On the Harbor: Harbor Commission’s goals and objectives outlined

By LEN BOSE

I wanted to take the time to update you on what the Harbor Commission has been tasked with in the upcoming year by reviewing its objectives and goals, along with any observations I have made from the commission’s meetings.

Number One: The annual review of Title 17 and recommended updates to the City Council where necessary (Commissioner: Yahn). Title 17 is our harbor city codes. If you have questions regarding our harbor codes and enforcement, your contact is Matt Cosylion at mcosylion@newportbeachca.gov. What Commissioner Yahn has been tasked with is updates or additions to Title 17. The devil is always in the details, so when you start talking about Title 17, pay close attention when recommendations are made.

Number Two: Collaborate with the Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee to partner on areas within the harbor where both Commission/Committees intersect (Commissioners: Svrcek, Scully). In my interview with Commissioner Scully last month, the interaction between these two committees showed proven results with the Water Wheel, along with working with the county and upland cities’ water runoff. Progress has been made, which I noticed when attending the Huntington Beach Harbor Commission meeting, starting at the beginning of the process.

Number Three: There has been successful implementation of the mooring reconfiguration initiative, including design, testing, permitting, execution, and monitoring (Commissioner: Beer). Ira Beer continues to work through all the different government agencies to start on the test mooring field.

 Number Four: Collaborate with Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission and staff to evaluate the best use for Lower Castaways and make a recommendation to the City Council (Commissioners: Marston, Svrcek). Commissioner Marston gave an update on this task at the last meeting. This objective has been on the books for a very long time, and my guess is it will remain on the books for an even longer period of time. One of the issues is this is one of the last open spaces around the harbor with no clear “best use” for this property at this time.

Number Five: Work with staff to identify opportunities to add additional Harbor Services (restrooms, additional pump-out stations, dock space, shore boat service, boat launch ramp, and development of the mobile app). (Commissioners: Marston, Yahn). There has been a lot of progress with the mobile app, public docks, and upgrades to the pump-out stations. The harbor desperately needs another boat launch ramp which is a huge task. I have my fingers crossed for this one.

Number Six: Continues with the participation of businesses, nonprofits, and the Harbor Department with a Newport Harbor Safety Committee to promote best practices, and address safety issues on the water (Commissioner: Scully). Scully had made huge progress on this task with as many as 35 companies attending the first harbor safety meetings. If you are active on the water you will want to stay tuned to any upcoming meetings.

Number Seven: Review Harbor Department responsibilities, evaluate the department’s readiness and effectiveness to deliver harbor services as necessary for normal operations and during emergencies, and make recommendations as determined necessary (Commissioners: Scully, Williams). From my interview earlier with Newport Harbormaster Paul Blank, much has been done regarding this task with drills with other agencies and equipment inspections.

Number Eight: Work with city staff on an update of the market rent to be charged for onshore and offshore moorings (Commissioners: Cunningham, Beer). This is always a heated topic, and the Newport Mooring Association is always quick to share its concerns and notify the public when this topic is placed on the agenda.

Number Nine. Evaluate establishing day moorings off Big Corona Beach (Commissioner: Williams). This one is dear to my heart, as I have always felt it would be a great idea to have day-use mooring off of Big Corona. This would be an opinion, rather than anchoring off of Emerald Bay or freeing up the anchorages. I need to step forward and work with Williams to make this happen.

Number 10. Support staff in all efforts related to the dredge completion of the Federal Navigation channels in addition to the upcoming agency renewals of the Regional General Permit (RGP54) shallow water dredging permit. (Commissioners: Cunningham, Svrcek). This is the mother of all other objectives and must be constantly monitored.

I wish there were three other objectives listed: navigation lights on top of the channel markers in the upper bay; the removal of the old fixed channel markers to floating buoys and marine recycling centers.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: Meeting up with Harbor Commissioner Chairman Steve Scully

 By LEN BOSE

I was able to contact Harbor Commissioner Chairman Steve Scully this week for an interview. After the interview, I leaned back in my chair realizing just how much I missed this summer by not attending the meetings. The good news to report is that the Harbor Commission has been busy, and taking their tasks to hand by completing their objectives.

Scully is easy to talk to and I had a good laugh when he explained, “You have no idea what you are getting into when you get on the harbor commission, there is so much jargon, and so much knowledge in particularly with the commissioners who have been on the commission for quite some time. Getting to understand that and getting caught up is a lot of work; it can be overwhelming at times, but you just have to do it. It was drinking from the fire hose when I first got there, had to ask the questions and understand what they were talking about.”

