The Harbor Column -- Mike Whitehead

Ahoy.

Last week, while delivering a 40-foot Carver yacht from Newport Harbor

to Ventura Harbor, my crew member and I had a very rough ride out in the

Pacific Ocean.

We changed to an earlier than expected departure of 4:30 a.m. from the

Dunes Marina after I noticed from buoy information I was reading online

that the seas were building, and fast.

Ventura is south of Point Conception, but the Conception buoy is a

good indicator of how the seas will be once you are north of Point

Fermin.

The day before, the buoy recorded seas of only 4 feet and no wind at

noon; however, predictions were to increase with an approaching front.

The next day, we encounter 8-foot seas at 10-second intervals with wind

gusts up to 25 knots slowing our progress to only 10 knots. Water was

going over the Flybridge, making it a wet trip.

We were glad not to be out the next day as the seas were recorded at

11 feet and wind gusts to more than 30 knots, and those conditions would

have postponed the voyage.

Studying a harbor before you enter is a wise decision. Those of you

who have been to Ventura know that you always approach the harbor

entrance from the Red Entrance Buoy. Skimming the beach while approaching

from the south and undercutting the buoy for the entrance can leave you

high and dry. It was low tide when we approached at noon, so we followed

a local boat into the harbor because we were not certain on the depths

and breaking bar.

All finished when we docked at 12:15 p.m. from an estimated noon

arrival I had listed on the float plan when I handed the new owners the

keys to their new leisure, activity home-away-from-home.

A northerly course up the coast is referred to as “Going Uphill,” and

usually it is a rough ride. Therefore, I am thinking of becoming a

downhill specialist, allowing me a smoother ride running with the seas.

As a matter of fact, as you read this, I will be back from delivering a

nice 53-footer to Ensenada that is downhill. I will let you know the

voyages details and how long it took walking back cross the border into

the United States in next week’s column.

***

Interesting news from Marshall Steele at the Newport Harbor Nautical

Museum that the 22nd annual Clean Harbor Day will be April 27, and I will

have more on this event as the date approaches.

The interesting news is that all the garbage collected from the harbor

and up the streams will be logged into a database. My understanding is

that the database is designed to differentiate trash between the fast

food restaurants. This will allow detailed reports of where the trash is

originating so that prevention measures can be put in place at the

source.

Good idea and it will be enlightening to see the report.

With efforts like these and rerouting the existing storm drains to the

sewer treatment system, we can only hope the harbor will quit being the

dumping point from the inland areas.

Let’s clean up the non-point source pollution or, with the database

results, it might become “pointing to the source pollution.”

***

Tip of the week is do not take your boat into the new security zone

off the Camp Pendleton area. The Coast Guard has created a restricted

boundary in the shape similar to a rectangle that is from Oceanside

Harbor to San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant from 33 degrees 12.4 N, 117

degrees 23.6 W to 33 degrees 09.5 N, 117 degrees 28.5 W to 33 degrees

19.1 N, 117 degrees 38.1 W, to 33 degrees 22.0 N, 117 degrees 33.4 W.

This area starts just outside the surf line, extending about six miles

out, and the area is restricted to all vessels. This should not affect

any boats leaving Newport Harbor heading south and should not impede the

racers in the upcoming Ensenada Race as one is usually further off the

beach in that area heading for San Diego or the border.

If Oceanside is your destination, set a course with a way point 6

miles out from the entrance and then turn directly for the harbor

entrance. I believe that this security zone will be in effect until

sometime this May.

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 .