THE HARBOR COLUMN:Harbor cruising a good weekend choice

Ahoy.

This weekend might not be the best conditions to sail outside the harbor on the Pacific with a mixed swell from the south and west. The seas will peak Thursday night at 7 feet and drop in height late Friday, but then building again into Sunday up to 6 feet. So, this is the perfect weekend for harbor cruising, and to visit the Annual Safety Awareness Day by Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol Division promoting boater’s safety.

On Saturday, you can have Harbor Patrol Officers check your boat’s safety equipment during a free no-hassle boat inspection so that you can have a safe day on the water. This is the perfect time to find out if you have all the safety items, and you can ask where are the best locations to store the equipment on your boat to be readily accessible. I always wonder why anyone would want to jeopardize their safety and the safety of those onboard by not having and knowing how to use the required safety equipment.

Whether by land or sea, all boaters should stop by the Newport Dunes, 1131 Back Bay Drive, June 9, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

What peace of mind it is knowing that your boat is properly equipped, plus, you can ask safety or law enforcement boating questions that keep you awake at night. The Orange County Harbor Patrol officers are on the water helping to protect you and the environment, and they patrol all three of our County’s harbors.

Tip of the week is before you visit Safety Awareness Day is to read the 2007 ABC’s of the California Boating Law. You can pick up a copy from the Harbor Patrol Headquarters at 1901 Bayside Drive, or you can read it online at the California Department of Boating & Waterways website at https://dbw.ca.gov/Pubs/Abc/index.asp . This easy reading publication lists the required safety items.

Further, you can read a detailed description of the rules of the road in the Navigation Rules International & Inland book published by the Coast Guard. Remember that all vessels over 12 meters (39 feet 4 inches) must have onboard a copy of the Nav Rules.

Every Saturday tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show” from noon to 1 p.m. on KLAA 830 AM that is Southern California’s 50,000 watt giant.

Safe voyages.