THE HARBOR COLUMN:

Ahoy.

Surfers wax your boards, prepare to add extra chaffing gear to mooring lines if your boat’s moored in Avalon and those fishing the great bite keep your eyes to the south next week, as Hurricane John has jumped into the Pacific.

Additionally, those of you with plans to visit Puerto Vallarta should change your plans to visit maybe Alaska instead.

This is hurricane season and the southern storms typically give us in Southern California a good break on the south-facing beaches. Boaters need to be wary of south swells that might hit south-facing anchorage areas or create a hazardous mixed swell for your size of boat.

However, do not worry about a hurricane hitting our coast. As I have mentioned many times in the past, our waters are too cool for a hurricane.

However, Hawaii is vulnerable to the full force of mother nature, and I know a few people who think that this might be the year for a hurricane to hit the islands.

In any event, boating along our coast will be great this Labor Day weekend, as the seas will be 2 to 3 feet, but just watch for patchy fog. Boating this season was better than expected, even with the higher fuel cost as reported by Scott Croft, BoatUS Public Relations Director, and I have noticed that people are still boating by anticipating and saving for the extra cost of fuel.

The Labor Day weekend usually signals the end of the boating season, but not in Southern California.

“The season is not over, and we plan to go full speed well into October with phenomenal fishing,” said Capt. Robert Butler, owner of Vessel Assist San Diego.

This weekend will be very busy in Newport Harbor and off our coastline, with many boaters heading to Catalina Island. As with any holiday weekend, the goofy-goes-sailing crowd will appear on the waterways, but they are easy to spot.

Just look for the boat cruising against the flow of traffic, the sailor with constantly luffing sails or the boat making the large wake during their harbor cruise.

I think the most entertaining place to watch the excitement will be the Newport Dunes launch ramp, either early morning or late afternoon.

Do you know the top five reported reasons why recreational boaters call for assistance?

Croft lists the No. 1 reason as unknown engine failure at almost half of all the calls. Second is grounding. Three is out of fuel. Battery jump starts or electrical problems is fourth, and fifth is an overheating engine.

However, I want you to boat safe and be courteous. There are others on the water, too.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Go to NOAA’s new online Chart Viewer for the public; the service is free. Many recreational vessels do not carry a full set of charts, and I notice that on many boats the charts are out of date.

Recreational boaters should carry the necessary charts, even if they have a GPS charter plotter. Your GPS can shut down, leaving you no navigational information.

I regularly use Maptech’s chart books with charts of a region spiral bound into one binder.

However, now you can view up-to-date charts online at www.nauticalcharts.gov/viewer to preview areas. The viewer is very easy to use by first selecting your chart and then simply zooming in or out to view the details of the area. I plan on using this viewer for planning my trips, especially to areas that I do not frequent.

However, local boaters should review the chart for Newport Harbor (No. 18754) to refresh your minds of the eight islands and numerous passageways.

Lastly, mark your calendars for Sept. 9, when I will be broadcasting my radio show live, along with the Boathouse Band at the Lido Yacht Expo.

Saturdays at noon, “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show” is on KCBQ-AM (1170) and can be heard online at www.boathouseradio.com.

Safe voyages.