Scully has lived in Newport Beach for 31 years, loves the ocean, and was a deckhand on a comical fishing boat as a young kid in San Diego. He is now retired from his Trucking & Logistics company, which he sold in 2011. “I went from 30,000 miles an hour to zero. After retirement, I felt I should get involved with the city and try to give back. I felt the harbor would be the best place to do that. I was turned down twice for the commission and selected on the third try,” Sully said.

Each harbor commissioner is assigned different objectives and goals. So, my questions were on just that, by asking him for an update while working with the Water Quality and Coastal Tideland committees.

“The Water Quality Commission asked us to collaborate and they were pretty focused on water quality in the harbor, so we agreed to attend each other’s meetings. The concept of floating bathrooms was put to the Harbor Commission, who felt it was a better idea to chart out the public restrooms around the harbor by improving a phone app that would identify where the closest head was located to the operator’s location. Harbormaster Paul Blank took the lead on this task, updating the city’s phone app, and completing the task. By attending the Water Quality meeting it’s been really fascinating to learn about the difference of the copper level in the harbor along with the upland runoff. Learning how to work with the county has also proven very insightful,” Scully shared.

While working in his trucking business, safety was always a priority, so Scully instinctively created an objective to improve safety within the harbor. He started contacting the different commercial operations within our harbor to create a safety meeting. Working with Blank along with Harbor Code Enforcement Officer Matt Cosylion, helped him promote the meeting to the different marine operators. This turned out to be a very successful gathering with 35 companies attending a harbor safety meeting. Key people from the OC Sheriff’s Department and Lifeguard/Fire Department attended, hitting the ball out of the park. They created five different subcommittees from that original meeting, with the different commercial groups discussing their own concerns with other similar businesses on how all the different groups can share the harbor together. Everyone involved in organizing these meetings deserves a Bravo/Zulu for a job well done. My mind wonders and sees Cosylion knocking on everyone’s door and saying, “There is a harbor safety meeting coming up and I recommend you attend…capeesh?” I don’t think Cosylion is Italian, yet that image made me chuckle.

Regarding the goal of harbor enhancements, Scully noted improvements with the harbor phone app, new public docks, the disabled people lift at Marina Park, code enforcement, emergency response team drills, and continued maintenance of the pump-out stations. I would personally like to say that Paul Blank is doing an outstanding job. He has brought attention to detail into the harbor, and he is multi-tasking on multiple fronts to manage the harbor better, making the harbor more enjoyable and safer while taking care of the extremely important assets of our city and treating it with respect. I can’t give enough accolades to him for what he has done, and it’s allowed the Harbor Commission to advance while allowing our harbor to significantly improve.

My last question was how Scully enjoys the harbor. “I enjoy having family down on the boat, just sitting in the cockpit and watching all the boats go by. We head down to Emerald Bay, and drop an anchor for day trips.”

Until this interview, I had not recognized how strong the Harbor Commission team had become. By synchronizing this team with the Harbor Department, our harbor has never been in better hands with the ability to achieve so much more.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: a busy fall season

Ann and Kurt Wiese, 2023 H20 Fleet Champions

By LEN BOSE

The first two weeks of the fall season comes into our harbor with War Heroes on Water (WHOW), along with the Harbor 20 fleet championships, followed by the Lehman 12 Barney Lehman Championships. Wrapping up the first two weeks of fall was the earth-shaking sound of low-level jets flying overhead during the Pacific Air Show in Huntington Beach, bringing out an armada of yachts from Newport Beach to L.A. Harbor.

While walking down to my Harbor 20 for the fleet championships, over the harbor was a light crisp breeze out of the southwest awakening all of the American Flags to a busy day on the water. Large visiting yachts filled the harbor, and I could feel the enthusiastic energy from each yacht passing by my slip. This was the Third Annual War Heroes on Water fishing tournament and boat parade. The parade seemed to have more boats in it than the Christmas parade, and most of the yachts were our coast’s top sportfishing vessels. I had a chance to observe the parade from the upper deck of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club and even at that elevation, I could not see the last boat. Excitement filled the air, with horns and cannon blasts. Everyone at the yacht club stood at attention similar to a flag-raising ceremony on opening day until the last yacht passed the club.

During the last weekend in September, there were 21 Harbor 20s competing in the end-of-the-season fleet championships held at Newport Harbor Yacht Club. The breeze was consistent at 7-11 knots keeping the competitors’ awareness levels up, with 10-degree wind shifts throughout the two days. The father-daughter team of skipper Kristen & crew John Whitney sailed a consistent regatta, never scoring lower than third place. They were both very excited at the awards dinner and it was a good time talking to both of them.

