Captains Will Weigh Anchor for Holiday Parades

Landlubbers and boaters can all get involved in parades this month by either joining or viewing one of the many winter holiday boat parades in Southern California harbors.

All the parades are free to spectators. Some parades are one night only, while other harbors hold parades for two to seven nights, affording lots of viewing opportunities.

From north to south, here’s where the colorful boat parades can be found:

Santa Barbara--About 60 boats are expected in the fourth annual parade Dec. 10. The parade has no theme and no entry fee.

The boats will leave the harbor at 5:30 p.m. and gather in a staging area about one-quarter mile off shore from the breakwater. At 6 p.m. the boats will parade down the east side of Stearn’s Wharf to Cabrillo Bathhouse and then turn west, coming back along Cabrillo Boulevard in a return to Stearn’s Wharf.

Cabrillo Boulevard, Stearn’s Wharf and the breakwater are the best viewing spots.

Information: (805) 969-5217.

Ventura--A parade organized by the Ventura Port District will start Dec. 16 at 7 p.m., with the theme of “Christmas California Style.”

About 30 boats are expected to participate. They will parade through the entire harbor, with television actor Nicolas Coster serving as the grand marshal.

The best viewing areas are Ventura Harbor Village, the sidewalk between Ventura Yacht Club and the National Park Service, and the launch ramp area.

Information: (805) 642-8538.

Oxnard--The 24th annual Parade of Lights in Channel Islands Harbor next Saturday starts at 7 p.m. with the theme “The Carols of Christmas.”

The parade is limited to 40 boats, from 25 to 50 feet in length. The vessels will circle the harbor twice and can be seen from everywhere along the waterfront.

Information: (805) 985-4852.

Marina del Rey--Actor Howard Keel of TV’s “Dallas” will serve as the grand marshal of the 27th annual parade, set for 5:30 p.m. next Saturday. A group of small-boat owners called the Pioneer Skipper Boat Owners Assn. is organizing the procession of about 100 boats. The theme this year is “Light . . . Music . . . Action!”

Because of the spectacular nature of the boat decorations and the many Hollywood celebrities participating, the two-hour event in the marina’s main channel draws about 75,000 spectators each year.

The best public viewing is at the north and south jetties (accessible from Pacific Avenue and Vista Del Mar respectively), Burton Chace Park, and Fisherman’s Village on Fiji Way.

Parking in all L.A. County lots in that area will be free after 4 p.m. that day. (Fees are charged at the privately operated Fishermen’s Village lot.)

Information: (213) 821-7614.

San Pedro--The 26th annual Christmas Afloat parade in Los Angeles Harbor will start at 7 p.m. next Saturday with the theme “Christmas Around the World.”

The expected 45,000 spectators will line the wharves of Ports O’Call Village, the World Cruise Center and other vantage points along the port’s main channel to watch the procession of about 40 vessels.

The boat parade is co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Harbor Department and the Los Angeles Christmas Afloat Committee.

Boat owners who are interested in participating in the parade should call (213) 498-9273.

Long Beach--A parade at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 will start off oil island Grissom near the entrance to Shoreline Marina.

About 30 vessels will take a circular route in the harbor, passing by the Shoreline Village marina and the Queen Mary, both of which make excellent viewing areas.

Shoreline Yacht Club is organizing this parade, which has no theme.

Information: (213) 435-4093 between 1 and 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

Huntington Harbour--The “Symphony of Toys” boat parades next Saturday and Dec. 10 start at 5:30 p.m. both days.

Sponsored by the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Society, the event is expected to attract more than 70 vessels led by an 80-foot yacht.

The boats gather in the main channel below Huntington Harbor Yacht Club, 3821 Warner Ave. They will proceed on a 17-mile course past Peter’s Landing, all five islands in the harbor and the Shell fuel dock, before ending near Humboldt and Trinidad islands.

The Philharmonic Society also sponsors “Cruise of Lights” tours aboard yachts to see the decorated luxury homes that line the shores of this exclusive harbor. The tours will be given four times nightly Dec. 13-22. Tickets for a ride on the charter boats are $7 for adults, $4 for children ages 2 to 12.

For information call (714) 840-7542 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Newport Beach--Local real estate developer William Lusk will serve as the grand marshal for the 81st annual parades Dec. 17-23, starting 6:30 p.m. each day.

Organized by the Newport Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce, the parade never has a theme except that of Christmas. Up to 200 boats are expected.

The boats gather off Collins Island in the harbor and circumnavigate the bay in a counterclockwise direction for two hours, passing Harbor Island, Linda Isle, Bay Shores, Lido Isle, Balboa Peninsula, Pirate’s Cove and Balboa Island.

Tickets for grandstand viewing at the Sea Scout Base on Pacific Coast Highway are available through Music Plus, May Co. and Ticketmaster. In order to ease parking congestion, a shuttle service will run from the parking lot at Newport Dunes Aquatic Park to the Sea Scout Base. Any tickets not reserved by 5:30 p.m. the day of a parade will be sold at the parking area.

Information and tickets: (714) 644-8211.

Dana Point--The fifth annual parades Dec. 15 and 16 start at 6:30 p.m. each day, with the theme “A Charles Dickens Christmas.”

The boats gather outside the harbor, travel in past the Harbor Patrol office, through the east and west basins, then make a U-turn and go back to the starting point. Then they make another lap, retracing the parade course.

The parades can be viewed from the many restaurants in the harbor. Spectators who want to see the parades from the deck of one of the participating boats can call Dana Wharf Sportfishing at (714) 496-5794.

Oceanside--The 13th annual parade Dec. 16 starts at 7 p.m. It has no theme.

The boats will start out in the turning basin and make three complete circuits of the harbor. Good viewing from anywhere in the harbor.

Oceanside Yacht Club and the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce sponsor the event. There is no entry fee, but participants are asked to donate money toward expenses.

Information: (619) 722-6876.

Mission Bay--A parade Dec. 16 starts at 7 p.m. in the Mission Bay Channel opposite the Islandia Hotel outside Quivira Basin. The boats travel clockwise around Sail Bay, under the South Ingraham Street bridge, around Fiesta Bay, and end up at Sea World.

Mission Bay Yacht Club sponsors the parade. Information: (619) 488-0501 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

San Diego Bay--The 18th annual Parade of Lights Dec. 17 starts at 6 p.m. with the theme “The Spirit of Christmas.”

The expected 125-boat procession starts near the Navy fuel pier and travels along Shelter Island, Harbor Island and the Embarcadero before finishing at Seaport Village.

The Greater Shelter Island Assn. organizes the event, with proceeds benefiting the Children’s Hospital and Health Center in San Diego.

Information: (619) 222-0561, Ext. 307.

South San Diego Bay--”Magic Memories” is the theme of the sixth annual parade in South San Diego Bay Dec. 16.

The three-hour parade starts at 6 p.m. in National City, adjacent to the 32nd Street Naval Base, proceeds to National City’s 24th Street viewing area, and then turns south into Chula Vista Marina.

A fireworks display will take place in Chula Vista when the parade ends. A concert and awards ceremony will follow in the Winterfest Tent. Information: (619) 691-1860.

Even those living far from the ocean can enjoy a boat parade. The fifth annual Lake Mohave Resort Parade of Lights at Katherine Landing in Bullhead City, Ariz. is Dec. 16 at dusk.

The parade is open to 25 entries and attracts up to 1,000 spectators. The best vantage points are at Katherine Landing and Davis Dam.

There is no entry fee and no theme. Information: (602) 754-3245.