MIKE WHITEHEAD -- The Harbor Column

The year is 1969, when I was a Daily Pilot paperboy peddling my

Schwinn three-speed down Tustin Avenue heading to the Arches Restaurant,

which was the first stop of my paper route. I peddled along Coast Highway

from the Arches bridge to the Ruben E. Lee Bridge that was my daily route

except on Sundays.

In those days, Coast Highway had a few painted crosswalks away from

the traffic signals where drivers would actually stop to let me cross.

How things have changed. Gone are Rosan’s factory, Haskell’s dive shop

and two trailer courts.

Flash forward to the present, where I find myself as the Harbor

Columnist for the same paper I delivered more than 30 years ago. In those

30 years, I have been on the boating forefront and a boater in Newport

Harbor and along the Pacific Coast.

Some of you may remember me as the host of the Boathouse TV Show that

aired on local cable and now airs nationally on the Sunshine Network (FOX

Sports Net).

In the past 20 years, I have taught sailing in the harbor, skippered

private yachts and charter boats, and helped with many local events such

as Clean Harbor Day.

I am the Marine Committee chair for the Newport Harbor Area Chamber of

Commerce, a member of Newport Beach’s Harbor Committee, on the Boy Scout

Sea Base’s Executive Committee and I hold a master’s license from the

United States Coast Guard.

Now, I have the exciting opportunity to write a weekly column with

harbor and boating topics from my perspective as an active boater. I will

bring to you what is happening in the harbor from special events to water

quality to specific harbor issues like dredging and eel grass control.

Plus, I will share with you some highlights of my recent voyages, like

my recent trip from Honolulu to Long Beach as the delivery captain aboard

the 145-foot Rapture, where we encountered 15-foot seas, causing a main

salon window to blow out.

I will keep everyone informed of pending new boating laws and what is

happening at the state and national level that affects this harbor.

Right now, we have good news from Sacramento as Gov. Davis has

appointed Raynor Tsuneyoshi as the new director of the California

Department of Boating and Waterways, replacing Carlton Moore who has been

the interim director since 1998.

Tsuneyoshi, 58, of Huntington Beach, is knowledgeable about marine and

boating issues with his 25-plus years of experience. He was the counsel

to the commissioner of the United States Maritime Commission, president

of Harbor and Coastal Services Unlimited, and served in the U.S. Coast

Guard Reserve, just to mention a little of his past.

Great news for Newport Harbor to have a hands-on director who lives in

our neighboring city, so hopefully he will have an understanding of our

harbor and how boating and waterways can play a vital role in this

harbor’s future.

The Senate will still have to confirm his appointment.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send him

your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions via e-mail

to o7 Mike@BoathouseTV.comf7 or o7 www.BoathouseTV.comf7 .