The tragic effects along the coast of Japan from the recent tsunami caused by a massive earthquake are beyond words and belief.  I had been receiving seismic warnings all week long from the Tsunami Warning Center, reporting earthquakes off of Japan.  However, I, as well as the experts, did not imagine that these seismic events in the 6-6.2 magnitude range were the precursors of a huge earthquake that has been reported in magnitude as high as an 9.0.

Fortunately, the destructive waves did not cause the damage in Newport Harbor that it did in other harbors to our north, simply because the direction of the tsunami waves were angled above Point Conception.  However, we did have some wave surges in our harbor, and keep in mind that the damage from a tsunami is caused by large surges as massive amounts of water flood into an area.

Did you know that the word tsunami is formed from two Japanese words "tsu" and "nami" with "tsu" for "harbor" and "nami" for "wave."  Many people will refer to a "harbor-wave" as a tidal wave, but keep in mind that tides are created by the sun and moon and tsunamis are created by the vertical displacement of water.

When a tsunami advisory or warning is issued, the coastal areas' police, fire, harbor patrol, and lifeguard departments will start to initiate the proper procedures of evacuation depending on expected severity of the effects in the area.  The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Network of the National Weather Service (http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/) uses satellite imagery and special ocean buoys designed to sense wave patterns out of the ordinary.

If a tsunami is very probable or is detected, then the tsunami warnings or advisories are issued, and the warnings include the estimated time of arrival and the estimated swell height.  You can calculate the ETA by dividing the distance away by the speed of the swell.  For instance, Crescent City is approximately 638 nautical miles by water from Newport Beach, CA, and the average speed of a tsunami is 450 miles per hour, so, 638 nautical miles is 734 statue miles divided by 450 mph, which gives an estimated ETA of just over an hour and half if the event is coming from Crescent City.  

Now, that is very useful information for you to determine if you have enough time to get up and watch from the bluffs or only enough time to get to the rooftop of the tallest building in the area.  I do not want to get caught by the wave in my car trying to drive up a hill when I should have been climbing up stairs at the nearest multistory building.

If you are on the water in a boat when a tsunami warning is issued, then you want to immediately change course away from land and toward deep water.  The swells created by an earthquake or landslide will form into a breaking wave when the bottom of the wave hits the sea floor as it approaches land.  At sea, boats are not normally affected by a tsunami swell passing underneath.

Frequently on my radio show, I interview Cary Smith, who is with the Pillar Point Harbor Dept in Half Moon Bay. He is also the president of the California Boating Safety Officers Association.  During an interview Smith told me, "first here at Pillar Point Harbor we have looked at the tsunami plan we have had.  While our county and all the multiple agencies involved have been working on an updated plan, the plan in place is from 1994. Many things have changed, including phone numbers, area codes - and the Internet."  

Smith continued, "Unfortunately, we live in a world where if it is not broken why fix it.  Boating safety officers throughout the state believe being proactive save lives." 

Lastly, Cary stated this is the time for everyone to think; "What would I do if a warning was issued in a specific time frame?"

Tip of the week is the DART® (Deep Ocean Reporting and Assessment of Tsunami) stations (buoys) deployed primarily in the Pacific Ring of Fire and a few other locations.  NOAA has placed buoys in specific areas to record height, speed, and location of waves and issue alerts if there is anything ususual.

You can view the buoys and their data in real time at http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/dart.shtml, and you can register for email alerts from the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center at http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/index.php.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

Next Wednesday is a sad note for some boaters as lobster season will end on March 16 in Southern California until next October.  I love to eat Panulirus interruptus, but this year I have heard little from recreational divers and fishermen catching the bugs along our coast.  So, I am curious if this was a good season or not for a lobster in everyone’s pot?

I am sure that many people from Newport Harbor will be talking about the lobster season next week at the Fred Hall Fishing and Boat Show.  The Fred Hall Show is the best fishing tackle and destination travel show in the West and organizers are one of the most spectacular shows in the last 65 years.  On display, you will see an expanded selection of hunting, shooting and camping exhibits, and a fantastic selection of fishing boats.  The show - at the Long Beach Convention Center - will be the largest powerboat show in California.

Come to the show on Saturday, and join us when my radio show will broadcast live from the Maritime Institute’s booth at noon, Pacific time.  Additionally, great events for the whole family are scheduled, such as the Great American Duck Race, Dock Dogs, fly-fishing seminars, and a hunting stage.  The show starts on the last day of lobster season, Wednesday, and concludes Sunday evening, so plan on taking a short drive up the coast to visit one of our neighboring harbors.