In B Fleet, it was a hard-fought battle between Anne and Ed Kimball aboard Dragon Lady against team Whim with Brenda Benter crew and skipper John Drayton, which came down to the last two races on Sunday with Team Kimball receiving the pickle dish.

In A Fleet, the big battle was for second place between Phil Thompson, Argyle Campbell and Chris Rabb, with only four points between them. Rabb never sailed higher than a fifth place, edging out Campbell by one point with Thompson within striking distance to the end of the regatta.

 One team that was not within striking distance was Team Anne and Kurt Wiese with seven wins out of 11 races. The Wieses connected the dots and never took their feet off the accelerator all weekend. During my decade sailing in this fleet, I never witnessed such dominance in the fleet championships. Of the 12 competitors, Jennifer and I struggled to break into the top six boats finally finishing with a second and third on Sunday, and finishing the regatta in seventh place, one place short of our goal, yet pleased with the outcome.

The weekend of September 30-October 1 was all about the Pacific Air Show off of Huntington Beach. This show brings out more boats than any other event, and viewing the boats on the water, one can’t help but smile. A very good friend of mine was invited to go aboard the 128 ft. Shogun berthed at the Balboa Bay Club, and he is still talking about what a great time they had.

In the harbor, that weekend was the Lehman 12 Barney Lehman Championships. This is another event that brings out the best sailors, who for the most part are under the age of 40. The boat is very physical with a long history at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Similar to the H20 Championships, the battle was for second place between Campbell Moore/Alex Curtiss and Christy Mason/Will La Dow with Curtis sailing a strong second half of the day to finish in second by one point over Will LaDow.

After 11 races in one day, it’s difficult for me to remember how anyone can walk straight after that many races in some very challenging conditions. Yet Clare Dahl/Jake La Dow did just that by winning five of those 11 races and placing their name on the very prestigious Barney Lehman Trophy.

Another vessel you might have noticed in the harbor was the 237-ft. megayacht Stella Maris anchored in the turning basin over the first two weeks of fall. She was built in 2015 in the Italian shipyard Viareggio. She can accommodate 12 guests in seven suites with a crew of 19. Throughout the summer months she was in Alaska then stopped by Newport Beach. Now she is on her way to Southeast Asia via Hawaii for the winter. If you are interested, she can be charted for $690,000 per week. Hope I win this week’s Powerball, and should I be so lucky…that’s what I would name the boat – Powerball.

Wish me luck!

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: Our Alaskan cruise, part 2

Capturing Glacier Bay aboard the “MS Eurodam” cruise ship

By LEN BOSE

(Tuesday) September 5, Glacier Bay

The only comparison to a Duffy cruise is looking for the scoop in the BCYC ice machine. Glacier Bay is simply explained with one word – “WOW”! The Park Rangers had boarded the boat earlier that morning as we entered the bay. Our weather window was the best of the season, explained by the captain over the load speaker while releasing all of his crew to take turns coming on deck for a view. The Eurodam had been repeating this route every week since April, with this being the first time the crew had been at ease. The sea lion pups had dispersed the icebergs in front of the glacier, which allowed the ship to come within 2,000 feet of the glacier. The diamond blue colors of the glacier were memorizing; the history of the area haunts me, while at the same time, it’s so embracing. Our cabana is paying high dividends while taking in both views from the port and starboard side while breakfast is being served. The glacial calving has some resemblance to our kids jumping from the Lido Bridge, just not the same size wake. When chunks of ice break off the glacier there is a pulsating crack, with the sea birds moving towards the pulse as the ice falls into the bay. Kind of like emptying your ice from the cooler into the harbor after a Duffy cruise. The panoramic view is never-ending with each cove grabbing your attention and ahh…We spent more than two hours in front of the glacier with the calving accruing every 10 minutes. Traveling in and out of Glacier Bay lasted most of the day, while the next cruise ship took its turn in front of the glacier.

(Wednesday) September 6 – Sitka, Alaska

We arrived at port at 8 a.m. with a water excursion of sea otters and whale watching. I’ve seen my share of most mammal sea creatures, so this excursion was for my wife Jennifer, and I had better show interest. While waiting to board our excursion boat, I wandered over to the information stand just located off our gangway. A lady with a big smile was working the berth when I approached and asked if she could answer a couple of silly questions for me. “There are no silly questions,” she replied. I didn’t catch her name, but asked: “Do you feel that there should be fewer cruise ships, and how do the locals feel about the cruise fleet being in town? Do the locals have concerns about the cruise ships affecting the environment?” “Okay, those are interesting questions that I have never been asked before.” She went on to say, “Most of the locals understand the trade-offs for employment and the environment. The people that live in Sitka are fishermen and the cruise ships don’t really bother us. We have all seen the whales and other marine life come into port wrapped around the bulbs of the cruise ships, which always seem to make the headlines. There has been a large increase in the number of cruise ships passing through our port, especially since we have added a pier rather than ships anchoring them and shuttling passages ashore, and it has become overwhelming. There should be something done about the larger ships. I’m just not sure how these changes could be enforced,” she said.

