat and taken to the raft-up to simmer down the waters. I’m not able to quote Blank from this month’s Harbor Commission meeting, but I do recall he was not pleased with how the situation was resolved while mentioning this was a first for our harbor. He learned a lot and I got the sense Blank has plans on never allowing the waters to reach those temperatures again. Two of the harbor commissioners, that were within the anchorage, gave Blank a “well done” on handling the situation.

Earlier at this month’s meeting, Public Works Manager Chris Miller updated the commission regarding the dredging of the harbor entrance and the upper bay. Although delayed because of the number of southerly swells this summer, the harbor entrance dredging is coming to an end this Saturday while staying on schedule for the remainder of the lower bay. The algae Caulerpa, which makes me think of a baby burping something up onto their bib, has been contained and removed from the China Beach area. This is still a huge concern, as it can become a potentially invasive species if released into an environment it is not native to. You can learn more about Caulerpa at www.newportbeachca.gov/home/showdocument?id=1218. I still have a hard time understanding how this could happen, as this algae is used in saltwater aquariums. Someone must have taken their aquarium down to China Beach and freed Nemo. Doing this is very, very bad, so should you notice anyone taking Nemo and his friends down to the water’s edge, please ask them to STOP!

Nemo is not the only gorilla in the room; another issue around the harbor is capacity. I’m not sure if you have noticed this year that there are “No Rooms for Rent” or I should say “slips” under 35 feet for rent. In an effort to release the pressure on the demand for this size range of storage, the term flexibility must be introduced. Specifically in the use of our harbor’s moorings, the need for a Multiple Vessel Mooring System (MVMS) will be brought to the top of the yellow pad. What is MVMS? The simple answer is what you might have noticed in front of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club and the Balboa Yacht Club when you see a 20’ x 8’ dock attached to a one-point mooring ball. On either side of the dock, you have a 20-foot boat. This is an extremely important topic for someone who has a 20-foot boat and their slip rent has gone from $600 a month to $1,100. Some of you might say, “Ahh poor little ‘Only Child’ can’t go play with all his friends.” As many of you might have noticed, the harbor is my life with plenty of boaters in the same predicament as I am. We either have no place to moor or slips are way beyond our means. Therefore, I will need to take my time and explain the proposed solutions clearly. In other words, I’ll need to go talk to the smart people in town before opening my big mouth.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: An update on pump-out stations, CAD project

George Hylkema demonstrating his pump-out catch system   

                                                    

 By LEN BOSE

This time of year, those last summer sailing nights and sunset Duffy cruises seem to mean so much more to me as each year passes by. I’m not ready to give up on summer yet, and while heading west up the south end of the Lido Channel into the warm evening breeze, I reflected on some of my harbor observations over the last two weeks.

While attending this month’s Harbor Commission meeting, water quality Sr. Civil Engineer John Kappeler updated the commission on the five pump-out stations around the harbor. A pump-out station is the place where boaters can pump out the raw sewage from their boats’ holding tanks. For as long as I can remember, these five stations were always in need of repair, while the two stations at the public piers at Washington and Fernando streets never seemed to work very well. Four years ago, I wrote a story, “The overqualified Noel Plutchak is making our harbor cleaner.” A couple of years back, Plutchak was working on the station at Fernando Street when George Hylkema was returning from his boat on one of the moorings. The two met, and I would assume Plutchak told Hylkema the problem he has had with these pump-out stations over many years. The problem started with boaters placing the pump-out hose into their bilges then sucking up sharp objects, screws, hose clamps, etc. that would disrupt the vacuum system.

The cost of repairing these pumps was substantial along with the constant maintenance needed to keep them working. Hylkema being an engineer came up with the idea of removing these objects before they entered the pumping system. After Hylkema came up with his prototype catch system, he presented it to the city a couple of times, then catching the eye of Kappeler. After a testing period, the city now has this system in three of its pump-out stations. I have to assume that they will be installed in all five very soon. By the way, the stations at Washington and Fernando streets have been updated and work as well as the other stations around the harbor.

During Kappeler’s presentation, he ran a video interview with Hylkema explaining the system which is very informative if you are into this kind of…stuff. You can watch the video on YouTube here. Quite often one can look past the simple things that matter the most to our harbor. A huge “well done” has to go out to Hylkema, Plutchak and Kappeler. If there was ever a Harbor Hall of Fame, Hylkema and Plutchak should be among the first two to be installed. Reach out and thank them for their hard work.

