The Harbor Column -- Mike Whitehead

Ahoy.

Last Tuesday, I served as captain aboard a yacht on which the new

owner and I cruised south from Bayport Yachts in Newport Harbor to the

Hotel Coral marina in Ensenada, Mexico. On the voyage down, we had smooth

seas with 1- to 2-mile visibility in the fog that started to tire our

eyes as all I could see were white clouds in front, to the sides, behind

and above throughout the complete voyage.

I knew from experience that when we were off Camp Pendleton, there

would be warships on maneuver, and I was correct by considerable blips on

the radar. Interesting is that three of the four ships we pasted came

within two miles of our vessel and our GPS would glitch, forcing me to

reset the GPS receiver each time. The next and last encounter with a ship

was off the San Diego harbor entrance as a United States Coast Guard

cutter circled off our bow to our starboard side within a mile separation

between the two vessels. With no cannon balls being shot over the yacht’s

bow, I maintained course heading for the border.

The smooth seas gave a slight push, and I was able to maintain an

average speed of 21 knots, arriving at noon after a departure in the wee

hours of the morning. Once the Mexican paperwork was completed at the

marina office, I then transferred command to the owner’s regular captain

and crew for their departure the next day heading further south to Cabo

San Lucas. It was a challenge briefing the captain on the systems and

electronics when he only spoke and I remember very little from my high

school Spanish classes in the early ‘70s. However, as two professional

captains, we were able to communicate in the universal language of hand

signals and lots of pointing.

Then, my real adventure began on land, as I had to cross the border to

get back home from Ensenada. On most trips, I have a crew member drive

down to pick any crew members and me up, however there is now a four-hour

wait for cars to cross over the border due to the increase in security

checks. So I opted to take a taxicab to the border and, having walked

across many times in the past, I thought this should be relatively quick

and painless.

I was stunned as there was a very long line of people waiting just to

enter the U.S. border building, and I stood in line for more than an hour

just to reach the main doors. Now there is a new first checkpoint with a

metal detector and X-ray. I could not understand the rationale of this

first screening, so I asked an officer why, and his response was in the

tune of for the safety of the United States. Instead of making the people

feel better about security, everyone by me in line was getting more upset

by the minute.

Next, I asked him what he expected to find, and he said guns, weapons

and drugs. I could understand the drugs, I told him. In Mexico, it is

basically life imprisonment if someone is caught with a gun, yet in the

U.S., I can walk into the sporting goods store or on a street corner to

buy a gun. He did not have an answer about that and, sensing his

unpleasant manner, I felt it best not to press the matter.

After the metal detectors, the single line divided into a few separate

lines where you waited to finally show your ID to an agent who also asks

what nationality are you. I spent an entire 10 seconds with this agent to

finally enter the U.S. after an almost two-hour wait. I can see why the

line is so long with only a few stations open to screen the hundreds of

people walking across the border. You are not finished yet as the final

check is for customs declaration with another X-ray machine, but I had

nothing to declare or X-ray. I finally walked to catch the trolley to the

train station.

There should be a line for U.S. citizens because, as I mentioned,

after an hour wait, it took me 10 seconds to show my ID and answer the

nationality question. So have the border officers, who are standing

around watching the crowd, walk down the line to pre-screen the people

like myself to expedite the process. Good luck if you are heading south

and plan plenty of time to cross the border.

***

The tip of week is when crossing the channel to Santa Catalina Island

from Newport Harbor, you can monitor channel 14 for vessel traffic

service (VTS). Every hour or so, VTS will broadcast the location and

direction for every commercial ship off the coast and also in the

shipping lanes.

Safe voyages.

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

your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions via e-mail

to o7 [email protected] or o7 https://www.BoathouseTV.comf7 .