On another topic while I was cruising Newport Harbor, I heard a few whistle signals that all boaters should understand, but I know many recreational boaters have never taken the time to learn the basic signals.  So, I thought I would start providing boater safety information as we begin to draw near to the summer season.

First, let’s start with the nomenclature involved in honking a horn on a boat.  This is technically called a whistle signal, and each whistle is a blast either short or prolonged.  The blasts have specific meanings, such as the signal of three short blasts.  This is a common signal in Newport Harbor, and an important one for avoiding a collision. 

Most of the whistle signals in the harbor are given by the commercial Captains such as the dinner boat operators.  Commercial skippers have a set of strict rules that they must follow while navigating the harbor, and as such, whistle signals are normal operating procedures.

Let’s focus on the three short blasts in today’s column and I will explain other whistle signals in upcoming columns.  Three short blasts signify that my vessel's propellers are in reverse, but my boat may still have forward momentum.  Basically, when I signal with three short blasts then I am telling you that I am either backing down or I have put my transmission in reverse.  So, in a crossing situation, I am slowing or stopping to let you cross in front.  Additionally, a skipper can signal three short blasts when backing a boat out of its slip.

Regularly in Newport Harbor, I mistakenly hear skippers adding one prolonged blast immediately in front of the three shorts.  There should be a one-minute separation between the prolonged blast and the three shorts when backing out of a slip, but more on prolonged blasts in another column.

There are times when I signal three short blasts to another boater in Newport Harbor and that skipper usually signals back with a one-finger salute, completely ignorant that I am being courteous and letting him know my intentions.

Next time someone signals three shorts to let you cross, give them a thank-you wave.

Tip of the week is do you know you can read the actual ocean conditions on the Internet from numerous weather buoys floating out in the ocean?  There are a few different sites with different formats that post the buoys’ information that hourly. The information includes wave height, wave direction, wave periods, wind speed and direction, wind gusts, and water and air temperatures. There are graphs of the past few days that help you predict if the conditions are increasing or decreasing.

The buoy information is being used for wave modeling forecasts, and I use the buoys daily to track the conditions.  My favorite is www.lajollasurf.org/buoylist.html where you can select the West Coast, East Coast or the Gulf Coast to see current conditions, and it is always interesting to see what the conditions are around the nation’s coastlines.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

There is one part of the seven seas that is especially not for the faint hearted, and few sailors have attempted to sail these waters that are known as the most dangerous and roughest in the world.  It is a huge challenge for sailors, but presently a sailboat from Newport Harbor just completed this passage and is now floating in the South Atlantic about 600 miles off Uruguay.

I am talking about the infamous Cabo de Hornos, commonly referred to as Cape Horn, Chile, which is the most northern section of the Drake Passage but not the most southern territory in South America.  That would be the Diego Ramirez Islands, on the southern side of the Passage.

Cape Horn is known for very strong winds, steep waves, icebergs, and penguins.  Every sailor crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean or vice versa had to round the Cape until the Canal de Panamá (Panama Canal) was built creating a safer and faster shortcut.

Last Saturday during my nationally syndicated radio show, Brad Avery, who is the director of Orange Coast College’s Sailing and Rowing Base, called into my radio show from the South Atlantic via a satellite phone.  Brad is aboard OCC’s flagship sailing vessel the Alaska Eagle that is a 65-foot custom Sparkman & Stephens completed in 1977, and proudly hails Newport Harbor as her home port at the OCC Sail Base.

Brad told the listening audience that the Alaska Eagle has seven students and four staff aboard, and they are now in the South Atlantic after rounding Cape Horn. The sail was no small feat with 30 to 35 knots of wind and lots of water spraying across the deck.  The students are experienced sailors who had to prequalify for this leg of the voyage and realize an experience of a lifetime.

The boat departed Newport Harbor in October, bound for Easter Island on Leg 1 of an eight-leg voyage.  Now the crew is sailing the boat from South Georgia Island to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the weather is an important factor in the actual time this leg will be completed on their float plan.

Brad explained that the water temperature is so cold that the crew refers to the seawater as molten lava if anyone falls overboard.  It would be very difficult to turn the boat around and recover anyone in the water before hypothermia became fatal, so the crew wears safety harnesses up and down the deck, for example to make sail changes.

