It’s time to plan for boating needs

MIKE WHITEHEAD

Ahoy.

The issue of the Newport Beach’s Marinapark is starting to heat up

more after simmering in the Marinapark Planning Committee. Now the

ideas are before the City Council, the ultimate decision makers of

what will become of this publicly owned bay-front property.

I am very troubled by the lack of boating amenities in Newport

Harbor, and it is the boating environment that makes the harbor what

it is today.

Most importantly, what we do today will determine what the harbor

will evolve into for the next century.

Nationally, cities with water access have begun to realize

boating’s value in the community, and those cities have encouraged

boating facilities, especially guest docks and launch ramps. Newport

Beach has the perfect opportunity to provide boating facilities and

access to the harbor in a way that may never be this easy again.

Again, I raise the same two questions. First, where can I dock a

50-foot-plus boat at a public dock for a couple hours? Secondly,

where in the main harbor can I launch a trailable Hobie catamaran

like we used to do at 18th Street and the bay?

I am embarrassed when my yachting friends visit Newport and ask me

where they can tie their boats up to visit the shore-side shops or

grab a bite to eat.

Not to mention, a public facility to dock overnight and hook up to

shore power, so they can shut down their generators.

The larger yachts have to have AC electricity to power

refrigerators, freezers, heating, air conditioning, battery chargers,

security systems, computer systems, and much more.

Marinapark can provide some public docking that is lacking in this

harbor, and I include larger yachts in that.

I find it interesting that planners spend a tremendous amount of

time and effort on automobile parking with on-street parking spaces

and building parking structures.

Yet where is this concern for the thousands of boats in our

harbor?

Realistically, the waterways should be included in the regional

traffic plans because they can provide another means of regular

transportation around Newport.

We have Seymour Beek’s auto ferries, and the Catalina Flyer to and

from Santa Catalina Island, but where are the harbor taxis and public

docking spaces?

Other cities, such as Long Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and New

York include water taxis in their transportation funding, just like

the bus system.

It can work, but only with planning and cooperation between

private enterprise and all the public entities.

The tip of week comes from an e-mail in my mailbag that I found

amusing. Enjoy.

This e-mail was from a boater who was having a little problem with

the recent red tides. On some boats, especially sailboats that do not

carry hundreds of gallon of fresh water, there are raw (sea) water

pick-ups to use for flushing the heads and faucets at the sinks. Some

boats are designed to use raw water to save the fresh water for more

important needs, after which the water is drained into the waste

holding tank.

She complained that the red tide made flushing the head another

experience with the coloring and odor, thus she wanted to know how to

use only the clean seawater. This is a bit like asking how do you

stop the fog from rolling in on some mornings.

Red tide is a natural occurrence that can affect boaters as well

as swimmers, and just as a boater would do with fog, you can change

your boating schedule. Red tides are actually algae blooms, so

theoretically, you could install in-line filters but they will most

likely become clogged quickly.

The more practical options are to carry gallon jugs of freshwater

to use for flushing the head, sailing out to sea past the red tide

line, or waiting until the red tide has passed.

Tune in to the No. 1 boating talk radio show in the nation, “Capt.

Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show.” It airs every Saturday from

noon to 1 p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170).

You can join me, Chandler Bell and Eric Hovland by calling the

listener line at (888) 344-1170.

Safe voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send

him your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions by

e-mail to [email protected] or visit https://www.boathousetv.com.