The harbor column

Terrance Phillips

The criterion for true beauty is that it increases upon examination.

Beauty is a passport given by God to create memories, capture hearts and

something always constant and enduring.

To me the sea is beautiful and its beauty definitely increases upon

examination. It’s a passport to pristine beaches, islands, harbors, the

elements and sunshine. Water is the most essential ingredient of our

everyday existence. We swim in it; sail upon it; bathe in it; drink it

and even quench the thirst of plant life with it. Water is the most

valuable commodity on earth. Without water -- we’re dust.

As I view that old movie where the French Legionnaire pulls his

sun-blistered body across the Sahara Desert, I don’t remember him yelling

out, “diamonds, diamonds, give me diamonds,” do you? Of course not. He

yells out, “water, water, give me water,” unless he’s from Newport Beach,

then he’d yell out, “Perrier, Perrier, I need Perrier.” (Just kidding

folks, I live here too).

So if water were so valuable, why would anyone want to abuse it? Oil;

fuel; used medical syringes; paper cups; beer cans; diapers; sewage and

chemicals are found daily in the water. I’m not talking about Sri Lanka,

Haiti or some other impoverished nation, sadly, I speak of our own coast,

even inside Newport Harbor.

“Basically you can’t put anything in the harbor except plain, clear

water,” said Orange County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Dottie Ronan, of the

Harbor Patrol.

This means no soap, sawdust or technically, you can’t even wash bird

droppings off your deck. Many boaters purchase exotic deck soaps because

the manufacturers claim they’re biodegradable, however, the fish and sea

life choke and die just as easily on the exotic soaps as they do on

regular detergents. A common mistake made by weekend boaters is

varnishing a toe rail. As they sand the teak, the dust falls into the

water. This is illegal.

The Orange County Dist. Atty.’s environmental protection unit

investigates and prosecutes persons that are responsible for depositing

hazardous materials into the harbor. The most common problem reported is

automatic bilge pumps that pump when the water level becomes high. Out

goes the water along with any oil or fuel that has accumulated in the

bilge. A cup of fuel on the water can spread a sheen covering an area 25

feet by 25 feet.

“If your boat is the cause of a fuel/oil discharge whether intentional or

not, the boat owner can be fined and prosecuted,” said Dist. Atty.

investigator Maureen Hall.

The Sheriff’s Department strongly recommends boaters establish a strict

maintenance schedule. Check for engine, fuel and stuffing box leaks. Make

it a weekly policy to review a check list and repair even the slightest

problem that may exist.

It’s not your water -- it belongs to all of us so don’t compromise the

rights of others. If you see a violation taking place, report the

infraction immediately as a quick response by the authorities equipped to

handle these problems, may save our harbor from serious damage.

The Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol telephone number is (949) 723-1002.

* TERRANCE PHILLIPS is the Daily Pilot’s boating writer. You can leave a

message for him at (949) 642-6086 or via e-mail at dailypilot@latimes.com

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