The boat, with more than 500,000 miles of travel under her keel, is specially equipped for such a voyage, and all the crew is given a very detailed checklist of gear that they are required to bring aboard.  Cold-weather gear and boots are a necessity for survival while sailing in these waters, but dressing in layers of clothing is the key to staying warm.

Very few sailors from Newport Harbor will have the experience of rounding Cape Horn.  Therefore, I tip my Captain’s hat to Brad and the OCC’s crew for offering a variety of voyages for sailors aboard the Alaska Eagle whether rounding the Horn or sailing in the Transpac.

Closer to home is our infamous Point Conception to the north, which can be a nasty area to cruise for any recreational boater.  I have been cited in boating articles as one of the most experienced delivery Captains to tackle Conception on a regular basis.  However, I can think of a few other local boaters - like fuel dock owner Gary Hill and yacht management expert Mark Silvey - who are very experienced with Conception’s ill temper as well.

Many local boaters only cruise in the waters off Southern California as they do not want to round Point Conception or they are held back from the rounding because of time restraints.  Other boaters have heard the stories, and they simply do not want to tempt the Sea Gods who can turn the Point into a nightmare in only minutes.  I have seen Point Conception at its worst, and I have been thrilled a few times when the seas were perfectly calm.  I mention Point Conception in my weekly boaters’ weather report because you can look to the north to see what is heading south to Newport.

Tip of the week is if you plan on boating south to Mexico, north of Point Conception, or westerly of San Nicolas Island then you need to contact your boat’s insurance agent to expand your coverage for the trip.  Your agent can issue an expanded coverage policy for areas that you normally do not sail.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

The nautical news that is making national headlines this week is the murder of former Newport Beach sailors Jean and Scott Adam along with another couple by Somali pirates.  The Adams were in the sixth year of a worldwide mission to hand out Bibles around the globe, aboard their 2002 Davidson 58 pilot house sloop sailing vessel that was built in New Zealand.

The pirates boarded the vessel in the Indian Ocean about 270 miles off the mainland, in waters known to be in pirates’ territories.  These days, pirates operate with mother ships that are capable of traveling hundreds of miles offshore.   The mother ships are the support for the smaller attack boats that prey on any vessel transiting the water whether a small sailboat or a 1,000-foot oil tanker.

In the past, one would sail 100 or 200 miles off the coast to be safe from any local pirates, but the use of mother ships has made even those distances dangerous.  The U.S. State Department continually warns about the risks in Somalia, and issued a recommendation that U.S. citizens avoid all travel to that country.

Posted on the State Department’s website: “U.S. citizens are urged to use extreme caution when sailing near the coast of Somalia.  Merchant vessels, fishing boats, and recreational craft all risk seizure by pirates and having their crews held for ransom in the waters off the Horn of Africa, especially in the international waters near Somalia.”

Furthermore, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has issued numerous advisories, including: “pirates are attacking vessels transiting in the Gulf of Aden, off the Somali Coast, and the Western Indian Ocean, including attacks exceeding 1,000 nautical miles off the Somali Coast…” and “…pirate activity has continued and commercial and civilian ships continue to be attacked and seized.”

When both the State Dept. and MARAD are warning not to travel that part of the world’s oceans, then I think that no recreational sailor should sail that area.  I do not care if you are in a flotilla or not, as there are some parts of the world you just need to be steered clear of.

I have been asked many times if I have seen pirates on my voyages along the Pacific Coast.  I can honesty state that only when I have been in Mexican waters have I kept a lookout for the suspicious boat near my vessel.

On one of my deliveries northbound, just below the US/Mexico International boundary, I was approaching an unseamanly looking 40-foot sailboat that was underway and not making way, with three people on deck waving franticly as we approached closer.  After seeing the unfurled dirty sails hanging down the deck, lines strewn on deck, and the wary looking crew, I immediately went into defensive mode and told my vessel’s owner that we would render very guarded assistance.

I circled the sailboat from a distance while I made radio contact with Coast Guard Activities San Diego, and advised the CG of our location and situation.  After which, I made plans to approach the vessel with an abort plan should things get ugly.  So, I had the vessel’s owner stand in the cockpit while I backed down the boat to within earshot at an angle off the sailboat’s port bow.  This would allow for immediate escape and at an angle to the sailboat to lessen exposure of my vessel.