We then headed down the gangway to our excursion vessel and quickly headed out of the channel and around the local islands. The first stop was a bell buoy to check out the sea lions. I thought to myself, “Just slap me across my head now…this is going to be so exciting (sarcastically).” That’s when Ellena, our guide, was above and beyond qualified with her presentation of the sea life and wildlife in Alaska. She caught my attention when she introduced the sea lions on the bell buoy as Steller sea lions and went on to explain that they do not belch or bark. My mind raced on how to bring these sea lions home and blend in with ours. We were fortunate to have another clear day and smooth seas. With many whales, bald eagles, and sea otter sightings, we worked our way back into port. I was able to pull Ellena aside and ask her, “What is your opinion about the number of cruise ships in the area, and should the number of ships be reduced?” “It’s highly dependent as to which area they are in, especially in southeast Alaska and Sitka in particular. We don’t get many independent travelers in order to supplement the community itself, a lot of that is going to be tourist-based. I am a big believer that people won’t care about what they don’t witness first-hand, so if we don’t let people view the humpback whales and other marine life and how emissions and plastics affect them, people will not care. There is a big part of what I feel people need to witness. At one time, there were many ferries that would take people out to view the marine life with far fewer whale sightings. So should we have one area that the cruise ship would go into and take the ferries out of, which might have less impact on marine life? At the same time, with all the ships going into one port, you will have a lot more noise which confuses the whales. The underwater noise is a big problem, so when you have these huge ships and more need to stop, there should be an inclination to move toward smaller vessels that can maneuver more easily. I will say that fewer cruise ships are better for the wildlife itself,” she shared. Then she went on to say, “Water quality is also a major concern, with diesel leaks, discharge from the water makers. Higher regulation is needed, but not everyone is being accountable, even though the Coast Guard is doing all that it can. Underwater noise pollution is having the latest negative impact on marine life.”

So should any of you take this cruise, be sure to take the time to go into the town of Sitka. Jen and I felt we were too short on time and didn’t go, but it turned out that was the wrong call.

(Thursday) September 7 – Ketchikan, Alaska Ketchikan was one of our last stops after coming ashore, we walked back into the outskirts of town and found a local diner. Picture walking into a western bar with a Reyn Spooner and shorts on, the whole diner goes quiet and those eating give you a long stare. Something tells me they knew I was from California. I spent most of the day people-watching while realizing the cruise was approaching the finish line.

(Thursday) September 21 – Home again

Jennifer and I have been home for over a week now and our suitcases are still in the middle of the living room. My gut feeling is that these huge cruise ships shouldn’t be allowed to run these routes, as it is just wrong in so many ways.  It reminded me of a sunny Sunday afternoon when all of our harbor cruise ships travel through the five-point area of our harbor one after another.  Ellena’s concept of ferries and small excursion boats is one option. If an Alaska cruise is on your bucket list, I recommend going sooner rather than later. Be sure to add a second week to your vacation, because you might catch COVID – all of us did. I came away from the cruise recognizing that the time spent with Jennifer was priceless. For years, Jennifer joined us after the Mexico, Hawaii, and Bay Area races, but I took this as vacation time with her while I was chasing the crew around. The one-on-one time with her is something I will strive to achieve in the future. I’m thinking of Four Seasons Resorts now, rather than cruise ships.

Harbor 20 fleet championships this weekend, so wish us luck!

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: Our Alaskan cruise, part 1

Capturing the “MS Eurodam” cruise ship for Holland America Line in Sitka, Alaska

September 2, Seattle, Wash

Pier 91 boarding the 935-foot Eurodam destination through Puget Sound then a day at sea headed for Stephens Pass. The Eurodam does resemble a harbor cruise around Newport Harbor aboard a Duffy with food and drink at the next stop. The view leaving Puget Sound was breathtaking, similar to traveling past Lido Isle, Bay Island, and Harbor Island, but here we saw sea otters, orca, seaplanes, and the surrounding forest on the shoreline.

