Learn more through an authors’ forum

Ahoy.

Everyone is welcome to attend this month’s very exciting Newport

Beach Marine Networking and Speaker Forum featuring three nautical

book authors and the state’s Department of Boating and Waterways

director.

“You will have a rare opportunity to hear exciting and interesting

stories from three of America’s foremost nautical authors,” said Doug

Stuckey, the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce’s public affairs

director. “Plus, the authors will personally sign your book that may

be purchased that evening.”

Author Ron Arias will begin the evening with his book “Five

Against The Sea -- A True Story of Courage and Survival.” The story

is about the vessel Cairo III’s unintended, fateful voyage and the

crew’s relentless struggle to survive.

Ron will recap the voyage and the many hours he spent individually

recording the fresh memories of the five crewmen and others to write

this book. Ron is nationally recognized as a staff writer for People

magazine and this is one of his many books.

The next speaker will be John Guest, with his book “Scuttlebutt --

Seafaring History and Lore,” in which you’ll find the origins of

seaborne words that have come ashore, stories of famous and infamous

ships and people. His book will fulfill the common interest in

little-known seafaring facts that we all have in our lives, and

finally answer the question, “I wonder where that started?”

John began his career immediately after high school in the

Merchant Marines. At 27, he became a licensed master mariner running

a tanker between Japan and the Persian Gulf. After that he joined the

Coast Guard and retired as a captain. After retirement, however, he

became executive director of the Marine Exchange of Los Angeles/Long

Beach Harbors.

Then, you will get to hear from me with my newly nationally

published edition of “VHF Marine Radio Handbook.” From my years as a

professional captain and licensed by the FCC as a marine radio

operator, I explain in my book how to properly use your VHF marine

radio. Now, you will finally learn the proper etiquette and protocols

to follow when using the marine radio aboard your boat. At the event,

I will tell you about a recent incident in Mexican waters in which I

had to contact Coast Guard Activities San Diego to aid a vessel in

distress, and that vessel was not equipped with a radio.

As a special guest, California’s director of Boating and Waterways

Ray Tsuneyoshi will come down from Sacramento to our harbor. Ray will

discuss the Wallop-Breaux Trust Fund situation. Most of you probably

do not know that the Wallop-Breaux Trust Fund is a major funding

source for boating infrastructure, projects and education, to name a

few, that is paid by the boaters through the fuel tax.

The Marine Committee of Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce is

hosting this event. Cosponsoring is the Log newspaper

(www.thelog.com) -- California’s boating newspaper.

So mark your calendar now for Wednesday, March 19. The event

begins with the reception from 5 to 7 p.m. It’s at the Newport Harbor

Nautical Museum, 151 E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. For more

information, contact the Newport Beach Chamber at (949) 729-4400

(www.NewportBeach.com) or surf to Bristol Fashion Publication’s Web

site at www.bfpbooks.com/authors. htm.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Attend the two marine-related Newport Beach meetings next week.

First, the city’s Harbor Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday

in City Council chambers. The commissioners are discussing important

issues for Newport Harbor.

Also, the Coastal/Bay Water Quality Citizens Advisory Committee

will meet from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday. The meeting will be held at the

Orange County Health Care Agency’s water quality lab at 700

Shellmaker Road (Shellmaker Island). The meetings are normally held

in the City Hall’s Fire Conference Room. The city has a meeting

calendar online for you to see all the meetings with meeting

information at www.city.newport-beach.ca.us, then click on

“News/Events” then click on “Monthly Meeting Calendar.” Now you can

easily stay up to date on when, where and what city meetings are

happening so you can attend to help guide the present and future of

Newport Harbor.

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

BoathouseTV.com.