We asked specific questions and then pulled away from the sailboat to radio back the CG of our findings.  Well, it turned out one of the sailors was trying to fake a back injury to get a free CG tow to San Diego.  After numerous communications with CG, we were released from the scene and Sea Tow was dispatched to the sailboat.

Tip of the week is for boaters to be very careful of providing a Good Samaritan tows to other boaters.  Towing a boat can be very dangerous as cleats become flying hazards when ripped from the deck. The Good Sam may also risk running out of fuel as the additional drag of the tow cuts into fuel efficiency.

The best approach is to provide communications to call Newport Harbor Department.  Let the professionals of the Harbor Patrol or one the commercial towing companies assist the stranded boater.  Now, don’t get me wrong, if it is a little boat out of gas and you are 100 yards from the fuel dock then you can decide based upon your skills and your boat’s capability.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

I answered a few of your questions in a recent column, and that prompted many of you emailed me with more questions.  So, I will try to include a question or two, with answers, more regularly in my column. 

This week, two emails stood out, and I’ll answer them in this week’s column.

The first question was spurred by my explanation, “no vessel is barred from entering Newport Harbor as long as the vessel meets the federal and state requirements for a vessel of that size and type, and that the vessel is not constrained by a draft that would ground it on the seafloor.”

The reader was curious whether boats with unmuffled or extremely noisy exhausts are allowed inside Newport Harbor.  The answer is yes and no, but mostly no.

California does have a motorboat noise laws plus there are local ordinances that ban excessively loud, unmuffled vessels from disturbing the peace.  The state law also extends the noise limits to include coastal waters within one mile of shore, and motorboats are required to be manufactured with a muffler unless they are solely racing boats.

Now the yes side of the questions is that the noise laws maybe suspended if the vessels are solely racing boats, and these boats are transiting the harbor after launching to the ocean.  However, I am sure there are hours of operation imposed by the city so residents are not awakened at 3 a.m.

The second question is from a reader who loves boating but agonizes about docking the boat at the end of the day.  Reminds me why the professional skippers are paid the big bucks to operate a multi-million dollar vessel. 

Just think how many times you have watched recreational boaters approach at a high rate of speed, and when close to the dock, a few guests jump out to try to stop the boat.  All the while, you heard hear a lot of screaming with words I cannot print in this column.  I wonder how some marriages have lasted, after watching husband and wife crews try to dock.

First, let's start with a nautical nomenclature lesson: I hope the hair on the bac of your neck rose as I mentioned “ropes.”  Delete “ropes” from your vocabulary and insert “lines.” Further, know that the lines have specific names like bow lines, stern lines, and spring lines to name a few.

Secondly, it is “fender,” not “bumper,” for the cushion (flat cushion, ball, or blowup tube) that hangs off the side a boat for protection between the boat and dock.  A bumper is a piece of rubber, plastic or similar material that is fixed or mounted on the dock or the boat’s hull.

OK, got that settled.

Now, docking depends on the vessel's maneuverability and type of vessel, and taking into account all the factors such as wind, current, tide, and physical room.  Many times, you will see a professional skipper test the conditions by coming near the slip then putting the engines in neutral to float-by testing the drift, or pacing towards and away from the slip to test momentum.  After which, you might notice the dock lines and fenders being reconfigured or the placement of additional fenders and lines.

Take the time to look at how the elements will affect your docking, such as how the wind might blow you into or away from the dock.  Then before you begin your approach, organize your vessel by hanging the fenders, readying the dock lines, and explaining what to do to any guests who might be helping.  You also need to decide in advance how you are going to abort the docking, if needed.

Moral of the story is that constant planning for the unexpected and continual practice will keep you looking like a pro.

Tip of the week is always dock your boat as slowly as you can while maintaining steerage,” as a slow bump will not cause the damage as a big “oops.”  This is where the pros shine, as they might bump with the fenders or use a dock wheel to twist in, but it looks natural and under control at the slow speed. 

Also, it is important and very easy to have your inexperienced helpers use a couple of lines at first to simply make fast the boat, and then, you can reconfigure the lines with the correct cleat hitch knots after you shut down the engines.  There is an old saying, “any docking that you can walk away from is a good docking,” but that is in the eyes of the beholder.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, Itouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

So our unseasonably warm winter weather continues into this weekend – great for boating, and for Valentine’s Day surprises. Hopefully, we will have great weather and sea conditions (see Boaters’ Weather) to take your loved one on the water even though we are in the middle of winter.

