THE HARBOR COLUMN:Fishy but true tale of life adrift in the Pacific

Ahoy.

Sea stories never cease to amaze me. Have you heard about the three Mexican fishermen who were rescued recently after being adrift for almost nine months? True story!

Three fishermen departed aboard a boat that is about 25-feet long from their small fishing village of San Blas, a little north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The men on the hunt for sharks were last seen late October or early November in 2005 and they were not seen or heard from again until recently spotted by the crew of a Taiwanese fishing trawler.

Well, the trio almost drifted to Australia in the disabled vessel and I cannot believe they survived for that long of a distance, much less the days. They had drifted past Hawaii and almost to the Marshall Island while eating such delicacies as raw birds, raw fish — not too bad if tuna for sashimi — and catching rain water for drinking. However, how did they survive the storms that could have easily flipped that small of a boat upside down? I have encountered the storms in the Pacific when being hundreds of miles from the nearest harbor or land mass.

It is amazing that they survived and I can imagine that the wait for the fishing trawler to return to port, in about 10 days, must have seemed longer than being at sea with anticipation of the survivors returning home.

Speaking of harbors, Chris Miller, Newport Beach harbor resources supervisor, has given me up-to-date information about the time limits vessels can tie-up at our public docks in Newport for my monthly column in a sailing magazine. I know, settle down, most of you think that I only skipper large multi-million-dollar power yachts, but I began my nautical career on sailboats. The first book that I wrote was titled “Basic Sailing on a Cat-Rigged Sailboat,” and that book for years was used by the city of Newport Beach sailing classes.

But, I digress, as the city has a list of the public docks and pumpout stations in the harbor at https://www.city.newport-beach.ca.us/HBR/, then click General Information, and finally click on Pumpout Stations Public.

“As you know, we have 10 public piers with time frames that are about the same for all, with a few exceptions,” Miller said. “We’re also happy to report that the City Council has graciously decided to fully fund the harbor commission’s requested Rhine Wharf public dock which will be a nice addition to that part of the harbor, providing access to restaurants, shops etc.”

The public docks, or officially called public piers, are maintained by the city for boaters to use on short term, usually 20 minutes though some have a longer time limit for dinghies on the shoreward sides. All of the docks have signage stating the time limits for that pier. Be careful of getting hooked by the people fishing off the piers.

Miller listed these exceptions. Washington Street pier with a pumpout station is 20 minutes on the bayward and westerly side, easterly side is two hours and the upland side is 12 hours. Fernando Street pier with a pumpout station is 20 minutes on the bayward and easterly side, two hours on the westerly side, and the upland side is 12 hours.

Opal Avenue pier is 20 minutes on the bayward side, two hours on the easterly side, no berthing allowed on the westerly side and the upland side is 12 hours.

M, 15th Street, 19th Street, Coral, Emerald, Sapphire and Park Avenue piers are 20 minutes on the bayward side, two hours on the sides, and the upland sides are 12 hours.

The Rhine Wharf Park has restricted berthing regulations for four hours, but primarily for vessels actual in the process of loading, unloading or engaged in temporary repair.

Now you can clip out my column and keep it aboard your boat or, better yet, frame my column to hang in your main salon.

Safe voyages.