Let people know you’re onboard

MIKE WHITEHEAD

Ahoy.

Last week, I told you that I was loading a yacht onto a ship for

delivery to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

Well, the storms were brewing while Chandler Bell and I floated

off the Dockwise Yacht Transport ship, weighting the cargo deck to

submerge underwater. This ship actually sinks so that you can drive

your boat on the loading deck, where the divers prepare the cradles.

I am still amazed at how small a 50-foot yacht looks when it is

loaded on a 521.56-foot ship -- all a matter of perspective.

Immediately after loading, you take your yacht’s papers and the

keys to the ship’s bridge, where the captain accepts the yacht now

deemed cargo. As usual, Dockwise’s West Coast Manager Adam Tarleton

was extremely helpful with the logistics and the much-needed

transportation from the ship, since it is across town at the

commercial port. Dockwise is a valuable service that I’m using for my

clients, and now you don’t have to dream about cruising distant ports

in your own boat just put it on the ship. You can start by going to

https://www.yacht- transport.com.

Today, I will be rushing to catch Amtrak after I finish helping

Mrs. Blue’s kindergarten class, where my daughter is a student at

Mariners. I track the weather on a daily basis, and I’ve predicted a

weather window after the recent winter storms for me to deliver a new

yacht to Marina del Rey.

I fill out a float plan for every delivery and I strongly

recommend that boaters prepare a float for almost every voyage. I say

almost every voyage because I don’t think you need to prepare a float

plan for a harbor cruise around Newport. I know that a very small

percentage of boaters prepare a float plan for cruising locally like

Avalon, and I am guilty of the same, but at least tell someone where

you are cruising. If you plan to cruise to distant ports like San

Diego, Santa Barbara or even San Francisco, then prepare a detailed

float plan and leave it with a reliable person.

The plan should include: the names of the people on board (POBs)

with emergency shoreside phone numbers; the vessel make, length and

colors; trip expectations, such as from point A to point B at these

times; and onshore vehicle information if there are cars parked at

the marina. Also, it is a good idea to include the POBs’ cell phone

numbers as additional onboard contacts as backup.

The plan is your lifeline if you don’t come home or show up at

your destination. Remember, it is a big ocean and you are nothing

more than a dot on the horizon. The float plan narrows down the

search area and provides the necessary information to conduct a

proper search at sea and also landside.

You can fill out forms online for your trip at

https://www.boatus.com/ seaworthy/FloatPlan.pdf or

https://www.uscgboating.org/ safety/fed_reqs/floatplan. pdf; just fill

in and then print out a few copies.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Let your voice, ideas, and concerns be heard at two harbor- and

boating-related Newport Beach meetings this month.

The city’s Harbor Commission will meet Wednesday, March 10, 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 in the City Hall’s Fire

Conference Room.

You can see all the meetings’ minutes and agendas at

https://www.city. newport-beach.ca.us.

Tune in to my “Boathouse Radio Show” this and every Sunday from 4

to 5 p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170), or listen over the Internet at

https://www.boat houseradio.com. You can call in to the toll-free

listener line at (888) 344-1170 and join in on Southern California’s

only boating talk radio show, broadcasting along the coast from San

Diego to Oxnard and out to Santa Catalina Island.

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.boathouse tv.com.