I’ll also mention that winter is my favorite time of the year to go boating, with crystal-clear views and no crowds on the water.

Well, it would be great for whale watching, except that I have not seen many whales off our coast this year. Where are the whales this year? Maybe cruising in pods north of us off Newport, OR. Or maybe the whales decided on a swim to Hawaii for a vacation. The mammals are probably following their food source which follows the ocean water temperature from north to south and visa versa.

However, I digress. Back to Valentine’s Day. There are a plethora of nautical gift items to give your better half. I am looking to give my wife a new water resistant VHF handheld marine band radio that floats, or an inflatable lifejacket. Or, ever the romantic, how about new foul-weather gear?

Maybe she would like a newer version of the international and inland navigation rules book, or a new copy of Charlie’s Charts. (If I ever loose my copy of Charlie’s Charts then I will loose years of handwritten notes about entering harbors along the Pacific Coast.)

I can think of one more gift that I can give my wife: a shopping spree at Lulu Halfacre’s Traditional Jewelers. Maybe that would be best …

Recreational boating seems to be always under attack and usually its a knee-jerk reaction to an accident by someone who is not a boater. Recently, Nebraska state Sen. John Harms introduced a bill to ban open containers of alcohol aboard boats.

Now, I am surprised that this bill was not introduced in California first, but where is the senator’s reasoning and statistics to support such a proposal?

Boating boasts one of the best safety records of any recreational activity in the nation. More than 70 million people go boating annually with fewer than 800 fatalities, which equates to 0.0114%. Senator Harms claims that open alcohol containers are not allowed in cars so they should not be allowed in boats, either.

OK, senator, what is next with your prohibition of alcoholic beverages? I know - how about airplanes, or limos, or dinner charter boats, or homes?

I have no problem with prohibiting the operator of the watercraft from drinking alcoholic beverages, but barring the passengers from engaging in a martini is not on my radar.

I am skippering a 50-foot Carver that was delivered from Bayport Yachts, and the owner and his guests are enjoying a scenic harbor cruise while lounging in the cockpit. The vessel’s stewardess comes out of the main salon to serve everyone a cool refreshing Mojito and all of a sudden the prohibition police board my boat.

Boating is one of the nation’s favorite recreational pastimes and let the people relax to have a little fun. There will always be those who play outside the rules, but do not penalize the vast majority of boaters who play within the rule book.

Tip of the week is for all boat owners to check your dock lines if you have a boat on a mooring or at a slip in Newport Harbor. During the winter, boat owners do not visit their boats as often and the winds and current in the harbor will cause the docklines to loosen and, worse, chaff the lines.

Swap out any worn lines and use chaffing gear where the lines touch a hard surface, which will wear out the fibers, plus any bends in the line especially ninety degree turns. Also, you need to be certain that you have the correct type  and diameter of line or your boat, and I always add in a few extra spring lines this time of year to help absorb some of the stress. If you're on a mooring can, use an extra helper line along with your primary line plus, as I mentioned, do not neglect the chaffing gear. I regularly notice boats are secured to cleats that are too small for the size of the boat at the dock. You may need to add in the correct size of cleats, and relocate cleats for proper tying of the spring lines. Another mistake I see often is when boats are tied too tightly and there is not any flexibility in the lines. The lines are meant to give a little and fenders should not be smashed between the boat and dock.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific. Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.” You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

I want to start with two questions: Is the role of the Orange County Sheriff Department’s Harbor Master an important one, and what should the Harbor Master know about boating to be selected for the position?  Important question, and I recall that the last few Harbor Masters had neither boating experience nor boating skills when they were appointed to the position.

In the past and at harbors throughout the nation, to become a Harbor Master, one must not only be experienced on the water but also be a good leader.  Newport’s first official Harbor Master, Joseph A. Beek, must be wondering about the current process to become the Harbor Master.

Looking at decades past, Newport had top-notch Harbor Masters who most of us remember, and the last one that was an actual boater was Greg Russell who retired shortly after moving up into the Harbor Master’s helm seat. 

Some people say that the Harbor Master does not need to be a boater, but someone who can lead the department’s personnel, budget, and resources.  I do not disagree that he or she should be a leader and administrator, but that should be the starting point to choose someone with the skills needed in the unforgiving marine environment.  There are areas of expertise that a leader must know to effectively interact with the boating community.