Once on board, we hit the first shift by meeting a couple from Newport Beach who had booked the double-corner cabana on the starboard side of the upper deck for the week. This was the gift from Neptune enlightening the perfect lane to our first mark, allowing us to book the port side double cabana with a 250-degree view for the remainder of the cruise. We completed the afternoon with a Jimmy Buffet playlist and an endless supply of painkillers and cheeseburgers in paradise. We met six different couples who stopped by for painkillers and cheeseburgers while toasting Buffet. Countless passengers came by just to listen to a Buffet song. Passengers wondered why a high-speed boat was circling the ship. From the starboard side just above the water line, a person jumped from the ship onto the pilot boat wearing a life belt, along with a type of hockey helmet, making a perfect two-point landing and then headed immediately below deck. These pilots have some series grapes!

September 3 - Sea Day

Heading into 20 knots of breeze at 20 knots of boat speed makes for some exciting wind across the deck. Pickleball on the aft deck was canceled and the cabana was a bit breezy. Yet, if you own it you better use it. We gave up on the cabana after a couple of hours and lunch; we put up the tri-sail and storm jib, retiring to the bow’s observatory lounge – the Crow’s Nest – for a two-hour reading session along with a couple of rounds of Yahtzee. I thought to myself this was much easier than the first two days of any of the Transpacs I have raced in, while climbing back in my bunk for a solid two-hour afternoon nap. The thought was that while aboard this vessel are we headed to a land we have no business being in…are we disturbing the land by traveling to a place on the Earth that was created for the few and nature? This thought had never crossed my mind while sailing or enjoying a sunset cruise on our harbor. But I was apprehensive about entering this new harbor.

September 4

We awoke in Stephens Passage with good visibility and drizzling rain; another day of no pickleball and questioning the cabana. Although cold, I still felt the cabana was paying dividends. At 1 p.m., we arrived in Juneau. I shifted to another layer of clothing and headed into the heated Crow’s Nest viewing lounge. On our arrival in Juneau, we headed directly to the Red Dog Saloon through its swinging doors and entered the year 1880. It was very similar to walking into the American Legion on our harbor, with overworked cocktail waitresses and bartenders nearing the end of the summer cruising season. The abrasiveness of the bar staff was entertaining. When I engaged the waitress, I brought up that I thought the description of liquor was funny described as Cheap Sh*t, Regular Sh*t, Expensive Sh*t, and Really Expensive Sh*t. I assumed Makers Mark is the Expensive Sh*t.” Her reply was, “You can read, most people can’t.” So, I said I would like a really expensive pour. She left with a “whatever” attitude which intrigued me even more. Then we were off to the excursion bus and the Mendenhall Glacier. While boarding the bus, we were entertained by our driver Bobcat. While blending in historic features, wildlife, and the lifestyle of the local people, he made a half-hour run to and from the glacier memorable.

After arriving back at port, I waited for everyone to leave the bus and asked him a few questions. How do locals feel about the cruise ships? “Here in Juneau, many of the year-round residents would prefer not to have them in port. But during COVID-19, many of these people realized just how important the port is to this city, and many of these people have changed their minds,” Bobcat said. Are they concerned about the environmental impact of the ships? “Some of the ships will discharge more black smoke than they should and I might overhear locals make mention of it from time to time,” Bobcat said. And I asked if there were issues with water quality from the ship due to waste, etc. He said there was not much concern about water quality with the amount of water flow from the huge tide they have.

I found some news articles online regarding the impacts of Alaska cruise ships. One thing that caught my eye was that the majority of Juneau residents would like to limit the number of ships. Although not on the same scale, I found similarities with the large charter boats in our harbor.

Part two will cover our visit to Glacier Bay and an interesting interview with a marine biologist/naturalist as well as information booth residents of Sitka, along with whoever I meet in Ketchikan.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

Newport

n the Harbor: Getting to know Carolyn Smith, the new BCYC sailing director

L-R) Carolyn Smith sailing with good friend Bayley Davidson aboard her Lehman 12 named after her mom “NINA”

By LEN BOSE

At this year’s opening day at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club (BCYC), I heard across the dock that Carolyn Smith had become the new sailing director. This was welcome news, because I have always noticed and enjoyed her passion for sailing while competing against her in Harbor 20s. I got to know her a lot better when she passed me. The last time I looked, I still had a comfortable lead on her, going into the second to last mark in this year’s Flight of Newport. Of course, at the end of the race, she gave me her big smile and said, “good race.” I mumbled something under my breath, but how long can one be disappointed when engaging with Carolyn Smith?

Smith’s family has plenty of history on our harbor. Newport Beach Hall of Fame sailor Nina Nielsen was her mother, and her father is none other than Tom “Smitty” Smith. I recall Smitty and I sailing in as many as three long-distance Mexico races together. Not many people have the harbor in their blood as Smith has.

