THE HARBOR COLUMN:

Only five more weeks until the 99th annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is underway in our harbor, with all the beautifully decorated boats nightly from Dec. 12-16. All boaters should be planning their decorations for the theme “T’was the Lights Before Christmas.”

Also, I encourage all boaters to register for the parade even if you will be cruising only one night. I notice there are three to four times as many boats on the water than registered for the parade.

The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Commodores, boater registration aides, plan and organize the event that is rated as one of the top-10 holiday events in the nation. Additionally, included with the entry form is a profile questionnaire that helps me identify the boats while I am announcing nightly from the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum. You can get the forms at www.christmasboatparade.com or call (949) 729-4400.

The tip of the week is to protect your boat in our mild winter weather.

Most boaters in Southern California never think about winterizing their boats unless they happen to have boats in the mountains, where the temperature reaches freezing. Locally the weather will cause a few problems, from condensation to rainwater seepage to mildew.

There is a difference of opinion about the effect of the condensation that forms inside your fuel tanks. You usually hear you should top off your tanks to prevent any condensation buildup from getting into the fuel.

However, Gary Hill, owner of Hill’s Marine Service, suggests most boaters should not top off their tanks, as the extra fuel will just go bad.

Now, I am not topping off the tanks when the boat is going to sit idle, and boats have a water/fuel separator, anyway. Remember this is a good time for an oil change, too.

Mold and mildew can be lurking aboard, so remove any wet towels or cushions, and open all the interior doors including cupboards to allow air circulation. Mildew loves cool, dark and damp areas, where once the microorganism starts to grow, the lingering smell can be difficult to get rid of.

Remember to tune in every Saturday at 11 a.m. to Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show on KLAA-AM 830, with 50,000 watts to Southern California broadcasting from our studios inside Angel Stadium, or at our new broadcast location at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.

MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating columnist. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to [email protected] or go to www.boathousetv.com.