The Orange County Board Supervisors made a good decision to hire Sandra Hutchens as the Sheriff, and it will be her duty to assign the next Harbor Master as Lt. Mark Long is leaving after a short stint of less than two years in the Bayside office.  I met Lt. Long and he is a decent person who is trying to do a good job, but he is not versed in boating from either the  recreational or the commercial aspect.

I remember the first meeting when he told me, “If any reporter ever mentions anything bad about me, then that will be the last interview they will have with me.”  I thought that was a strange way to start off a meeting with the Harbor’s local newspaper columnist, but he might have meant it tongue-in-cheek.  I found Lt. Long approachable and he did try to smooth the waters in Newport to pick up the pieces left broken by his predecessors.

Long always had a smile on his face when I saw him at local events, and I hope he now has boating in his blood.  I wish him luck with his new position and congratulations on his promotion.  Now, the Sheriff has a task of selecting a new Harbor Master who is a boater who knows about the marine environment.

Tip of the week is get to know the local harbor patrol and Coast Guard personnel who work in Newport Harbor.   Boaters should make an effort to get to know those who patrol our waterways, and we all can work together for safe and pleasurable boating. 

Boaters are also asked to be the eyes and ears on the water – be alert for anything out of the ordinary or suspicious. America's Waterway Watch is a program by the Coast Guard encouraging those in the waterfront areas like Newport Harbor to band together similar to the Neighborhood Watch programs.  Boaters typically know what is normal activity and what is out of the ordinary, so Waterway Watch is asking that you report the activity to the Coast Guard or Harbor Patrol.  

What boaters should look for:  fishing where it’s not a typical fishing area, unusual boat characteristics, any aggressive activities, unusual filming, unusual scuba diving, tossing items into the water, a large number of foreigners offloading at a public dock, lights flashing between a boat and shore at night.

This is one time that boaters should try to refrain from using the VHF marine band radio, as that might tip off the ones who could be involved in nefarious activity.  Let’s not forget that less than a year ago the Border Patrol detained seven people who were suspected of being illegal aliens after arriving in Newport by boat.

Boaters are encouraged to call the National Response Center at 877-24WATCH, or the Harbor Department at 949-723-1000 to report any suspicious activity.  You can find out more information on the America’s Waterway Watch program on the Internet at aww.aww-sp.com.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

I receive many emails from you who read my column, and most of them are questions. 

I thought that you might like to read some with me - and I have changed the sender’s name to protect them from being ridiculed at their yacht club.

Not long ago, a reader sent me an e-mail asking if it is illegal to use personal watercraft inside the harbor. I thought this question might help clear up a misconception about riding PWCs inside Newport Harbor.

Realistically, no vessel is barred from entering Newport Harbor as long as the vessel meets the federal and state requirements for a vessel of that size and type, and that the vessel is not constrained by a draft that would ground it on the seafloor.  The caveat to that is some vessels are barred because the boats can be classified as public hazards, examples are boats loaded with explosives or vessels that are too noisy, like some of the high performance boats.

Therefore, a PWC is allowed inside the harbor, but the vessel must have the required USCG safety equipment aboard, have the current registration on board, not exceed the noise limit, and not exceed the speed limit of five miles per hour in the harbor.

I constantly receive emails inquiring if a person can drink an alcoholic beverage while operating a boat in the harbor.  The short answer is yes, and here is a brief explanation of the law regarding boating and drinking.

A person may drink alcoholic beverages while skippering a recreational boat, however, no one can operate a recreational boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher. I’ll say whoever is operating the boat should have a level of 0.00 for the safety of your guests and the other boaters around you.

Keep in mind that all licensed captains who operate commercial vessels and captains hired to skipper private yachts cannot have a blood alcohol level at or over 0.04 nor have an alcohol beverage within four hours of taking the controls.  This includes all the tour and charter boat Captains in the harbor and the deck crews, too.

Here is one question that I receive more than any other question:  Why do some boats have a sticker with numbers on both sides of the bow, and other boats do not have any type of licensing showing on the boat at all?

I know that this question confuses many new boaters, and even some seasoned boaters do not really understand the difference between the two methods for registering boats.