“I started sailing as an infant; Mom and Dad would place me in a bassinet in the front of the Etchells when they did their twilight sailing – we were on the water almost every night in the summer. As I was getting older and doing more sailing myself, my Mom would sail Lehmans with a friend and me as crew. This was a good introduction to racing as well. Mom would also sit in the sabot with me.”

Nielsen was the 1969 Jr. Sabot National Champion, just to name a few of her many achievements. Smith started sailing the starfish program at BCYC at the age of 5 and racing sabots caught on. By the age of 7, she was a C1, and at the age of 9, she was a top competitor in A fleet.

Smith sailed at Newport Harbor High School and was the captain of her sailing team during her senior year. She was busy her last year of high school, because she also played water polo. She then attended St. Mary’s College of Maryland and sailed all four years there. “That was a lot of competition, a lot of racing in that span of eight years,” Smith said.

One of the many things I found interesting about Smith is that her crew in college was a psych major who taught her how to deal with her nerves, recognizing her nervousness was a form of excitement. “I was not nervous, I was just super excited to be out on the water competing. What I keep reminding myself is that I am not out here to win every race; I go sailing for fun now. I am still going to give it my best and keep it positive,” Smith said.

She started coaching at NHYC just out of high school. After college, she returned to NHYC and ran that program for a couple of years. I then asked her how her phone call went when she was asked if she wanted to run the BCYC.

“When I received the phone call, it felt super nice to be thought of for this position. This is a passion for me, so accepting this position was a no-brainer,” Smith said.

When asked about her first season and taking the position, she shared: “It was a baptism by fire. The parents and volunteers are so helpful in making this program a great success. The timing on arriving on the racecourse was a change, along with understanding the flow of traffic. Here again, the coaches and family were very helpful. We are constantly recruiting coaches from our local high school teams and across the country. Fortunately, we are based in Newport Beach, because who wouldn’t want to come here? Our program is a full week which allows us to not only concentrate on racing, but we have time in the week for other activities that are also fun. It makes it easier for the kids to enjoy their time on the harbor and allows you more time to get to know each student.

“Our fall program has started which is racing on Friday afternoons and we are getting ready for our winter program. At the same time, we are working on our traveling schedule for next season, and hoping to schedule trips to San Diego and Long Beach a couple of times next season. BCYC excels in its 420 double-handed program and we have scheduled a lot of time for double handing sailing.”

I then asked her what separates BCYC from the other clubs across the harbor? “What separates BCYC from the other clubs is our five-day-a-week schedule, and we have Mark Guido. His knowledge about the sabots is unequaled and to watch him around the kids while controlling the room is something you just have to experience. I learned a lot from Guido this last season. He is definitely one of our biggest assets to our program,” Smith said.

If you would like to sign up your kids into the BCYC program, Carolyn Smith is your contact at carolyns@bcyc.org. There is a beginning sailing course starting up very soon for ages 7-11. If you are considering next summer, the best way to join is to contact her now and become a member or junior member at BCYC. This will place you at the top of the list when sign-ups start.

As I was leaving the interview, Smith came up with the quote of the year. After I had told her this story would be running in Stu News’ Fridays edition, she said with a huge smile, “Stu News, that’s where I get all my Newport news.”

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

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

On the Harbor: Catching up with Eberisto “Abe” Parra, owner of Larson’s Shipyard

                                                                                        By LEN BOSE

It’s been 11 years since I last interviewed Eberisto “Abe” Parra, owner of Larson’s Shipyard located at 2705 W. Coast Highway. Parra started working at Boatswains Locker in 1980. That same year, Al Larson called Boatswains Locker, asking if they had any extra help. Work was a little slow, so they sent Abe. “Al had trouble pronouncing my name so he started calling me ‘Abe’ and it stuck,” Parra said.

Parra started out sweeping and cleaning props. Later, Larson taught him all his trade secrets about running the shipyard, working with wood and metal. “Mr. Larson was a very, very good man to me.” You can hear the affection in Parra’s voice when he talks about the shipyard and Larson, who passed in 2000. Parra started working at the shipyard at the age of 17, some 43 years ago. I first meet him back in 1989, when I first started as a yacht broker working in an office above the shipyard. He has always been very kind to me, and we both have always gone out of our way to say hello to each other when we have crossed tacks around town.

Today, Parra runs a crew of four, rebuilding inboard and four-stroke outboard motors, electrical, bottom and topside painting. Haul-out fees are $80 per foot, and they can take boats up to 55 feet. With Parra learning from the master himself – Al Larson – he and his crew are the perfect choices for restoring wooden, fiberglass and gel coat repairs. You should also keep this yard in mind if you have an old boat on your mooring and have to demolish it. 

