Newport needs public docking

Ahoy.

It’s summertime. Have you been in or on the water? I cannot

believe what is occurring in our ocean waters, between the

never-ending red tide, the jellyfish invasion, the red tide, the drop

in temperature -- and did I mention the red tide?

The red tide is not leaving our shores, and yesterday I could see

it floating outside the surf line as I cruised up the coast.

Nevertheless, sea conditions lately have been in the cruisers’ favor

all along the Pacific Coast.

Just keep an eye out for the patchy coastal fog and watch for a

shifting high pressure that is sitting over the desert region. With

luck, the high will return off our coastline and make the summer

sizzle without humidity.

If you are heading over to Santa Catalina Island, just remember

that available moorings will be few and far between. Go in the middle

of the week, and do not forget about the more secluded spots on the

westerly side of the island.

If you want to make a weekend cruise to Ensenada, you may be in

luck -- sources tell me slips are available at both the Hotel Coral

and the Cruiseport Marinas. As a bonus, you can cruise by the sunken

SS Catalina, still sitting on the sea floor just before the cruise

terminals in Ensenada.

I am very curious about what happened to all the donations over

the years to raise the SS Catalina. I do not think it is worth the

effort, time or the millions of dollars necessary to salvage this

boat.

I see this wreck constantly during my Ensenada voyages, and

believe me, there is nothing remaining to salvage. One could probably

build a replica of her for far less money that will be spent to raise

and refurbish the rotten hull.

On a more local note, I noticed that it has gotten more difficult

to hand-launch a boat over the sand at the end of 18th Street.

Years ago, a pole was placed there to prevent trailer-launching.

Now the sand has been pushed up into a berm that poses an obstacle to

anyone carrying a hand-launched vessel.

Why the additional barrier? Newport Beach should be striving to

ease accessibility for smaller boats.

We are very determined to build more parks, swimming pools and

soccer and baseball fields, but the one sport that has defined this

area -- boating -- is the most neglected.

There should be active planning to accommodate vessels with

short-term docking, just as we plan for automobile parking. The plans

need to address the lack of overnight docking for visiting vessels.

I am not talking about vessels using open mooring cans or

dropping their hooks in the anchorage, but of actual public berthing

areas throughout the harbor. A dream, perhaps, but what does not

start as a dream?

My tip of the week is for local boaters to cruise to other ports

and experience other harbors near and far. When I am delivering

vessels along the Pacific Coast, I find the accommodations for

boaters outside our area to be nice and the staff very willing to

accommodate us for a night or a week. The staff and local boaters

usually offer assistance with local advice for where to go for dinner

and what sandbars to avoid on the way out.

You should think about cruising to Santa Barbara or, if you have

the fuel capacity, punching around Point Conception to Morro Bay.

Always plan for the trip by plotting a course on both your GPS and

paper charts along with time lines (DRs).

Tune in to the No. 1 boating talk radio show in the nation, “Capt.

Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show.” It airs every Saturday from

noon to 1 p.m. on KCBQ-AM (1170). You can join me, Chandler Bell, and

Eric Hovland by calling the listener line at (888) 344-1170.

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

o7https://www.boathousetv.comf7.