Almost all watercraft, whether you label it a boat, vessel, yacht, ship, dinghy, etc., must be registered with either the U.S. Coast Guard or the state's Department of Motor Vehicles.  The few exceptions that do not require licensing are, for example, a boat less than 8 feet long without an engine attached, like a Sabot or a rowboat, a canoe-type vessel powered only by oars, and some tender vessels to ships.

Vessels that have numbers displayed on both sides of their bow are typically boats under 30 to 40 feet that are used solely for recreational cruising.  In California, we call this CF registration -- CF being the abbreviation for California that is placed in front of the numbers.  Other states will have their state’s abbreviated letters too, such as AZ for Arizona and NH for New Hampshire.

Larger boats, yachts, ships, and all commercial vessels are certified by the Coast Guard and do not typically register with the DMV and display any numbers.  These boats are issued a certificate of documentation that has a documentation number.  That number is affixed to their internal structure, usually a main stringer, but not displayed externally on the hull.  These vessels use the vessel's name and hailing port for identification on the transom.

So when do you document versus CF?  If your vessel is over 5 gross tons (internal size calculations, not the actual vessel weight), used for commercial purposes or travel internationally (including Mexico), documentation is for you.  Say you sail only in Newport aboard your Cal 20 - then CF will be sufficient. 

If you want to document, I recommend calling one of the documentation companies in Newport to file the paperwork for you with the Coast Guard.  So, your 65-foot yacht might be documented with the Coast Guard, and the motor-powered dinghy onboard will be CF'd with the state.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

After a wave of boat burglaries have surged through the harbor in the last couple of months, and boat owners are reminded to properly store and secure their vessels and items aboard such as fishing equipment. 

Did you know that boats are frequently stolen and that many are taken simply out of a driveway?  If you want to know just how easy it is, then ask the boat owners who forgot to leave me the keys when I was scheduled to leave the dock at 4 a.m. to deliver their vessel to another harbor.

Personal watercraft tops the list, and less mobile vessels, such as sailboats and heavy, slow trawlers, were decidedly unattractive targets for thieves.  In Newport Harbor the boat might not be stolen, but the thieves break into it for goodies such as TVs, stereos, microwaves, electronics and fishing gear.

What made me think about this topic is the recent wave of fishing equipment being stolen off of yachts in the harbor, and what easy pickings that is for the thieves.  Just take a stroll through any marina and you will notice the plethora of fishing equipment just waiting to be lifted and become ill-gotten booty.  Gear is laying-out unprotected on decks or in unsecured flybridges, and beautiful $1,200 Penn International reels are mounted to rods that are hanging in the main salon’s overhead rod holders in complete view of anyone walking the docks.  To an unscrupulous person, the gear is screaming “Take me,” but to me it is saying, “Duh.”

If you do not care then do not complain if your gear is stolen, but why not take few moment to properly secure your equipment. The Newport Beach police have tips that can help guard your boat and gear, keeping marine theft at bay by discouraging waterway pirates at http://www.nbpd.org/community/crimeprevention/tipsbrochureslinks/marine_security.asp.

Email of the week is one that I receive on a regular basis, and usually after someone returns from boating in a larger shipping harbor like San Diego, LA/Long Beach, or San Francisco.  Good ole Rule No. 9, and let me explain Rule 9.

Rule 9 is just one of the navigational rules listed in the United States Coast Guard's Navigation Rules, International-Inland book, and actually this book is required to be on board every vessel that is 12 meters (39.4 feet) in length or larger.  The rules are divided into inland and international sections, and the book contains the actions to be taken by operators of vessels to avoid collisions.

Inland Rules apply to vessels operating inside the line of demarcation, which is located at the end of the harbor’s jetties, while international apply seaward of the jetties.  With that being said, let me review the first section of Rule 9 under the “Narrow Channels” section.

Paragraph (a) states:  "A vessel proceeding along the course of a narrow channel or fairway shall keep as near to the outer limit of the channel or fairway which lies on her starboard side as is safe and practicable," thus, pass oncoming boats port to port (left side to left side).  In other words, keep your starboard (right) side next to the shore or the traffic channel just like driving your car on the streets.  How many times have you seen one boater going against the flow of boats causing confusion for all the oncoming boaters?

Paragraph (b), one of the most important paragraphs, states:  "A vessel of less than 20 meters in length or a sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel that can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway."  A common-sense rule that states if a boat is over about 65.6 feet (20 meters) then do not impede safe passage of such vessel.  This means for example that a sailboat cannot tack in front of the vessel and, if under power, do not cause the vessel to maneuver to avoid your actions whether end on, crossing, fishing, anchoring or cruising.

