The Harbor Column -- Mike Whitehead

Ahoy.

What worldwide sport claims to be the only sport with only one set of

rules for its competitors? The answer is sailing, which happens to be a

significant activity here in Newport Harbor, and Newport is known for

producing champions, Olympians, and professional sailors with many

beginning in the good ole Sabot.

Well, exciting news for all you sailors, judges, committee members and

anyone who wants to see a humorous and lively presentation of how to use

the new racing rules for improving your tactical game. At 7 p.m. Thursday

at the Lido Isle Yacht Club, Dave Perry will be the featured speaker. The

New Englander is the world-renowned authority on sailing rules and

tactics. I was told this is the first time he is speaking in Newport

Beach, and that it is very rare for Dave to speak on the West Coast at

any yacht club.

Recently, Dave was recognized as the first person to receive the

trophy for the greatest teaching contribution to sailing, and he is an

excellent sailor, too. Those wanting to attend need to RSVP to Carter

Ford at (949) 723-0400. There is a nominal fee, but my understanding is

it is well worth any price to hear Dave’s presentation. Bring your

toughest questions.

***

Many readers asked about my recent voyage to the Tacoma Yacht Club in

Washington and how I like cruising on those waters versus our southern

waters.

I like cruising the Northwest when the weather is not too cold, and I

like the hundreds of miles I can cruise while in the scenic inland

passages. However, for me it is strange to stay on board overnight when

the boat is moored in a completely covered slip. It’s nice to get out of

the weather, but your view is blocked and who knows if your neighbors are

aboard in the marina?

My advice to anyone cruising from the Puget Sound and up into Canada

is to always, and I mean always, have bridge watch looking for floating

logs, whether a “dead head” (floating vertical) or a horizontal floating

log. In some areas in the Northwest, it is not recommended to travel at

night due to the logs, and I have to admit I have traveled at night at a

decreased speed.

Also true anywhere, you must carry an up-to-date set of charts for the

complete area for a couple of reasons regardless of having GPS on board.

First, if your GPS fails, you probably will get lost because of all the

islands and passages that start to look the same, and secondly, I have

personally seen boats high and dry on the submerged rocks marked on the

charts.

In Newport, we have a wonderful harbor with many unusual qualities,

but in the Northwest, you have a different type that, between the two,

makes you appreciate the other -- Newport.

***

In my previous column, I asked about the flashing light atop the

harbor department’s facility and many answered correctly that it is a

laser light to help guide boaters back into the jetties. There are three

colors -- red, yellow, and green -- that you can see looking from the

ocean inward. Just like the buoy colors, the laser colors separate the

jetty entrance into traffic lanes with the old saying “red right

returning.”

So, if you are seeing the red light, then your boat is over on the

right side of the channel (east jetties) when inbound. Yellow means you

are mid channel and green is showing that you are in the outbound traffic

lane (west jetties).

Use these lights and let me know if they help keep you in the correct

traffic scheme on that dark moonless night.

Safe Voyages.

* 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 .