The real reason I stopped by to say hello to Parra this week is I had heard a rumor that he was retiring and closing up shop. When I asked him about this, he laughed and said, “I have been here 43 years and plan on being around another 43 years.” This was good to hear, because the last thing we need is to lose another shipyard from our harbor.

While researching this story, I found some old interviews with Larson. “Back when I went in business, there were more boatyards here than restaurants,” Larson said. “Now everywhere it’s high-rises and restaurants. Today, the city has only seven boatyards, about half as many yards as it once did – even though the number of boats to be serviced in the harbor has tripled since the 1940s. Keeping Larson’s Shipyard operating as a shipyard was part of the deal worked out in 1979 between the city and the developer who bought Larson’s property,” the article noted. “At that time the City of Newport Beach took a stand to maintain all the shipyards it could as a service to the boating public.”

Today our harbor is down to a total of six shipyards, with only four of them able to haul out boats more than 50 feet.

I asked Parra what he likes to do with his time off and how he likes to boat. “I like to go fishing with my customers, and this last week the fishing has been really good.”

So, the next time you need to haul your boat for its annual maintenance, make sure to call the original Larson’s Shipyard at the same phone number it’s had since 1947 – 949.548.3641.

• • •

Since we are nearing the final beat of the summer, I thought it might be a good time to review some information about our harbor we talked about earlier this year. For our offshore mooring permit holders, Marina Park has a “Ship-Shape” program where you can bring your boat in to clean it. You get three hours to complete your task, from Sunday through Thursday. Call in advance to confirm there is space. Now that the sun is out, remember you can pick up a mooring at no cost for day use. You have to be aboard, your pool toys deployed surrounding the boat, and have shrimp on the barbecue to peg the fun meter. One last reminder for mooring permit holders: The city has a state grant that will help you dispose of the boat that is ready to sink and has little to no value. Remember you don’t have to have a boat on your mooring to keep your permit. Here is one I have to just label as “Duh.” Keep your guests off the bow of your boat with their legs over the side.

Sea ya.

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

On the Harbor: Our Fault, an exceptional Duffy

                                                                 

                                                                       By LEN BOSE

While walking the docks the other weekend, I ran into a good friend that was getting his boat ready for the 4th of July boat parade. The boat immediately grabbed my attention, and as I approached my friend told me the story of how and why this boat was built. As he explained the process, my mind interpreted his story differently. This is how I perceived his story.

One day, the caterpillar stops eating, hangs upside down from a twig or leaf, and spins itself into a silky cocoon or molts into a shiny chrysalis. Within its protective casing, the caterpillar radically transforms its body, eventually emerging as a beautiful butterfly. One might imagine the same story while looking for a Duffy.

A friend wanted a unique Duffy with a Chris Craft flavor to it. He and Marshall “Duffy” Duffield traded thoughts, and then one day when entering the factory, Duffy had noticed earlier a 20-footer laying on its side in an abandoned boatyard. This started the chrysalis cycle of this 1988 Duffy, later to be named Our Fault.

The boat was brought in from the hot high desert sun of Adelanto and placed on a cradle, not quite hung upside down but close, then wheeled through the large factory doors similar to entering a magic castle. As the doors slowly closed a large chiming noise was heard, similar to large chains rattling or the sound of money being deposited into a slot machine.

The color of the hull is a custom burgundy red with a rich mahogany color blended into the hull producing this one-of-a-kind deep-grained finish color. A swim step was added along with underwater lights that produce a moonlit night reflection you can only find miles out to sea on the darkest of nights. Courtesy deck lights were installed along the boat’s cabin sole with a blue tint projecting from the sound system speakers. This gave the cocoon a chilling glow as the boat went through its transformation.

Outdoor teak and holly decking then appeared from bow to stern, two custom tables with the aft table dropping down to a twin berth. The captain’s chair and helm council is fit for Neptune, with a hidden wine locker within the heart of the vessel. The custom sound system can awaken the gods while placing a shuffle to their feet.

The boat’s trumpet can repel any unwanted borders, while the anchoring system will allow for firm holding, which allows for the eventual transformation into a beautiful one-of-a-kind vessel that commands the respect of any true yachtsman within our harbor.