You must keep in mind the actions that the current and wind have upon these vessels. Even a school of sabots impeding a larger boat can cause that vessel to drift uncontrollably at low or no speed, making it unable to maintain steerage for safety.

There are a few more paragraphs in Section 9 that go on with more about safe passage for the vessels. I will let you read them on your own.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific.  Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.”  You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!

I mentioned in my column last week that there are not any new boating laws in California for the New Year. However, there is one new bipartisan fishing regulation that President Obama signed into law on Jan. 4, and this is one law that I completely support and I think it is long overdue.

The Shark Conservation Act bans shark finning and makes it illegal for US vessels to have any shark fins aboard, whether caught by those onboard or purchased from foreign-flagged vessels.

In shark finning, fishermen catch a shark only to cut off the pectoral and dorsal fins and then release the mutilated shark back into the ocean to slowly die.

In 2000, a law was passed to ban finning, however a loophole remained: US-flagged vessels could purchase fins from foreign-flagged vessels on the high seas. As such, the US vessels were promoting finning and making a good living by selling the fins back in port. Further, who was to know if the fins were actually purchased from foreign vessels or if the US vessels were engaged in finning themselves?

There still are some nations that support finning, but the numbers are starting to decrease, especially now that the US is out of the market for purchasing the fins. What will happen to those foreign vessels finning in international waters or in their home waters is still not clear.

This law does not ban shark fishing off our coast, but just the horrible practice of finning. Who in their right mind could catch a shark only to haul onboard their boat to cut off the fins and then dump the live finless shark back into ocean? It reminds me of the sick individuals who would cut off the beaks of the pelicans and then release the live, injured birds to gradually die a painful death.

The shark fins are used to make shark-fin soup that is a cultural Chinese dish and is growing in popularity. I have seen estimates of more than 70 million sharks killed each year by this appalling practice. I doubt that there is any nutritional benefit from the cartilaginous fins, but they can have a very high level of mercury.

This is one regulation that everyone can support, but it still has a long way to go to end the finning practice internationally. Whether you are an environmentalist, a fishing enthusiast, or restaurant critics like Indy’s own Christopher Trela and Stasha Surdyke, you must agree that the practice of finning is a very cruel method to make a soup.

Tip of the week is for all good boaters have made their New Year resolutions, which I know will be broken before the spring thaw. Oh wait, Newport Harbor does not have a spring thaw, so how about at least until the local yacht clubs’ opening days.

Have you wondered what kind of resolutions boaters make anyway? Well, the sky’s the limit when it comes to nautical resolutions, from learning how to read the charts to regularly waxing the hull to recycling the outdated flares by not discarding them in the dumpster at the marina.

However, let’s all make one that seems to be slipping as the waterways become more congested: that you will be courteous to everyone while on the water, whether in a sail or power boat. Reminds me of the wish to let there be world peace, or for snowboarders and skiers to make nice.

Another excellent resolution is that I will always display the correct navigational lights at night. I know that is a legal requirement, but just count how many boats run with their anchor light brightly shinning or how many sailboats under engine power cruise at night without their masthead light lit.

An easy resolution is that you will not cruise with your fenders hanging over your side commonly referred to as the del rey stripes named after Marina del Rey boaters. What is a fender you ask? That cylinder shaped vinyl object that you place between your boat and the dock that is incorrectly called a bumper.

Which leads to another resolution: to learn the nautical nomenclature, and as such, use the proper terminology when referring to “boating things.”

Last on our list of resolutions is not to yell, nay scream, at your spouse when docking the boat or launching from a trailer. I wonder how some marriages have stayed together after watching the transformation of Dr. Jeckyl into Mr. Hyde when the boat nears the dock.

And don’t forget: Tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, Capt. Mike Whitehead's Boathouse Radio Show, broadcasting coast-to-coast on the CRN Digital Talk Radio syndicated network every Saturday at noon, Pacific Time and replayed on Sunday at 10 am Pacific. Join Chandler Bell and me as we talk about “all things boating.” You can find the station listings, cable TV channels, live streaming on the Internet, and now available are apps to listen to the show for your iPhone, Blackberry, iTouch, Android, Palm, and Windows Mobile at www.BoathouseTV.com or www.BoathouseRadio.com.

Until next week, Safe Voyages!