The Harbor Column -- Mike Whitehead

Ahoy.

As many of the sailboats and committee boats head home today from

Ensenada, the preparations for the Newport Boat Show are being finalized

for Wednesday’s opening day.

“The west’s largest boat show offers the biggest in-the-water display

ever,” the press release reads. Now the biggest boat show in Orange

County, the show is known as being the “The West’s Big Boat Boat Show.” I

like this show, which has the largest display on the West Coast of

in-the-water boats and a tent full of vendor booths. Every year, my first

stop at the show is down at the floating docks to see what’s new on

Bayport Yacht’s Carver line. I deliver lots of Carvers along the Pacific

Coast and at the show, I can get my questions answered while comparing

models side by side.

This year, someone will cruise away in a brand new fishing boat worth

$25,000. At the show, there will be a sport-fishing version of “Survivor”

called Catch-A-Boat Challenge that is a test of endurance and

determination. Whoever is the last person standing wins in a nonstop

around-the-clock fight to the finish wins a brand-new 21-foot Triumph

Center Console fishing boat equipped with a 150 hp Evinrude outboard and

EZ loader trailer.

Ten lucky or maybe crazy pseudo-anglers will be selected from a

drawing before the show and outfitted with a rod belt to help hold a

fishing rod and reel that is hooked up to the new boat. This can get ugly

as the pseudo-anglers must stand not allowing any part of their body or

fishing tackle to touch the ground, the boat or any object outside of

their designated fishing spot.

If more than one person survives 24 hours a day for the full five days

of the show, then a casting shootoff will be held on Sunday to determine

the winner. My advice to the contestants is to bring warm clothes, gloves

and a port-a-potty as only a 20-minute break is permitted every four

hours. The 29th annual Newport In-Water Boat Show opens noon to 7 p.m.

Wednesday; from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; from 10 a.m. to 7

p.m. Saturday; and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Newport Dunes with

ample parking available close to the boat show. For further information,

call (949) 757-5959 or surf to o7 www.goboatingamerica.comf7 .

I receive numerous e-mails from people seeking nautical information,

from what their boat is worth to the weather forecast for someone’s

wedding cruise next summer. I use the Internet daily and try to answer or

refer every e-mail. What is nice about the Internet is that information

may only be a search away.

I am finding that marine-related Web sites are maturing to the point

of actual usefulness. At first, sites basically showed advertising and

contact information. Now, the manufacturer sites have user forums to

discuss topics, online manuals that you can print out, e-mail help,

product updates and recalls. In addition to product Web sites, there is a

plethora of boater cruising information listing services in harbors,

harbor approach information, weather data and now cameras are displaying

real-time views of harbor entrances and sea conditions. Next time I am on

a faraway yacht voyage, I am going to call my wife and let her know when

I am passing by a harbor’s Web cam so she can see me on her computer.

Along with the cameras, in the near future, I expect to see the Vessel

Traffic Services online with radar images showing ship positions in areas

like San Diego and Long Beach. In the distant future, when boats have

satellite high-speed Internet access, I can envision boats automatically

sending their position to constantly update an area chart showing

everyone’s position, course and speed.

Have an onboard emergency and now you can enter the information so

that your vessel will change appearance on the Internet chart to what

assistance you may require and to alert nearby boaters. I feel good

things coming with technology so when your engine hiccups, just have the

Internet connection send the data to the technicians in Detroit for the

diagnoses and to order any necessary parts that will await you at your

next port of call. Hey, can I order a pizza too?

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 BoathouseTV.comf7 .