What’s afloat

* WHAT’S AFLOAT is published periodically. If you are planning a

nautical event, submit the information to the Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay

St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; by fax to (949) 646-4170; or by e-mail to o7

dailypilot@latimes.comf7 .

SPECIAL EVENTS

** An exhibition showcasing Newport Harbor’s most popular cruising

destinations, Catalina and the Channel Islands, will open March 16 at the

Newport Harbor Nautical Museum. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday

through Sunday. The museum is located at 151 E. Coast Highway, Newport

Beach. Free. (949) 673-7863.

SAILING CLASSES

** Floritilla 27 of the USCG Auxiliary will sponsor a six-week class

on boating skills and seamanship at 7 p.m. April 11 at the Newport Beach

Harbor Department, 1901 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar. $45. (714)

628-9777.

** Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship will offer

a four-day advanced power yacht operation course April 19 to 22 at the

sailing center, 1801 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Call for

prices. (949) 645-9412.

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship will offer a

five-week intermediate shields sailing course starting at 1:15 p.m. March

24. The class will meet Saturdays at the OCC Sailing Center, 1801 W.

Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach. $125. (949) 645-9412.

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship will offer a

five-week advanced shields sailing course starting at 1:15 p.m. March 25.

The class will meet Sundays at the OCC Sailing Center, 1801 W. Pacific

Coast Highway, Newport Beach. $135. (949) 645-9412.

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship will offer a

hands-on weekend course focusing on twin engine power boat operation from

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 24 and 25 at Long Beach Harbor, and is limited to

six students. $295. Call for address and registration. (949) 645-9412.

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship will offer a

four-week course for people with intermediate sailing skills and little

or no experience running a mid-sized auxiliary cruising boat from 9 a.m.

to 4 p.m. starting March 25 at the OCC Sailing Center, 1801 W. Pacific

Coast Highway, Newport Beach. $225. (949) 645-9412.

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship will offer a

four-week keelboat class for beginning female sailors from 10 a.m. to 4

p.m. starting March 24 at OCC’s Sailing Center, 1801 W. Pacific Coast

Highway, Newport Beach. $215. (949) 645-9412.

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship will offer a

weekend class on operating a twin-engine powerboat from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

March 24-25 at Long Beach Harbor. The class is limited to six students.

$295. OCC’s Sailing Center is at 1801 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach.

(949) 645-9412.

Learn to sail or windsurf at Resort Water Sports. Windsurfers and

14-foot sailboats may be rented for $15 per hour. (949) 729-1150.

Sailboat rentals and private lessons are available at Marina Sailing

in the Balboa Fun Zone. Advanced classes include navigation, big boat,

powerboat, introduction to heavy weather and first-mate instruction.

(949) 673-7763; the Blue Dolphin Sailing Club, (949) 644-2525; or Lido

Sailing Club, (949) 675-0827.

BOAT RENTALS

Balboa Boat Rentals can put you on the water in many ways, with single

and double kayaks, electric boats, 14-holder sailboats, pedal boats and

runabouts for offshore use or cruising the bay. (949) 673-7200.

Electric boat rentals are available by the hour at Duffy Electric

Boats, 2001 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. All boats are equipped with

window enclosures and CD players. Ice and cups are provided. Reservations

are suggested. An hour rental is $60. (949) 645-6812.

Sail airborne outside Newport Harbor, pulled by a motorboat at Balboa

Para-sailing near the Balboa Fun Zone. A 90-minute trip is $45. (949)

673-1693.

A motorized lounge chair may be rented at Resort Water Sports at

Newport Dunes for $25 per hour. Pedal boats, electric boats, boogie

boards, kayaks, inflatable rafts, beach furniture and wetsuits also are

available. (949) 729-1150.

Party pontoons, chaparral runabouts and family pontoons may be rented

at Anchors Away Boat Rentals in the Balboa Fun Zone. (949) 673-3372.

Gondola tours are offered by the Gondola Co. of Newport, 3400 Via

Oporto, Suite 102-B. The $75 cost includes a basket of bread, cheese,

salami, ice, glasses, a blanket, music and a Polaroid picture. Wine also

is available. (949) 675-1212.

Gondola Adventures/Newport, 3101 W. Coast Highway, offers one- and

two-hour gondola cruises. A one-hour tour with champagne is $70. A

two-hour tour with dinner and champagne is $180. Pickup is available at

waterfront restaurants. (949) 675-4984.

Irvine Coast Charters in Lido Marina Village offers two-hour electric

boat cruises with a gourmet dinner. $180 for two people. (949) 675-4704.