WESTERLY Overall winner

• • •

Not sure if any of you followed my Transpac story with my picks for each division. I was not 100% correct, but pretty darn close. In Division 8, I went with Sweet Okole for the win followed by Juno. It turned out that Juno won, followed by Sweet Okole in second. In Division 7, I didn’t do well with my picks other than stating that “Charles Devanneaux is the Beneteau dealer in Marina Del Rey, so this is not his first rodeo. I would be surprised if his team makes any basic mistakes.” This team finished in 2nd. In Division 4, I got a little closer with my top two picks: Denali 3 finishing in 3rd and the J 125 Arsenal in second. In Division 5, I batted 100% with Westerly winning its class…she even won overall. I didn’t see that coming – Deception took 2nd followed by Triumph in 3rd. In Division 6, I went with Spin Doctor in first and Ho’okolohe in 2nd. Ho’okolohe crushed it winning by more than eight hours over Spin Doctor in 2nd. Division 3 was easy to pick, with the favorite being Pyewacket winning its class. The best part of watching this race was local sailor Dave Clark’s team aboard Grand Illusion giving the “Magic Cat” some heartburn a couple of times, by taking the lead and holding on to it for more than half the race. In Division 1, the team that I was pulling for was Peligroso, which won the division, yet the team I had picked to win was Zeus, who finished in 3rd, which was a surprise. It looked like Zeusneeded more breeze to get on its foils.

Speaking of the Transpac, our harbor’s “Flight of Newport” has brought nearly every Harbor 20 and Laser in the harbor to participate in the event. Like every year, this race is on everyone’s calendar for this Sunday, July 16. Wish us luck!

Sea ya.

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

On the Harbor: July 4th…it’s all about the flow

By LEN BOSE

I always start to feel summer starting to slip away with the passing of the summer solstice followed by the Ferris wheel being assembled in the Orange County Fairgrounds and next is the 4th of July. The only thing to do is to party like it’s 1999. Darn that’s already passed me by. How about “Suck um’ up, let it flow” – that is my plan for the 4th.

My wife Jennifer and I start our day at 9 a.m. by riding our holiday-decorated “pedal” bicycles up the beach trail to Beach Boulevard then down the middle of Pacific Coast Highway, which is closed to car traffic to Lake Street in Huntington Beach, where we post up next to the post office to watch the parade down Main Street. This is always fun for me because I break out my enlarged copy of my elementary school T-shirt the Eader Beavers – the school changed the mascot to the Eader Eagles years later. I’ve never understood why they did that. While on our ride and during the parade, locals call out to me, which makes the day that much more fun. I also have an extra interest in this year’s parade by arranging to place a Duffy Electric Boat in the parade with the City of Huntington Beach Harbor Commissioners aboard. I pictured this a couple of years back while attending the parade, and I am looking forward to seeing this come together. The parade starts at 9:30 a.m. 

Next, we pedal back home and have some brunch around the pool and change my T-shirt in for a 4th of July Reyn Spooner shirt before peddling down to Newport Beach, where we board our Harbor 20 to take part in our harbor’s Old Glory Boat Parade. The theme of the parade is “Founding Fathers” with the Grand Marshal Newport Beach Police Chief Joe Cartwright aboard the American Legion yacht Valor. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. off the east end of Lido Isle and follow a course throughout the harbor between the hours of 1-3:30 p.m. All yachtsmen are invited to decorate their yachts and boats and join in the parade. Sign-ups are free and available online through the American Legion Yacht Club website at https://alyc.com/event-5037350, where a chart of the parade route, timing and more information is also available.

Jennifer and I normally twist in and out of the parade while looking for other friends enjoying the day on the harbor. In the past, we sail over to the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a couple of colorful adult beverages and view the parade as it passes by the club. After the parade passes by, we will start our sail back to our slip in the five-point area of the harbor. This year, our plans are to join our friends on the back of their boat and let the remainder of the day’s sunlight flow by.

Sound relaxing? It becomes more about the allotment of adult beverages and sun, while not draining ourselves in an effort to enjoy the fireworks in the evening. If successful this year, our plan is to Duffy over to the east end of Lido and drop an anchor and watch the surrounding fireworks displays at the Dunes, Big Canyon, Laguna, and often there has been a display off the Balboa Peninsula, with the reflection off the water of the fireworks – always spectacular.

It’s a little too sporty for us to join the herd while stampeding in and out of the Upper Bay to watch the Dunes fireworks display. It’s fun, but it brings back the memories of the ‘80s at a punk rock party and jumping into the middle of the “mosh pit.” The good news for the crowd that wants to jump into the pit is that this year the tide is coming in through the remaining hours of the fireworks show. In years past, the tide was going out so it was not unusual to find boats aground the shallows of the upper harbor as the sun is rising on the morning of the 5th. Our pedal home to Huntington Beach has always been another funny story you will have to ask Jennifer about. Keep in mind this 4th…it’s all about the flow.

Sea ya.

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