Speaking of hard work, a good friend of mine asked me to write about the efforts of the Team Palmer Group investigation into CAD alternatives. The CAD is a Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) that is designed to be 450 x 450 feet and 47-foot-deep hole in the harbor. A complete explanation can be found here. The CAD will be located in the five points area of the harbor in the anchorage area just east of Lido Isle. Team Palmer has spent a lot of time looking for other alternatives for the disposal of unsuitable materials that will be brought up in the lower bay dredging project. The team has been granted an extension of 30 days to present their alternatives and implement them. Within the next two months, they will be presenting their three alternatives to the Harbor Commission where I am sure it will then move forward to the City Council with the commission’s recommendation.

My father always told me to be prompt in returning people’s phone calls and listening to what they have to offer before making my mind up. Stay tuned because the bottom line is what is best for our harbor.

It’s time again to bring up the Balboa Angling Club’s 40th Annual Master Angler Billfish Tournament set for September 10-12. Everyone is invited to participate in the oldest and most prestigious all-release marlin tournament on the West Coast. The club Facebook page is full of this summer’s catches, junior anglers’ tournament results. I have said this for years…the Balboa Angling Club is the best deal in town, so check it out at www.balboaanglingclub.org. 

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

The Harbor Report: The overqualified Noel Plutchak is making our harbor cleaner 2/1/2016

Learn just how easy it is to use our pump out stations

Len Bose

I have a story for you this week that you will not see coming and I will do my best to stray away from all the pun’s that can flow from it. Over the last year I kept hearing about the person who has been maintaining our boats' pump-out stations around the harbor and what an outstanding job this person had been doing.

He is Noel Plutchak, who moved to the Los Angles area in 1974 and began working at USC in the Environment, Geography and Marine Sciences department. Later that year he moved over, as chief scientist, to Interstate Electronics, where is stayed until 1992.

He moved next to the Raytheon Co. and later ran his own consulting firm. Today he works for Blue Water design group, which provides planning for marina and waterfront resorts. As a side job, he maintains our harbor pump-out stations for the Chuck South Mooring Co.

And I thought I was overqualified to be a part-time dock master.

Every three months Plutchak makes the rounds to inspect all six pump-out stations and is on call when one breaks down. Each station takes about an hour to inspect for pressure and flow rates.

"These things are really key, if the pumps are performing or not," Plutchak said.

He also checks oil levels and grease fittings and looks for corrosion.

If you are a regular reader you already know that one of our problems at the pump-out stations is boaters placing the nozzles into their bilges and sucking out hazardous materials, such as motor oil, engine coolant and transmission fluid, not to mention fuel pads, nuts, bolts and razor blades.

Sharp items can cut the vacuum hoses inside the pumps at a replacement cost of $1,000 apiece. Over the last two months, at the 15th Street stations, two hoses have needed replacement.

We are still trying to save every dollar we can to improve our harbor. If you happen to see someone bringing a pump-out station hose from below decks, take down the type and name of the boat and send them in an email to or call the harbor department.

I asked Plutchak what not to do when pumping out waste.

"Do not open the valve until (the) nozzle tip is in place," he said. "I have watched boaters open the nozzle, then take the hose and nozzle over the deck flange without making a good connection. With the vacuum valve open, the waste will rise quickly and spray out the side of the nozzle until inserting the nozzle into the flange properly. Make sure you do not open the nozzle until the tip is inside the flange."

The same advice works when removing the nozzle from the deck flange. Turn the vacuum off first, then remove the nozzle. It is also good practice to gently lay down the nozzle on the ground because many nozzle tips are made from hard plastic, and if banged onto the ground will crack.

Next, take the water hose and place a couple of gallons of water into your holding tanks, and then pump out the fresh water. This will clean your holding tank and the pump-out equipment. Return the vacuum nozzle and hose to the stand and turn off the pump. The fewer hours on the pumps, the longer they will last.

Now, if you are like me, and you are wondering how a chief scientist can ever pick up extra work as a pump-out station repair man, then you will have to thank our harbor resources manager, Chris Miller.

While Plutchak was working for Mooring Systems Inc. in 2006 and 2007, Miller worked with Plutchak on another harbor project. And when we received our new pump-out stations a couple of years ago, Miller knew just the person to call to take care of it.

I have not met Plutchack yet but from what I have heard from around town is “he is the sh*t” and over the phone I head a person that loves our harbor and is doing his part in making it a cleaner harbor.

LEN BOSE is an experienced boater, yacht broker and boating columnist for the Daily Pilot.