Zip through the water on a sea motorcycle known as a Sea-Doo at Walk

on Water, next to the ferry on Balboa Island. $65 per hour for a single-

or double-seater and $75 per hour for a three-seater. (949) 675-6800.

Streamline center-console fishing boats may be rented at Balboa Boat

Rentals on Balboa Peninsula. The boats, equipped with live bait tanks,

fish-finders and VHF radio, are available by the hour and half-day rates

at $170; full-day rates are $240. U-Drive offshore boats equipped with

VHF radios also may be rented by the hour, half-day or full day. Rates

range from $40 per hour to $195 for the day. (949) 673-7200.

CRUISES

Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship will sponsor

an eight-day trip beginning March 17 aboard the Alaska Eagle from Newport

Beach to the tip of Baja California. The seven-day voyage back to Newport

will begin March 25. $1,125 each way. (949) 645-9412.

Orange Coast College’s Alaska Eagle will depart June 27 on a 13-month,

24,000-nautical-mile excursion from Newport Beach to Tahiti, South

America and Antarctica. Ten students will take part on each leg of the

trip. (949) 645-9412.

The Newport Landing Belle is available for weddings and receptions,

cocktail and sightseeing cruises, and meetings at $250 per hour (minimum

two hours) and $150 for each additional hour. (949) 361-3640.

Fun Zone Boat Co. runs a 45-minute cruise (adults, $6; children, $1)

and 90-minute cruise (adults, $8; children, $1), departing from Balboa

Fun Zone every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. A 60-minute

showboat sunset cruise (adults, $6; children, $1) leaves the Fun Zone at

7 p.m. daily. Private charters are available. (949) 673-0240.

Catalina Passenger Service runs 45-minute harbor cruises (adults, $6;

children, $1) and 90-minute cruises (adults, $8; children, $1), departing

from Balboa Fun Zone every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily and

on the hour until 7 p.m. (949) 673-5245.

Cruise the harbor aboard the Electra, a 100-foot Classic Fantail

vessel. Charters with catering are available for up to 145 passengers.

(949) 723-1069.

A three-course dinner and dancing while cruising the harbor is

available at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. at Hornblower Dining

Yachts, 2431 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. $56.95 per person. Brunch

cruises also are available. (949) 631-2469.

The Catalina Flyer departs from Balboa Pavilion at 9 a.m. daily and

returns from Catalina Island at 4:30 p.m. $36 round trip for adults; $20

round trip for children. Reservations are recommended. (949) 673-5245.

FISHING

Fishing classes leave Balboa Pavilion at 6 a.m. and return at 4 p.m.

Mondays and Tuesdays. $125. (949) 673-2810.

Get to the Newport Pier early to watch the dory fishing fleet return

with the fresh catch of the day. Fish are prepared for sale at McFadden

Square, an open-air market.

Fishing supplies and boat charters (open party and private) are

available at Davey’s Locker, 400 Main St., Balboa (949) 673-1434; and

Newport Landing Sportfishing, 309 Palms, Suite F, Newport Beach (949)

675-0550.

Day and night fishing charters are available for groups or singles at

Bongos Sportfishing on Balboa Peninsula. (949) 673-2810.

KAYAKING/CANOEING/SCUBA

Beginning sea kayaking, rolling clinics and private lessons are

offered at Paddle Power, 1500 W. Balboa Blvd., Balboa. Kayak and sea ski

rentals also are available. (949) 675-1215.

Two-hour kayak tours begin at 10 a.m. Sundays from Newport Dunes. $20

for adults and $15 for children. Kayak rentals and classes also are

available. (949) 729-1150.

Single kayak rentals ($10 per hour) and doubles ($15 per hour) are available at Balboa Boat Rentals in the Balboa Fun Zone. (949) 673-7200.

Paddle Power also provides kayak, surf ski and canoe rentals. (949)

675-1215.

The Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve offers Back Bay canoe tours

departing at 8:30 a.m. Saturdays from Shellmaker Island, which is off

Back Bay Drive in Newport Beach. (949) 640-6746.

Newport Aquatic Center offers sweep rowing (one oar), sculling classes

(two oars) and canoe rentals. Classes run for four weeks and cost $75.

Introductory clinics also are available Saturdays and Sundays for $10.

(949) 646-7725.

Scuba training, consisting of six evening and two weekend day classes,

are offered at the Aquatic Center, 4537 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach.

$200 to $310. The center also offers scuba rentals, special trips,

repairs and air fills. (949) 650-5440.

Certification classes for beginning to instructor-level scuba divers

are available at Dive-in Scuba, 2482 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa. Other

services include boat charters, equipment sales, rentals and repairs.

(949) 631-9288.