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.

Trans Pac 2021 "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly"

 

By the time you are reading this, I will be aboard the Santa Cruz 50 Horizon approaching Catalina Islands west end, next stop Honolulu, Hawaii. The Race is called Trans Pac which dates back to 1906 the history book is full of information with the last updated version being completed in 1981. I am thinking I should join a Trans Pac history committee to update the history book when I retire from offshore sailing. The next questions are when does one retire and what keeps us coming back?

Years ago a revered navigator Tom Leweck, the Curmudgeon, wrote a story in an electronic sailing newsletter named Scuttlebutt called Trans Pac Anonymous (TPA) a non-profit organization designed to protect yachtsman from unscrupulous boat owners who make promises of champagne sailing voyages to Hawaii on the sparkly blue water of the Pacific Ocean. It’s been years since I have read the story with the bottom line being deferred to what my father always told me “You don’t get something for nothing”. 

From my perspective, I could be wrong about this, the curmudgeon had reached a point in his life where he still wanted to compete yet the pounding of the first two or four days of the race, pending on what size boat you are on, is absolutely miserable. This is the point I feel the curmudgeon was disclosing to the crew of the competing boats. Let me set the scene for you: The start of the race is normally under the light breeze from the Catalina eddy. Once the boats are about forty miles off the coast of California they enter the offshore breeze which can easily be in the 30-knot range. This is quite often when the carnage takes place with several boats breaking down and return to port with their tail between their legs. This happened to me in 2003, and normally starts at about three in the morning your first night out. The crew struggles with the reduction of sail area with all hands on deck. With this task completed the off watch heads back down below wet and cold trying to get some sleep within the hour and a half before their watch starts. At this point picture yourself a little seasick living inside a drum on the drumline at the halftime show of a football game.

This goes on for four days with your body locking down asking you why do you do this to yourself? The crew has to learn quickly how to adapt, which includes going to the head while on a twenty-degree angle, taking on and off our foul weather gear, learning how to make coffee with one hand for the boat. Can you picture me now after struggling to stay upright after pretending to get some sleep, putting on my gear now trying to remember how to balance my coffee mug as I pour warm water into it? I learned years ago that boiling water is very hot and your first drink of coffee is a type of tsunami effect out of your canteen into your wide-open mouth. Still on a 20-degree angle mountain climbing expedition, one looks for the easiest route up the companionway ladder onto the weather rail. Just then you get hit in the face by a large cold wave with the water dripping down your slightly exposed jacket. One quickly begins the count down to one’s off watch. Just at about this time, I start getting upset because I have to get back up and start figuring out how to make the boat sail faster by trimming the sails. Which is the start of another climbing expedition traveling down to the leeward side and back up again. I’m not going to lie, I do a lot of finger pointing while asking the younger crew members to complete the trimming while I never have gone to the bow of the boat since the turn of the century. 

Day two and three are the same balancing act, one has to see me trying to take the casserole out of the oven placing it on the stovetop peeling back the aluminum foil, and sticking my finger in the middle of it to see if the casserole is ready for dinner. If it is not ready, the juggling act starts over. The first few days go by with most of the crew laughing at how the old guy tries to stay on his two feet dancing around the galley while cursing at himself.

As we go into day four this is when one receives the pleasure of living through four days of hell. The angle of the boat is less than five degrees, the crew has set one of the reaching spinnakers while the miles are clicking away towards the cold Mai Tai’s, yes I talking in the first person plural form. Morale on the boat can be severely damaged should the wrong route be taken in the early part of the race, there a no passing lanes after day five. Now, if you are one of the fortunate ones whose team has made the correct choices then you are in the race of your lifetime.

I would think more than half of my readers remember the original Batman TV series? The first show would show you how Batman and Robbin got into trouble with the second episode showing how they got out of trouble. For the rest of the story remember “Same Bat-time same Bat-channel”. While I recall why I do this to myself, you can follow us at https://yb.tl/transpac2021 wish us luck!

Sea Ya

On the Harbor: Catching up with sailor Tom Corkett aka TC Written 6/18

Tom Corkett with his trophy – War Canoe – for winning the Transpac overall in 1963

By LEN BOSE

The year was 1988, and I had just started my career in yacht sales. One day while gazing out the window, a large off-green BMW pulled up in front of the office with the initials TC on the license plate. My broker noticed where I was looking and said with an envious tone in his voice “That’s Tom Corkett.” Ever since that time, I thought that’s the person I want to emulate.

Tom Corkett – T.C. – hope you don’t mind, but I am going to use his initials because that’s how I have always greeted him from the time we used to work together at Ardell Yachts in the ‘90s until the present day as we cross tacks in the Harbor 20 fleet.

