ON THE WATER -- Spreading the clean word

Paul Clinton

Marshall Steele wants to bring discussions about boating out of the

place he’s used to hearing them: local bars.

To engage boaters where they might be the most receptive, Steele has

begun to institute a program of “dock walkers” who stop by boats to chat

up the owners about clean boating practices.

The approach, Steele hopes, will lead to less pollution heading into

the harbor.

“People are just avoiding the responsibility of moving used oil, used

parts and the sorts of things that could be leaking into the bay,” Steele

said.

Steele said he will use volunteers to spread the word. So far, about

16 people have offered their time to stroll docks with a clipboard and

pass out a grab bag of literature.

They’ll get the “ABCs of the California Boating Law,” a pamphlet of

tides and maps, a card with phone numbers to dispose of waste and other

information.

Videos will also be made available to schools to help children

understand the importance of environmental monitoring and clean practices

in the harbor.

The dock walking program is being sponsored by the Newport Harbor

Nautical Museum and the California Coastal Commission, which has approved

the program, Steele said.

The commission is paying for the first round of printing on the

literature. Efforts are also underway, Steele said, to secure grant

funding.

For the past six years, Steele has been the manager of the nautical

museum. He oversaw the transformation of the Riverboat Restaurant into a

suitable space for the museum in the mid 1990s.

Steele, 53, lives in Costa Mesa.

Start looking for the dock walkers in early September, Steele said.

There are more than 9,000 boats in the harbor, he estimates.

“If we can get to half of those,” Steele said, “we’ll be lucky.”