On the Harbor: Transpac Part ll

HORIZON Finishing 2021 Trans Pac                                 Photos by Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing Photography

By LEN BOSE

I left you about a month ago rounding the west end of Catalina headed to Honolulu, Hawaii, in this year’s Transpac race aboard the Santa Cruz 50 Horizon. We talked about all the hardships of the race like living on a 20-degree angle for the first four days, serving food while getting bounced around the boat and gearing up for the first few cold nights. I ended that story with the question: What keeps us coming back?

“It’s a cool thing to do,” quoting Peter Eisler who is one of the world’s most sought-after navigators sailing aboard Roy Disney’s Pyewacket. Aboard Horizon, the race could not have gone any better. We had an intensely close race with Steve Sellinger’s Santa Cruz 52 Triumph, who had put together an exceedingly strong team with local sailors Justin Law and Brad Wheeler aboard, taking the lead from the start then holding that lead most of the way to Hawaii. At about 600 miles out from the finish line, Triumph had about a 15-mile lead on us. Horizon found a wind shift, then fell into favorable conditions which allowed us to take the lead at about 180 miles from the finish line. It was early morning when we crossed the finish line with Triumph only 22 minutes behind us after sailing about 2,300 miles. Horizon and Triumph had both beaten the course record for a Santa Cruz 50/52, which was set by the boat Allure in 1897 at 9 days, 6 minutes and 23 seconds. Triumph had sailed the course in 8 days, 23 hours and 46 minutes, Horizon at 8 days, 23 hours and 25 minutes. Sailing against strong competitors while making Transpac history is only part of the reason as to what keeps us coming back. 

Notice Triumph spinnaker in background.

Working through the mental and physical challenges can be wearing on the body. After being in the sun for close to nine days, then working on the boat for the next two, I was speaking in tongues, well the Mai Tais might have a little something to do with it also. I still need to apologize to Debi Springer, who I was talking to on my return home in front of Santa Monica Seafood, as I thought she was Terry Duffield. The pitch-black nights can also be very intimidating while racing. I had come on watch, walked back behind the wheel, turned around and there was nothing in front of us other than a black wall. James Malm and I were on the same watch together and after he came on deck, he just started laughing, “Hey Len, is that a black wall in front of us – are we going to SLAM right into it?” Malm asked. During these dark nights, while doing your trick at the wheel, you would get these large wind gusts of eight to 10 knots with the swell deciding to take another direction. Working your way through these conditions can really pucker you up. You can also get a little intimidated while waiting in the on-deck circle wondering if you can do this.

Sailing downwind for five days in the warm Pacific tradewinds will be a fond memory, sighting sea life, cloud formations, rainbows, moonbows, passing ships in the night – they will always be etched into our memories. While waking up for my watch, my nickname had changed from Lenny B to Lenny Beats because I left my funk playlist playing and the on-watch had been dancing the whole four hours. For some strange reason that made me feel good; music will break tension, gelling us more as a team while gaining on our opponents. I have been dancing across the Pacific while listening to Michael Jackson since my first Transpac in 1983.

My last three Transpacs have been day finishes which are always an added bonus. Hearing a crew member shout “Land Ho” is always refreshing along with a relief of tension that the water maker, refrigeration, battery charging system, head and electronics are all still working. When approaching the islands from a southerly route, you will first see parts of the Big Island, Maui, and then sail right next to Molokai before entering the Molokai Channel. This channel can quickly slap you upside the head because of the increased wind strength and sea conditions. I recall four times, over the years, when the channel has picked us up and laid us on our side while I was blowing bubbles in the cockpit. Being able to take on the Molokai Channel while keeping the boat in control and sailing at top performance will always make you want more. If the channel rubs your nose in it, then around a week after the finish you’ll start dreaming that you would like another chance.

The finish line is always exciting no matter what time of day it is. The wind always seems to be blowing in the mid-20s with the wind angle at a close reach, making it difficult to keep the boat in control with a spinnaker up. You have to finish the race with a spinnaker up, because that’s what’s in the race brochure. If you are lucky enough to finish in daylight, then the camera boats are all around you and there’s no pressure.

The greeting the Hawaii Yacht Club and the Transpac Yacht Club give you is most memorable with a big alooooooha, then a review of the crew roster welcoming you to the islands and of course, the Mai Tais. Blend this with loved ones waiting for you at the dock, while trying to obtain your land legs again which makes this all a “cool thing to do.” For me, I am considering hanging up my sea boots; Horizon has been placed on the market for sale, so this might be the perfect time to call it quits while on top of the Santa Cruz 50 fleet. With 14 Pacific crossings, going out with 1st place in a division and with a new course record for a Santa Cruz 50 feels right. Yes, I will miss Horizon, but I will never forget all the memories and my lifelong friends that sailed with me aboard her.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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