TC was born in Pasadena. His family purchased a home on the harbor in 1947, and then they made it their full-time residence in 1954. At that time, the active racing fleet in the harbor were the 11-foot Snowbirds. TC crewed for his sister, Nancy, in Snowbirds, until he wanted his own boat. He recalled the 1954 “Flight of the Snowbirds,” where 200 boats would show up at the starting line. He finished mid-fleet, yet went on to describe how Nancy won the pin end of the starting line with Tom O’Keefe, and the two of them punched out in front of the fleet. Nancy finished a close second to O’Keefe. TC also recalled that they would close down the harbor for the Flight, and other boaters would line up around the outside of the race course to spectate, as well as watch the powerboat races down the Lido Channel: those were the two big events of the summer. “We used to have power boats going 50 mph down the harbor. It was great,” TC recalled.

At the age of 21, TC started the sailing club at Ardell Yachts, where he would give sailing lessons on new fiberglass sailboats, and then after the lessons, sell students those boats. Cal, Pearson and Hinckley sailboats were the product lines that Ardell Yachts represented in the early ‘60s. During the ‘70s, interest rates jumped up and Ardell Yachts turned to brokerage boats. By the time TC was 32, he had hooked into a deal, representing both buyer and seller of a 180-foot steel motor yacht, “Pegasus II.” “That really got me going...that was the start of it all,” TC said. He described the interior with ornate furniture and chandeliers – more like a hillside mansion on the water. The vessel had 16 crew members.” TC said.

For as long as I have known TC, he is not one to tell you about his recent deals. I was always left in awe of the amount of traffic in and out of his office. From the Ardell copy room, I would constantly hear: “Hi Tom, I need another boat.” One time, I noticed a very well-known movie studio CEO come into the office unannounced, and after about 30 minutes, TC was headed out to show an 80-foot Alloy sailboat via executive jet to some far-off land. I remember him walking past the copy room and noticing me, then coming back and telling me he was not going to make twilights that night, and it was okay if I wanted to take the boat out.

TC has spent his time at sea. At the age of 21, he put a crew together for the 1963 Transpac aboard the family boat “Islander.” This boat was designed by Kirk Uhlman, and built-in 1958 by Joh de Good & Sohn in Germany. “The boat did not sail to weather very well, but it could sail to its rating downwind,” TC said. TC knew how to put together a winning team with Dr. Jack Paschall as navigator, Gary L. Myers, William Cook, a rigor from Lido Shipyard by the name of Mark Von Mills and Burke Mooney. The crew was very young, and TC was the youngest skipper to enter and win a Transpac. He had a young crew. Three were in their 20s and two in their early 40s. What they lacked in age, they made up with experience. Four of the six of them had sailed in Transpacs before, and all had done plenty of offshore sailing.

They only had one serious problem during the 14-day run. On the fourth day, their steering unit began to cause trouble. “Islander’s” wheel, mounted on a pedestal in the cockpit, was connected to the rudder mechanism by a bicycle chain working the sprockets. When two of the sprockets popped the chain, it developed so much slack, that there was far too much play in the wheel to steer efficiently. After seven hours of handiwork, the crew completed a gadget called an Idler consisting of a metal wheel at the end of a plywood handle which could be wedged from the chain to keep it taut, which held up for the remainder of the race. “We sailed rhumb line and the great circle; we sailed the shortest course and ended up winning the race,” TC said. He went on to describe that they had blown out all their spinnakers and finished the race with wung out jibe. “We should have had new sails. We purchased used sails before the race and they were tired before they even got on the boat. I found out really quickly, you cannot sail that race with used sails,” TC said.

Another offshore event that TC participated in was the 1992 Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Kaneohe. He and his longtime friend Scott Abrams double-handed the 68-foot Nelson Marek “Peregrine.” In that race, they faced the hottest navigator of our time, Stan Honey, aboard a Santa Cruz 70 named “Mongoose.” He was also sailing double-handed with the owner. TC and Abrams won on corrected time.

Over the years, TC has taken home some of the most prestigious awards that can be given out on our harbor by winning the Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s Burgee of Merit and Don Vaughn Memorial Trophy, but my favorite and maybe even TC’s is the War Canoe he won for winning the Transpac overall in 1963.

Today, you can find TC at the start of this year’s Pacific Cup aboard “Runaway” or racing a Harbor 20 with one of his 10 grandchildren.

When I ended my interview, I thanked TC and he said: I’ll sea ya on the water. 

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for StuNewsNewport.

On the Harbor: Catching up with new Harbormaster Paul Blank

Harbormaster Paul Blank aboard his prized Brian Thomson wooden sabot  Joysailing photo

By LEN BOSE

I met Harbormaster Paul Blank years ago at an intercollegiate sailing regatta where he was sailing for the University of Los Angeles. Blank was recognized as a worthy opponent that we must contend with if we wanted to move on to the Pacific Coast Championships. Later, we teamed up and sailed on an active one-design keelboat class for a couple of years. Time continued where Blank served on the City of Newport Harbor Commission for eight years. Because of our history, Blank has always been easy to approach as we both have a strong passion for our harbor.

Blank grew up in Costa Mesa, was introduced to the harbor by a friend, and joined the City of Newport Beach sailing classes offered at the OCC sailing base in the summer of 1975, at the age of 10.

“I enjoyed the water and the independence sailing offered, it just really stuck. My parents then purchased a beater sabot, and dragged me down to the 19th Street beach every weekend, then deciding it would be best to store the boat at a yacht club,” he said.

Blank first joined and sailed out of South Shore Yacht Club. His first coach was Mark Gaudio. “Mark really honed the skill of how to sail efficiently while introducing me to racing,” he recalled. Blank then explained how he became our Harbormaster. “Someone within the city came to me informing me that the job would become available soon, and thought that I would be a good fit for the job. My first thought was that’s crazy, why would you ever say that. I was advised to read the job description and then think about it. Which I did overnight, returning that person’s call the next day while thinking…wow, this is a pretty good fit. There are certain aspects of this job that very few people know about more than I do. Yes, I will have a learning curve on the other aspects, but overall it’s a pretty good mix. Ok, I will apply, what the heck. I completed the application, and from the several dozen applicants, I made it into the final six. My knowledge and passion for the harbor shined through, so the selection committee felt that they would give me a try,” Blank said.

Harbormaster Blank aboard "Nate"

What will Blank focus on during his first 100 days at the job? He replied with a light laugh, “To put it accurately, I am a little unfocused. My list grows from moment to moment based on several hundred items received and considered. All comments or recommendations are considered. Our current focus is on bridge jumping. On June 5th we started citing and fining people jumping off our bridges into the harbor. We are deterring jumpers by our presence along with code informant officers who might be observing jumpers from a beach cruiser bicycle, wearing short pants, a T-shirt, and sandals. Then ticketing the jumpers on their way out of the water,” Blank said. “I am sure many of you remember the person jumping off the Lido Bridge into a Duffy a couple of years ago seriously injuring themselves and the people in the boat. In the first part of June, there were 11 citations written; the first fine is $100, the second, is $200; and the third is $500. So far, there have been no second citations given to the same person.”

His team is also concentrating on water safety. “Members of my department participated with the Costa Mesa Fire Department on water safety. The CMFD has a month-long water safety program and asked for support from my team. We then sent down two crew members on a patrol boat to review our harbor safety requirements. At this time, we are also supporting the harbor dredging. There is nothing more important to the health of our harbor than keeping it at the designed depth. We have been moving moorings and taking dignitaries out to observe the dredging,” Blank said. 

How will serve as a harbor commissioner help Blank as harbormaster? “I have a good understanding of what goes on behind the scenes. I believe there was no better education in preparation for this job than sitting on a city commission. I’m very appreciative of how to get things done, as a harbor commissioner and now as harbormaster. I can be more effective in educating the commissioners and the public on how things work. I am also at liberty to get some things done because there is a fund or budget. For example, as a commissioner, there was an idea for some signs on the Lido Isle bridge directing paddleboarders to use the channels on the shallow side allowing for more room down the middle of the channel for powerboats. This idea never got done and now as a harbormaster, I was able to implement this idea,” Blank shared.

And his harbor mentors? “Doug West first comes to mind. He has become very significant. Even though he now lives on the East Coast, I talk to him regularly. He still has a strong interest in our harbor. Nancy Gardner has always been encouraging while giving me a firm hand with my exuberance along with guidance to complete projects subtly and consistently. I follow the mantra ‘that it is amazing what you can get accomplished if you don’t care who gets the credit,’” Blank said.

For my last question, I asked Blank to describe his perfect day on the water. He responded with a great deal of laughter. “Len, I love this question – thank you. Here is my perfect day on the water, while I never have achieved it, I am pretty darn close. I would go paddleboarding on the harbor in the morning. I would go racing in the afternoon on a keelboat or small boat, then wind down the day with a really nice dinner aboard Promotion, my powerboat anchored somewhere in the harbor.”

Blank has been a good friend for many years, and I find it difficult to explain just how fortunate we are to have him as harbormaster at this time. The three main things I took away from this interview, and that I plan on keeping are: 1. We both learned how to sail off the 19th Street beach at the same time. 2. The mantra quoted from Harry Truman that “it is amazing what you can get accomplished if you don’t care who gets the credit.” 3. When Blank said, “My mission here is to make Newport Harbor the cleanest, safest and the most well-enjoyed harbor on the planet.” To that, I say Amen, brother!

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

Balboa Yacht Club Vice Commodore Paul Blank aboard his Herreshoff 12.5 "NATE"
Note the BYC colors in the spinnaker 
"Well Done Paul!"